Background

This Netherlands-based customs team in a major global freight forwarder processes 4,000 commercial invoices a month. While the broader business ran a highly efficient, lean operating model, the customs department still relied on manual data entry to process invoices one at a time.

98%

of invoices processed straight through, no human touch

3x

the volume on the same team, up to 12,000+ invoices

~10

operators freed from manual processing

Zero

manual typing during invoice processing

Challenge: Manual invoice typing created compliance risk at scale

For this customs team, manual data entry had become a major constraint on the operation. The group ran a highly efficient, lean operating model, yet its Netherlands customs department still relied on manual processes in an otherwise fast-digitizing organization, reconciling disparate data formats by hand.

A dedicated team of 10 operators handled around 4,000 commercial invoices every month, opening unstructured PDFs, finding the relevant fields and typing them into the core logistics system. In international trade, a single typing error can trigger customs fines, shipment delays and demurrage fees, so the manual model was a real compliance risk. And because volume could only grow by adding people, it capped the company’s ability to pursue new market opportunities.

Solution: Document Automation — From spreadsheets and phone calls to automation

To bring customs in line with the rest of the business, the forwarder modernized its end-to-end workflow with PayCargo, moving from spreadsheets and phone calls to automated, AI-powered processing. The platform turns unstructured PDF invoices into system-ready, structured data, building accuracy in at the point of entry:

- AI data extraction: PayCargo’s AI automatically identifies and captures the critical fields from every complex, unstructured commercial invoice

- Digital document management: Documents are ingested and archived digitally, removing manual upload cycles

- Seamless system integration: Extracted data flows straight into the forwarder’s logistics systems, replacing the spreadsheets and phone calls the customs team used to rely on

- Exception handling: The small share of complex cases is routed to the team for compliance review, so their time goes toward judgement calls instead of clerical re-typing

Result: 98% straight-through processing, no human touch

Measured results:

- 98% of invoices processed straight through, no human touch

- 3x the volume on the same team, up to 12,000+ invoices

- ~10 operators freed from manual processing

- Zero manual typing during invoice processing

Strategic Outcome:

Automating 98% of customs invoices lets the business grow without adding headcount: the same ten people can now handle triple the volume. Staff have moved from rote typing to high-value exception handling, resolving complex regulatory cases and compliance audits. Greater accuracy at entry lowers the risk of fines, while faster processing speeds customs clearance.