Virtual Buying Office

Stop managing every shipment. Start managing exceptions.

VBO connects your ERP, vendors, carriers and distribution centres into one controlled environment. Running on the rules you define, your team only acts when something actually needs them.

Request a Demo → 2 Min Walkthrough
Across Worldwide · Integrates with 20+ ERP platforms
app.oceania.kln.com/vbo/dashboard
V
Inbound Overview ● Live
Active POs
1,284
On schedule
96.2%
Exceptions
7
Shipments by week
Mode split
37.6%+
Reduction in detention spend
Retail
5+ Weeks
Earlier upstream visibility
From PO creation, not near arrival
2,600 hr
Saved per year on data entry
Via automated document workflows
What is VBO?

2 Minute Walkthrough

A short walkthrough of how VBO turns purchase orders, vendor bookings and document workflows into one controlled, exception-based operation.

No download required · 2 min walkthrough

The Challenge

Your team is juggling tasks, not making decisions

When supply chain management runs on emails, spreadsheets and reactive fixes, your best people spend their day on noise, not strategy.

Vendor Chaos

Booking confirmations chased via email. No single source of truth for what has been booked, when or by whom.

Zero Upstream Visibility

Updates only arrive when goods are near arrival. Decisions made with minimal lead time and incomplete data.

Reactive Planning

Congestion, detention and missed windows happen because there was no visibility to act sooner.

Allocation Errors

FAK shipments, missed consolidation windows and poor container utilisation raise cost per TEU.

Data Entry Overload

Hours of manual administrative work per shipment, every week. Work that should run automatically.

Inside VBO

One platform for everything that moves

From the dashboard to the document room, see how VBO keeps every order, booking and file in one live, shared workspace.

Every document, in one place

Packing lists, commercial invoices, certificates and bills of lading are matched to the right PO automatically and kept online, accessible 24/7. No more chasing files across inboxes.

Auto-matched to PO and shipment
Download to PDF in one click
Shared with your team, no extra logins
app.oceania.kln.com/vbo/documents
Packing List
Download
Commercial Invoice
Download
Insurance Certificate
Download
Bill of Lading (BL)
Download

Track every shipment, end to end

Follow each booking in real time, from PO creation through origin, transit and DC delivery. Every milestone is timestamped, with alerts you configure to your own thresholds.

Live milestones, updated to the minute
Carrier-indexed free-day countdown
Custom alerts and notifications
Shipment KLNO-48201 · Shanghai → SydneyIn transit
PO created
Booked
Departed
In transit
DC delivery

Reporting that drives decisions

KPI versus actuals, supplier scorecards, container utilisation and lane-level CO₂, all in custom dashboards configured to your metrics and your reporting cadence.

Build the views your team actually uses
Scheduled exports for internal reporting
Emissions ready for ESG reporting
app.oceania.kln.com/vbo/reports
Performance reportLast 30 days
Cost / TEU
▼ 12%
Container util.
91%
CO₂ / lane
−8%
Supplier on-time performance
How it works

Five steps, fully automated

PO Created in Your ERP

Pushed instantly into VBO with full PO details and milestone tracking activated

Vendor Books Directly

Via VBO portal. No emails, no manual forwarding, no chasing.

Rules Applied Automatically

Carrier, mode and allocation validated against the parameters you set

Only Exceptions Reach You

Everything outside your rules is surfaced to the right person. The rest runs.

Full Visibility, End to End

From PO inception to DC delivery, live in your dashboard 24/7

The shift

From reactive execution to exception management

VBO changes the operating model. Your vendors, carriers and operations run on your parameters. Your team steps in only when something falls outside the rules they already set.

Today, Without VBO
Chasing vendors for booking confirmation via email
Learning about delays when goods are near arrival
Manual allocation decisions via spreadsheet
Reacting to detention, customs and congestion issues
Hours of data entry per shipment, every week
→
With VBO
Vendors book freight directly through VBO portal
Visibility from PO creation all the way to DC delivery
Rules-based allocations validated and applied automatically
Exceptions flagged before they become problems
Reports and alerts configured to your exact requirements
Features

One platform. Your rules. Total control

Built around the way your supply chain actually works, not a generic tool to adapt around.

