Automating Customs operations will cut workflow times from days to minutes, Nisarg Mehta, chief technology officer of the Raft intelligent logistics platform told the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America conference. He explained to the gathering in Las Vegas on 26 April that smart data and AI will save days of manual processing, freeing up Customs brokers and agents to focus on customer support, compliance, and customer service. Challenges faced by Customs brokers, including repetitive tasks such as data entry, document processing, and risk assessment, can be alleviated through automation.
AI could also process unstructured data from sources such as commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates of origin, emails, and spreadsheets.
In some cases, it could avoid fines due to delays or lack of compliance with regulatory requirements, said Mehta.
Mehta added “It is important to stress that we are not looking to replace employees with automation, but ease their workflows so they can focus on what is more important in their day-to-day operations.”