Here are the key changes to the 7bridges software as of 7th May 2025.
Not all of these features are applicable for all customers. If you want to talk to someone about gaining access to any of these features, please contact your Customer Success Manager.
Already launched - Network Analysis improvements
We’ve already launched a few improvements in the last few months. These are all around the Network Analysis section in the software. Specifically we added support for pounds (lb) as well as kilograms and introduced extra levels of granularity in the filters and the charts to see state/province/region and town/city.
Speed boost
In addition to these improvements we also made some changes in the background to improve the speed of Network Analysis. There is more we want to do here but you should have seen a reduction in the loading time of charts over the last few months.
Headline changes
1. Supporting PDF invoices
A major aim of the 7bridges software is to be able to harmonise your LSP data no matter the format and delivery method. With this release we are taking a major step forward as the software now extracts all the logistics data from PDF invoices and associated documents. We’ve been running this as a BETA product with some customers but now it’s in full release and it will help customers get more data into a standardised state for reporting, auditing and future planning through simulations. The more complete your data in 7bridges, the more accurate your optimisation and planning. Get more details on the PDF support now.
2. Simulations are now self-serve
Customers have been using the 7bridges simulations product for a number of years. However, this has aways required operation by a 7bridges team member. With this release, simulations are going self serve! For Optimise customers you will now be able to run your own optimisation experiments using the data that has already been standardised within the 7bridges software. Simulations are made possible by this standardisation of your logistics data and are a great way to run ‘what if’ scenarios on your supply chain network. Read the details about simulations.
Small features
Along with the big features above we delivered a number of smaller additions…
3. Ingests inbox
There is a new Ingests tab in the Data manager section, which provides details of files sent to the 7bridges software and what happened to them. For example, when an invoice is emailed by a provider it will be listed in the Ingests tab with a link to the invoice created in the software. This new feature means all 7bridges Optimise customers can see all the raw files that have been sent to the 7bridges software and download these files whenever they wish.
4. Audit disputing settings
The 7bridges Audit product identifies anomalies in your Logistics Service Provider (LSP) invoices as spend alerts to then be disputed with the relevant LSP. Many 7bridges customers have different opinions about what should be disputed based on the type of spend alert and the LSP concerned. As part of this release, we are putting the control over this disputing in our customer’s hands. Via a new Settings page in the Audit spend section of the software, users can now set the rules for disputing right down to a spend alert, LSP and account level.
Please be aware that the rollout of automated disputing rules is being managed by your Customer Success Manager on a per customer basis.
5. Handling voided and reissued invoices
Sometimes a Logistics Service Provider will reissue an invoice, cancelling a previous invoice that was issued. This can be a way to address errors in the invoice, for example errors identified through the 7bridges Audit product. To support this scenario, customers on Prepay Audit can now mark an invoice as void and even link it to a replacement invoice. Get more information from the knowledgebase on voiding an invoice and linking it to a replacement.
6. Improving data feeds from 7bridges
There is an existing bolt on feature for Optimise customers to allow them to receive a ‘feed’ of data to then use in their own internal reporting systems. We have done some work to improve the mechanics and possible data fields that can be part of the ‘feed’. Read more information on this sharing data back to your data warehouse bolt on here.
7. Freight Load Optimisation simulations [BETA]
This is an extra experiment type available in the revised Simulations section described above. The simulations take various input files to then generate optimised order fulfilment decisions for suppliers to the customer’s warehouses. As with other Experiments, the customer can setup the simulations to run themselves, to test their hypotheses and get to the outcome they desire. This is a BETA experiment type at the moment so only available to Optimise Advanced customers. More about Freight Load Optimisation simulations.
Background improvements and fixes
Along with the features our customers get to experience themselves, we also made a number of fixes and improvements to the security, robustness and performance of the 7bridges software:
- Faster data syncing throughout the software: data is managed in different ways for different elements in the 7bridges software. We made a significant improvement on the way this data is ‘streamed’ between these elements leading to greater resiliency and speed of software operation.
- Improving the customer shipment record: Data related to a shipment comes into the 7bridges software in various ways. We made a big step towards a more resilient model of this shipment data that will be rolled out to the various parts of the software architecture.
- Audit process speed improvements: We have been investing significant resource in improving the way Audit works int he 7bridges software. This quarter we have introduced greater automation to speed up the processing of invoices through rate quoting, Audit checking and dispute creation.
- Rate card management in the Rating Engine: We made some improvement to the way Rate Cards and other contracts are managed and configured in the 7bridges internal Rating Engine.
If you are interested in finding out more about any of these items then please contact your Customer Success Manager or the Customer Support team.