Vendor Booking and Allocations

Vendors submit bookings directly via VBO. Carrier preference, container mode and allocation rules set by you at PO level, validated and enforced automatically. Booking POD matched against PO destination in real time.

eBooking PortalAllocation RulesPOD Validation

Exception Management and Go/No Go

You set the parameters. VBO monitors everything. Your team receives only what requires a decision. Pre-departure inspections, document deadlines, booking mismatches: all surfaced before they escalate.

Go/No Go LogicAuto AlertsApproval Flows

Visibility and Custom Dashboards

KPI vs. actuals, milestone tracking, supplier scorecards, emissions reporting and scheduled reports, all configured to your metrics, your team and your reporting cadence.

Live DashboardSupplier ScorecardsCO₂ Tracking

PO and SKU-Level Control

Ordered vs. booked vs. shipped, tracked line by line. The ePacking List module generates structured ASN back to your ERP. Know exactly which SKUs are in which container before it arrives.

ePacking ListASN to ERPInbound Prioritisation

ERP Integration

Integrates with 20+ ERP platforms. No rip-and-replace required. Adelaide-based Solution Engineering team leads all local customisation. Go-live in as little as two weeks from completed scoping.

SAP · Oracle · DynamicsAPI / SFTP / EDILocal Team

Sustainability Reporting

CO₂ tracked by lane, mode and shipment. Trackable against your own defined targets. Filter and export for internal or external ESG reporting. Included in VBO with no additional setup required.

Scope 3 ReadyLane-Level CO₂ESG Reporting
Case Studies

Real customers. Real numbers

Every result below comes from a live KLN VBO implementation. No projections, no estimates.

Edible Foods and Oils

Raw materials ordered on 3-month CFR lead times with updates only arriving near port. Delays caused production backlogs and escalating detention costs. VBO was integrated in 2022, giving the team proactive visibility from PO creation and replacing reactive firefighting with structured inbound planning.

38%
Detention spend reduced
5+ Weeks
Earlier visibility
2,300 hr
Saved per year

Multi-Brand Retail Group

Tens of thousands of POs across three brands, four countries and two offshore consolidation hubs. Limited visibility led to allocation errors, reactive planning and detention costs at DC facilities. VBO implemented in 2021. The operation now manages entirely by exception, with automated inbound prioritisation at SKU level.

3
Brands from one platform
4
Countries in supply chain
2
Consolidation hubs connected

Action Sports and Lifestyle Apparel

Importing into AU, NZ and Indonesia, each with distinct compliance requirements and no automated Go/No Go process for critical checks. VBO implemented in 2025 for all three markets simultaneously, with exception logic and document management configured per country from day one.

3
Markets from one platform
Auto
POD validation on booking
Go/No Go
Per market, per requirement

Automotive Aftermarket

Vendors across China, Asia, MEA and Europe supplying multiple AU and NZ DCs. KLN operates three Offshore Consolidation Centres on behalf of the customer, in Shanghai, Qingdao and Port Klang, with VBO providing full visibility from vendor origin through to DC delivery. Recognised at the 2018 Lloyd's List Asia Pacific Awards.

3
Offshore consolidation centres
5
DC destinations AU and NZ
2018
Lloyd's List Award winner
The fit

Is VBO right for your operation?

VBO delivers the strongest return when most of these apply. The more boxes you tick, the clearer the case.

Multiple vendors

Sourcing from a single country or across multiple origin markets in Asia, Europe or MEA

Buyers or multi-country consolidation

Products from multiple vendors consolidated via OCCs, LCL or buyers' consolidation

Distribution centres as destination

Inbound to one or more AU/NZ DCs where container prioritisation adds direct value

Approximately 500 TEU/year or more

Where the benefits of automation compound quickly across the operation

Outgrown spreadsheets and email

Complexity that manual tools can no longer manage reliably

Supply chain operations
Digital logistics solutions Team planning session

Ticking three or more?

Let's show you exactly what VBO looks like for your vendors, your corridors and your team in a 30-minute demo tailored to your operation.

Request a Demo →

See VBO in action

A 30-minute demo tailored to your supply chain. We will show you exactly how VBO would work for your vendors, corridors and team.

Request a Demo →