WiseTech Global is transforming CargoWise, its freight forwarding platform, into an AI-powered 'system of execution,' according to CEO Zubin Appoo. For over two decades, CargoWise has served as a digital record for forwarders, but now the company is integrating AI agents and automated workflows to handle tasks traditionally performed by staff. This evolution aims to shift the platform's value from mere transaction recording to intelligent decision-making and execution, potentially reshaping how importers and exporters manage their customs declarations and shipping processes.
Among the new tools is SARA (Smart Auto Request Agent), which automates the exchange of information between forwarders and their clients. SARA can analyze emails and documents, flag missing or illegible details, request clarifications from importers or exporters, and return completed data to operators. Following this, an auto job creation agent will register shipments in CargoWise Next, ingest electronic documents, and initiate AI-assisted classification and compliance checks, significantly reducing manual workload. WiseTech targets up to 50% labor cost savings for logistics service providers, though Appoo did not specify current savings levels.
The company is also shifting its pricing model from seat-based licenses to 'Value Packs,' linking costs to transactions and the value delivered by AI capabilities. This aligns with WiseTech's forecast of 12%-20% revenue growth in FY27, partly driven by 'monetising agentic AI.' However, Appoo emphasized that forwarders and brokers retain liability for AI decisions, so the technology is designed as an 'assistant' with human oversight for compliance-sensitive tasks. This cautious approach ensures reliability over merely increasing the number of agents.
WiseTech's expansion beyond CargoWise includes the .1 billion acquisition of e2open, targeting manufacturers, retailers, and beneficial cargo owners, and the purchase of FRDM.ai for supply chain risk intelligence. Appoo dismissed concerns that AI could lower barriers for competitors, citing CargoWise's deep integrations with airlines, shipping lines, and customs authorities as irreplaceable assets. He also refuted suggestions that WiseTech might disintermediate freight forwarders, positioning e2open as a market expansion rather than a bypass. With these moves, WiseTech aims to become the 'operating system for global trade and logistics,' connecting forwarders, carriers, shippers, and governments, while ensuring CargoWise remains central to AI-driven execution in the sector.