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makes sense to look at the e-commerce aspect in isolation we mirror previous workflows so as not to overwhelm staff
and build a process specifically for it, leaving everything with too many changes at once.
else untouched. This way, the project becomes much more
manageable and can be accomplished a lot more quickly In the end, what we really want to understand when a
than if we rolled out the process for all sections of a customer approaches us, is: what is their value proposition
company or business. Such a specific market element can towards their customers, where does our solution fit in, and
then be built with its own data set, becoming as flexible how it can best aid this proposition to achieve maximum
and agile as a start-up. customer satisfaction.

E-commerce wisdom: the most direct route isn’t
always the best
Other aspects we look at, before even beginning to
sketch out a customs flow, is the country or countries
the customer is situated in and the ones they wish to
import and export goods to or from or use for transit.
Because in trade, as in air travel, the most direct route
isn’t necessarily the best. Or the cheapest. One example
here is Ireland. Before 2021, the most logical route to get
goods to the European mainland was through the UK.
Since Brexit, transit through the British island comes with
some complications. Suddenly, direct ferry routes looked
tempting, especially for ro-ro transports. However, while
businesses could avoid transit procedures this way, the
route across the notoriously turbulent Bay of Biscay wasn’t
always faster; the ferries departed less frequently and
reliably, and the harbour infrastructure also did not match
that of the well-established paths to the continent. A
transit connection that is set up well and based on a good
data set may be the smarter choice here, especially when
an automated system in the background eliminates hassle,
Do your customers still have to
delays, and customs checks.
pay customs duties on delivery?
Another important parameter we analyse is the depth Two categories of business, two sets of challenges
of customs knowledge present in a company. While As a fairly young sector in the world of trade, e-commerce
automation has reduced the manual workload, it has not has seen some pivotal shifts in recent years. Brexit certainly
eliminated the need to understand customs procedure. That worked as a catalyst and the pandemic marked a point
is why a self-filing solution may not be the best choice for of no return for e-commerce, not just within Europe but
a customer without a single customs expert or employee spanning the world. Some challenges are well-known
with customs experience on the payroll. They may be better and something retailers have always faced, while others
aided by incorporating a customs broker into their flow. emerged as unprecedented scenarios in the past few years.
Time for an optimized customer experience. Our end-to-end solution includes
Alternatively, knowledge may be available, but it is limited
automated customs and tax processing as well as a simple and trackable
to certain markets. Then a hybrid approach, covering some We always carefully ponder and debate the most likely
countries with a self-filing solution while making use of roadblocks a customer may face when setting up a customs
the expertise at hand, while outsourcing other countries process and what these roadblocks could be often depends returns management. This way, we ensure your customers in non-EU countries
to a customs broker, could be the way to proceed. Another on whether a business falls into one of two categories: they
receive their parcels just as quickly and easily as your domestic customers.
advantage when connecting to a customs broker through are either a service provider in the area of logistics, or they
a digital solution like AEB’s Customs Broker Integration are selling goods as a retailer or marketplace.
is that you get the best of both worlds: knowledge and
Your one-stop shop for
automation on the one hand, complete transparency about Service providers experience customs as an almost literal
a shipment’s status on the other. roadblock, as they are closely tied to goods physically
crossing a customs border on their way from point A
The last piece of the customs process puzzle is whether to point B. Their challenge is to provide fast deliveries
the customer has been using a digital customs solution in despite the vagaries of border-crossing, with random
the past and what that workflow looked like. What worked customs checks always looming. The aim is therefore to
well, what didn’t? In which areas will they see the most set up a customs flow that runs smoothly, no matter the
improvement from our solution and process and where can circumstances. It must be able to handle the ebb and flow

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