Your First 90 Days with an Audit and Payment Partner

Bringing on a freight audit and payment partner is a strategic decision for logistics and transportation leaders. The first 90 days often determine whether that partnership delivers lasting value or simply adds another system to manage. Industry research consistently shows that early execution, alignment and visibility play a critical role in long-term performance and cost control, particularly when it comes to supply chain management. 

At ITS Traffic Systems (ITS), the onboarding process is designed to build accuracy and confidence early, while laying the foundation for meaningful freight spend visibility and control through a proven freight audit and payment process. 

Here is what shippers can expect during their first 90 days working with ITS. 

Days 1 to 30: Kickoff and Integration 

The first month is focused on alignment and preparation. ITS begins with a structured kickoff and discovery process to align on goals, KPIs, compliance requirements and team responsibilities. This ensures both teams are comfortable with expectations before invoices begin flowing. 

Next comes data collection and setup. Carrier contracts, rate tables and historical shipment data are compiled so the audit framework reflects how your business actually operates. This upfront work is essential to establishing a secure and scalable freight audit process supported by ITS. 

Connectivity is established through secure EDI and API integrations with carriers and your enterprise resource planning (ERP) or Transportation Management System (TMS). Legal and IT teams collaborate to ensure compliance, while ITS configures inbound data feeds and reporting outputs to support accurate auditing and clear reporting. 

During this phase, audit rules are also defined. ITS configures business rules based on your contracts and workflows, combining AI-enabled automation with human oversight. This allows routine invoices to process efficiently while exceptions receive expert review. 

Days 31 to 60: Pilot and Validation 

With the foundation in place, the focus shifts to testing and validation. Sample invoices from each carrier are processed to confirm accuracy and completeness, including workflows for paper bills when applicable. 

Your first audit report is then delivered. This report highlights early savings opportunities, billing trends, and common error patterns across carriers. This visibility is critical, as freight billing errors remain a widespread challenge across the industry. 

These early insights give your team a clearer understanding of freight spend visibility and how structured auditing uncovers discrepancies through a consistent freight audit and payment framework. 

Training also takes place during this phase. Finance and logistics teams are trained on the ITS online portal, freight bill resolution tools, and how to work with their dedicated customer service representative. Feedback from your team is actively incorporated to fine-tune workflows and improve efficiency. 

Days 61 to 90: Full Implementation and Performance Review 

By the third month, ITS transitions to full invoice processing and payment. Your first funding request provides both summary and detailed views of carrier payments and shipment information, allowing your team to review and approve with confidence. 

Performance reporting becomes available on demand, including KPIs such as audit savings and cycle time improvements. As transportation leaders increasingly rely on data and analytics to guide decisions, supply chain analytics have become a strategic advantage rather than a nice-to-have. 

These insights support ongoing transportation reporting and visibility, helping teams move beyond invoice processing to informed, data-driven decision-making with ITS. 

The first 90 days conclude with a focus on continuous improvement and strategic planning, setting the stage for deeper insights, optimization and quarterly performance reviews. 

Building Toward Long-Term Value 

What happens next is where long-term value takes shape. The foundation built during onboarding supports ongoing optimization, enhanced reporting, and deeper strategic insight. ITS is focused on building partnerships that help organizations stay in control of freight spend, carrier performance, and future planning. 

Ready to learn what your first 90 days with ITS could look like?

Contact ITS Traffic Systems, Inc.

Sources:

1. Gartner, “Supply Chain Management.” gartner.com, 2025. 

2. McKinsey & Company, “A More Resilient Supply Chain From Optimized Operations Planning.” mckinsey.com, 2022.