Capability template for supply chain and inventory
Bill of lading field check
When a draft bill of lading arrives before it is issued, the documentation specialist gets a field-by-field comparison with the booking, the shipper's instructions and the packing list, with every difference marked. Nothing is issued or corrected.
Listed under
Add it to a workflow in the Fully Powered Planner, beside the teams and roles that will run it. Book a fit call
The outcome
A bill of lading is far easier to fix before it is issued than after. A consignee spelled two ways, a port of discharge that was changed on the booking and not on the draft, a seal number with two digits swapped: each of these costs a few minutes now and a good deal more once the document is out. This capability makes the comparison in one pass, while the draft is still a draft.
You get the draft laid next to its sources. Each party, routing and freight-terms field is shown as the draft has it, as the booking has it and as the shipper's instructions have it, and marked as a match or a difference. Each container is compared with the packing list on packages, gross weight and seal. The draft's own totals are added up from its own lines and compared too. What the files cannot settle, such as a missing weight, freight terms that are neither prepaid nor collect, or a booking and a set of instructions that disagree with each other, is listed as an open item.
Every difference ends as a question for the documentation specialist. The capability does not decide which document is right.
Who starts the work, and when
A documentation specialist at a forwarder, a shipper's documentation desk or a carrier's operations team starts it when a draft bill of lading arrives and before anyone approves it for issue. It can run again on the next draft after corrections are requested.
The specialist confirms which corrections to ask for. The authorized carrier or agent issues the document. The capability issues nothing, changes no draft, contacts nobody, and makes no customs classification, duty or export-control determination.
What they supply
- The draft: its header fields (parties, routing, vessel and voyage, freight terms, total packages and total gross weight) and its cargo lines, each with container number, seal number, description, packages and gross weight.
- The booking: the booking reference, the parties, routing, vessel and voyage, freight terms and the number of containers.
- The shipper's instructions: the fields the shipper has approved for the document, such as parties and freight terms. Any field may be left out.
- The packing list, with container number, seal number, description, packages and gross weight on each line.
- Settings: your business, today's date, who the specialist is, the weight tolerance and the freight terms your documents use.
Each file's column headers are checked first. If one does not match, the work stops and asks which column is which. It works from files you supply, needs no connection to your systems and never asks for a password.
What comes out
One page in a fixed order: a summary and data checks; each header field with the three values side by side and its result; each container against the packing list; the totals; the open items; the differences, numbered; and a numbered question for the documentation specialist on each point that needs a decision. A section with nothing in it says "None."
Every figure can be traced to a row in a file you supplied, and each finding names where it comes from.
An invented example
Illustrative example with invented data. The forwarder, the shipper, the consignee, the notify party, the carrier, the vessel, the booking, the container and seal numbers, the quantities and every date below are invented. The ports are real places used only as labels. The forwarder is an invented small freight forwarder, called the Forwarder here. Its documentation specialist asks for the check on Tuesday 10 November 2026, when the carrier's draft arrives for one booking of two containers.
The inputs come first, in full, so the template can be run on them. The check follows.
The inputs
1. Settings (typed by the documentation specialist)
Business: the Forwarder
Today: 2026-11-10
Documentation specialist: the documentation specialist
All other settings: use the defaults
2. Draft header
field,value
shipper,Shipper A Ltd
consignee,Consignee B GmbH
notify_party,Notify Party C BV
carrier,Carrier D Line
place_of_receipt,Ningbo
port_of_loading,Ningbo
port_of_discharge,Antwerp
place_of_delivery,Rotterdam
vessel_voyage,MV Example Star 042E
freight_terms,as arranged
total_packages,340
total_gross_weight_kg,9180.0
3. Draft cargo lines
line,container_no,seal_no,description,packages,gross_weight_kg
1,ABCU1234567,SL-55001,Steel storage racks,120,4100.0
2,ABCU1234567,SL-55001,Rack fittings,60,820.0
3,DEFU7654321,SL-55002,Steel storage racks,150,4260.0
4. Booking
field,value
booking_reference,BK-20418
shipper,Shipper A Ltd
consignee,Consignee B GmbH
notify_party,Consignee B GmbH
carrier,Carrier D Line
place_of_receipt,Ningbo
port_of_loading,Ningbo
port_of_discharge,Rotterdam
place_of_delivery,Rotterdam
vessel_voyage,MV Example Star 042E
freight_terms,prepaid
container_count,2
5. Shipper's instructions
field,value
shipper,Shipper A Ltd
consignee,Consignee B GmbH
notify_party,Notify Party C BV
freight_terms,prepaid
6. Packing list
line,container_no,seal_no,description,packages,gross_weight_kg
1,ABCU 1234567,SL-55001,Steel storage racks,120,4100.0
2,ABCU 1234567,SL-55001,Rack fittings,60,820.0
3,DEFU7654321,SL-55020,Steel storage racks,150,4300.0
The check
BILL OF LADING FIELD CHECK: the Forwarder, booking BK-20418, Tuesday 2026-11-10
For: the documentation specialist. Prepared from: draft header (12 rows), draft cargo lines (3 rows), booking (12 rows), shipper's instructions (4 rows), packing list (3 rows), settings.
