Cloud-based Shipment Automation

About the client 

The client is a leading German-based company specializing in athletic apparel and footwear, recognized for its innovative designs in sportswear. As Europe’s top sportswear manufacturer and the second largest globally, the organization operates across multiple international markets. Its extensive product range includes everything from running shoes to team sports gear. However, the client faced significant challenges in its shipment processes, particularly in manual customs filing, which resulted in frequent errors and delays, impacting their operational efficiency and bottom line.

Challenges

The reliance on manual processes for customs filing created significant inefficiencies and vulnerabilities within the shipment workflow.

• Error-prone customs filing for Importer Security Filing (ISF) and Broker Packets across various carriers led to frequent misfiling and late submissions, resulting in monetary losses.
• A lack of visibility into the entire shipment process caused last-minute rushes and, at times, complete shipment losses.
• The absence of early notifications for the logistics team hindered proactive management of incoming shipments.
• Shipments often faced delays at ports of exit and entry, contributing to increased costs and operational disruptions.

Solution highlights    

To tackle the challenges, LTM implemented a business workflow automation strategy through the Shipment Automation Process, ensuring full visibility and streamlined operations for all stakeholders.

• Developed an innovative application, “Clearance Engine 2.0,” built on a microservices-based scalable architecture and hosted on AWS Cloud. This facilitated seamless communication between carriers and logistics teams
• The extensible codebase supports the easy onboarding of new countries and transport modes, ensuring that the AWS Cloud Process Automation remains flexible and adaptable to future business needs.
• Implemented automated monitoring, error handling, and real-time notifications to keep stakeholders informed in case of any disruptions.
• Enabled rapid turnaround times for Importer Security Filing (ISF) generation with near 100% accuracy, minimizing errors through AWS Cloud Process Automation.
• Empowered logistics teams with early apprehension of shipments, effectively avoiding delays and improving operational efficiency.

Business outcomes

• Reduced manual monitoring efforts by 80%, freeing up resources for more strategic tasks.
• Improved on-time shipment filing rates from 35% to 95%, ensuring smoother logistics operations.
• Eliminated penalties for late or missed filings, saving the client up to $ USD5,000 per incident.
• Streamlined business processes with enhanced visibility and clear ownership across all stages.
• Enabled automated, proactive monitoring, allowing issues to be resolved before they escalate.

Conclusion

The implementation of LTM’s Shipment Automation Process empowered the client to drastically improve their logistics operations. By automating key workflows and enhancing visibility across the shipment lifecycle, the client significantly reduced errors and penalties, while streamlining processes for faster, more accurate customs filing. This transformation has not only enhanced operational efficiency but has also provided the scalability and adaptability needed to support future growth

Ready to streamline your shipment processes and enhance operational efficiency with automation? Reach out to us at dea.genai@LTM.com

"Back in 2020, automation and AI for Customs Clearance in GCP (Global Customs Portal) felt like a distant goal for our client. But when our LTM team took on the challenge, we transformed a legacy system burdened with 100 monthly tickets into a zero-KSR operation, reigniting the client’s confidence.

We built ‘Clearance Engine 2.0,’ a scalable, microservices-based application on AWS to boost shipment visibility, and launched CustomsGenie—an AI-powered tool for proactive monitoring, error handling, and notifications, bringing ISF generation to near 100% accuracy.

Our latest milestone with T4M Import Functionality has redefined efficiency, paving the way for even greater innovation across customs processes."

- Avika Das, Senior Principal - Architecture Digital Engineering , LTM Ltd