Some emails need a new Importer Security Filing (ISF) before anything else can move forward. Instead of you having to identify that yourself, opening Helm, and keying in the filing by hand, Helm now does that legwork for you so all you have to do is review and create.
This is different from starting a file from scratch, where you tell Helm what to build. Here, Helm has already spotted the need and done the prep work. You're just checking its work before it goes to CargoWise.
How You'll Know an ISF Is Needed
When Helm detects that an email requires a new ISF:
Helm tags the email in Outlook with a Helm Task: New ISF category label (shown in pink) so it stands out in your inbox.
Helm surfaces a suggestion card in the Helm pane (keep Helm pinned open so you don't miss it), showing the importer of record tied to the filing.
You don't need to do anything to trigger this. Helm is reading the email content and identifying the task on its own.
Review and Create
Open the flagged email.
With Helm opened, you'll see the suggestion card for the ISF.
Click Review ISF on the card (or Continue Reviewing ISF if you've previously kicked off the ISF).
In Create Files, the ISF form is populated with the data it pulled from the email. Helm provides callouts where your attention is needed. Make sure you review where it points you and edit any field that needs it.
In the upper-right hand corner, click Review File.
If your review is good, click Create File.
That's the whole workflow! Helm handles the detection, the data entry, and the first pass; you handle the judgment call.
What Helm Fills In vs. What You Should Check
Automatic: task detection and email tagging, importer/customer identification, and pre-filled field data pulled from the email and its attachments.
Worth a second look: any field Helm flags with a warning (like a bill number that already belongs to another ISF), and anything that looks incomplete or off given what you know about the shipment.
Common Questions
The category tag isn't showing up on my emails. Make sure Helm is enabled for automatic categorization on your account. This is a newer capability and may still be rolling out to your tenant.
Helm flagged a bill number as already belonging to another ISF. This means CargoWise matched your submission to an existing filing by Importer + Bill Number (or Importer + Owner Reference). If that's not what you intended, change the conflicting field so it no longer matches before you submit.