Column check: all headers matched.
Settings: weight tolerance 0 kg; freight terms accepted "prepaid, collect". Defaults used: weight tolerance, freight terms words.
Summary: Header fields 10: match 7, different 3, not on draft 0, no source 0. Containers: 2 on the draft, 2 on the packing list, 2 on the booking; 1 with a difference. Totals checked 3: different 2. Differences 7. Open items 2. Questions for the specialist 5.
Data checks
1. Packing list lines 1 and 2 write the container number "ABCU 1234567" with a space; read as ABCU1234567.
Header fields
shipper: draft "Shipper A Ltd"; booking "Shipper A Ltd"; instructions "Shipper A Ltd". MATCH.
consignee: draft "Consignee B GmbH"; booking "Consignee B GmbH"; instructions "Consignee B GmbH". MATCH.
notify_party: draft "Notify Party C BV"; booking "Consignee B GmbH"; instructions "Notify Party C BV". DIFFERENT from the booking. See difference 1 and open item 1.
carrier: draft "Carrier D Line"; booking "Carrier D Line"; instructions not stated. MATCH.
place_of_receipt: draft "Ningbo"; booking "Ningbo"; instructions not stated. MATCH.
port_of_loading: draft "Ningbo"; booking "Ningbo"; instructions not stated. MATCH.
port_of_discharge: draft "Antwerp"; booking "Rotterdam"; instructions not stated. DIFFERENT from the booking. See difference 2.
place_of_delivery: draft "Rotterdam"; booking "Rotterdam"; instructions not stated. MATCH.
vessel_voyage: draft "MV Example Star 042E"; booking "MV Example Star 042E"; instructions not stated. MATCH.
freight_terms: draft "as arranged"; booking "prepaid"; instructions "prepaid". DIFFERENT from the booking and the instructions. See difference 3 and open item 2.
Containers
ABCU1234567: draft lines 1-2; packing list lines 1-2. Seal: draft SL-55001, packing list SL-55001, MATCH. Packages: draft 180, packing list 180, MATCH. Gross weight: draft 4920.0 kg, packing list 4920.0 kg, MATCH. Descriptions: MATCH. No difference.
DEFU7654321: draft line 3; packing list line 3. Seal: draft SL-55002, packing list SL-55020, DIFFERENT. Packages: draft 150, packing list 150, MATCH. Gross weight: draft 4260.0 kg, packing list 4300.0 kg, DIFFERENT (draft 40.0 kg lower). Descriptions: MATCH. See differences 4 and 5.
Totals
Packages: draft total 340; draft lines add to 330; packing list adds to 330. DIFFERENT (draft total 10 higher than its own lines and the packing list). See difference 6.
Gross weight: draft total 9180.0 kg; draft lines add to 9180.0 kg; packing list adds to 9220.0 kg. DIFFERENT (draft total and lines agree; packing list is 40.0 kg higher). See difference 7.
Containers: booking 2; draft 2; packing list 2. MATCH.
Open items
1. notify_party: the booking gives "Consignee B GmbH" and the shipper's instructions give "Notify Party C BV"; the two sources disagree with each other. The draft follows the instructions.
2. freight_terms: the draft's "as arranged" is neither prepaid nor collect.
Differences
1. Header, notify_party: draft "Notify Party C BV"; booking "Consignee B GmbH". The draft agrees with the shipper's instructions.
2. Header, port_of_discharge: draft "Antwerp"; booking "Rotterdam".
3. Header, freight_terms: draft "as arranged"; booking "prepaid"; instructions "prepaid".
4. Container DEFU7654321, seal: draft SL-55002; packing list SL-55020.
5. Container DEFU7654321, gross weight: draft 4260.0 kg; packing list 4300.0 kg; 40.0 kg lower on the draft.
6. Totals, packages: draft total 340; draft lines 330; packing list 330.
7. Totals, gross weight: draft total 9180.0 kg; draft lines 9180.0 kg; packing list 9220.0 kg; 40.0 kg lower on the draft (the same 40.0 kg as difference 5).
Questions for the documentation specialist
1. Notify party. The draft and the shipper's instructions give Notify Party C BV; the booking gives Consignee B GmbH. Which is right?
2. Port of discharge. The draft shows Antwerp; the booking shows Rotterdam, and the place of delivery on both is Rotterdam. Which is right?
3. Freight terms. The draft says "as arranged"; the booking and the instructions say prepaid. Is there a record of the terms outside these files?
4. Container DEFU7654321. The draft seal is SL-55002 and the packing list seal is SL-55020; the draft weight is 4260.0 kg and the packing list weight is 4300.0 kg. Which seal is on the container, and which weight is right?
5. Totals. The draft total of 340 packages is 10 more than its lines and the packing list (330). Its total weight is 40.0 kg lower than the packing list. Is a line missing, or which figures are right?
Draft for the documentation specialist. Nothing has been issued, corrected, sent or changed, and no customs, duty or export-control judgment has been made. Counts are taken from the files supplied on 2026-11-10.
Where it fits
- Supply chain and inventory: the document that travels with the goods has to describe the goods that were booked and packed.
- Operations and process improvement: a fixed pre-issue check that does not depend on one person's memory.
- Logistics and trade: forwarding and shipper documentation desks, where several drafts arrive each day.
- Manufacturing: exporters who prepare their own shipping instructions and want the draft checked against them.
- E-commerce and retail: sellers and importers moving full containers of stock.
- Growth and scaling: when shipment volume has outgrown a check done by eye.
- Established businesses: when the check lives with one experienced person.
It checks one draft bill of lading against the booking, the instructions and the packing list. Checking a finished order's records and certificates before goods leave is shipment documentation check. Checking supplier bills and preparing a payment run is supplier bill review and payment run preparation. Reviewing how carriers have performed is carrier performance review.
What has to change for your company
- Your column headers, set once so the column check passes without a question.
- Your weight tolerance, if your documents allow a small difference between the packing list and the draft. The default is none.
- Your freight terms words, if you use something other than prepaid and collect.
- Which source wins when the booking and the shipper's instructions disagree. The capability never decides this; your specialist or your shipper does.
- Who confirms corrections, and who is authorized to issue the document.
- Your AI product. It is written to run in ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or Gemini from the files you supply. It sends nothing and never asks for a password.
What has been checked
Fully Powered AI wrote this capability template in its own words from its own map of the work, with no third-party text. It was editorially reviewed on 10 November 2026. It was tried on its invented example on 10 November 2026 in Claude; the record is published with it, and the run was made by an assistant that had not written the template, before the example's own output was read, and the example was revised afterwards. It has not yet been tested in a client environment.
Testing in your environment means running it on a recent draft that your specialist knows well, plus hard cases written in advance with their expected results: a renamed column, a seal number with transposed digits, a weight that differs by a few kilograms, a notify party the booking and the instructions give differently, freight terms left vague. The specialist checks every finding against the files before anyone relies on it.
The full capability template
Everything above is the outline. The complete capability template is the working version: the roles, the inputs, the procedure, the exceptions and stop conditions, the output format, the reviewer checklist, the acceptance tests, the instructions for an AI assistant and what to customize for your company. It comes with a download and the link to its folder in Fully Powered’s public repository.
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