On Thursday, November 14th, C4T brought together senior customs and trade leaders from automotive, FMCG, chemicals, healthcare, and technology sectors. The group examined one key question: How are organisations modernising their customs operations across five dimensions, namely people, process, data, technology, and governance?
A Snapshot of Today’s Operating Reality
People
The discussion on people focused on two key questions.
- "What does a modern customs professional look like in your organisation today?"
- "How do you think the roles and the skill sets within customs teams will be changing or have changed over the last couple of years?"
Participants agreed that customs roles are changing. Teams now need stronger data skills, the ability to work with digital tools, and the capability to review and validate AI-generated outputs. Traditional expertise in HS codes, origin, and AEO remains essential, but it no longer covers the full scope of what the function requires.
The group described a shift away from administrative work toward more analytical, system-driven responsibilities. Several noted that younger team members bring a more digital mindset, which is accelerating this evolution.
Hiring practices are adjusting as well. AI capability has become part of interviews, and many organisations are reassessing whether current job profiles match the skills needed for modern customs work. Leaders also emphasised the need to develop and motivate experienced staff.
There was clear agreement that AI will not remove the need for skilled customs professionals. Human judgment remains critical, especially for complex customs procedures, and teams must be able to challenge and verify what AI tools produce.
Process
The process section centered on the question, "How consistent are your customs processes across entities or countries, and what challenges come with that?"
Participants shared how varied systems and local responsibilities make standardisation hard in practice.
Process modernisation is still underway for most organisations. Standardising customs processes across countries remains difficult due to different ERP setups, multiple SAP landscapes, and inconsistent material creation practices that require ongoing correction.
Several organisations are developing common SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for HS codes, origin, and material creation. Without clear rules for critical fields, improvements in master data are quickly undone. Gaining alignment from internal stakeholders is a major part of this work.
Data ownership adds further complexity. Customs teams often depend on information held by other teams, limiting their ability to fully standardise or simplify workflows. Many participants stressed the need to avoid customs from becoming a bottleneck. Some teams, for example, classify products only when materials are used for import or export, while others are testing automation and AI to reduce workload.
Multi-sourcing also creates challenges. Determining origin at lot level instead of product level has helped some organisations manage complexity across regions.
Overall, participants viewed process harmonisation as a long-term effort. Greater visibility, clearer procedures, and defined ownership are essential steps forward.
Data
Two questions guided the data section: "Who owns customs data in your organisation?" and "What counts as customs data today?"
Data quality remains one of the biggest blockers to modernisation. Customs teams are responsible for what is declared, but much of the required information sits with other teams, including batch-level origin, supplier inputs, and ESG fields linked to CBAM and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Participants said it is becoming increasingly difficult to define what counts as “customs data.” New regulations introduce required elements that customs teams do not own and never had to declare before.
Data issues originate from ERP systems, broker collaboration, and local teams. Some countries still work outside the core system and rely on manual file exchanges, which makes global consistency difficult.
When asked where they would focus efforts with regards to data improvement, many pointed to HS codes because of the volume involved. Others cited EUDR data as their biggest concern, as suppliers often cannot provide complete documentation, yet customs teams must still declare the information.
With deadlines approaching, teams are adjusting procedures to avoid declaring goods without reliable data and pushing procurement to secure missing information.
Technology
The core technology question was simple: "What technology tools currently support your customs operations?"
Most organisations are modernising by strengthening the systems they already use rather than replacing them. SAP GTS remains the main platform, and many participants said significant functionality is still underused. Teams are now activating more features, improving data quality, and integrating external tools for classification, origin determination, and regulatory checks.
A recurring challenge is the lack of a single customs system, which limits global rollout and forces a combination of central systems and local tools.
Participants are testing AI-driven tools for classification. Early results are promising, but accuracy varies, and human review remains essential. Many want AI outputs fed directly into core ERP systems to avoid parallel workflows.
Across the board, the focus is on strengthening existing platforms, adding targeted automation, and ensuring technology supports end-to-end operations rather than operating as a separate layer.
Compliance and Governance
The compliance and governance discussion was shaped by two questions.
First: "How are you measuring performance and compliance across your customs operations?"
Second: "If you had to focus on one of the five areas (people, process, data, technology, or compliance) which one would create the biggest impact for 2026 and beyond?"
Most teams rely on established methods and systems such as SAP GTS, Excel reporting, and cloud repositories that store declaration documents for seven years. Some organisations combine these with technology-driven controls that require evidence uploads to confirm checks were completed. External auditors have validated these frameworks, and internal and external audits remain standard practice.
Compliance demands vary by supply chain structure. Organisations with in-house production manage fewer variables, while those with multi-supplier networks face broader legal and procurement risks and higher audit volumes.
Even with strong controls, participants noted that authorities often identify exceptions that sit outside the customs team’s direct influence.
Looking ahead, stronger teams, better-supported technology, and full supply chain traceability will be essential to meet rising regulatory expectations.
Looking Ahead
Participants expect customs operations to converge around three themes:
- Team: broader skills, stronger analytical capabilities, and more strategic influence
- Technology: embedded automation in ERP systems, with AI supporting classification and anomaly detection
- Traceability: full visibility across supply chains driven by ESG regulations and increased audit scrutiny
Across all themes, customs will remain a human-led function. Technology will reduce manual tasks, but judgment, accountability, and ownership will stay with experts.
Final Thoughts
Modernisation requires progress across people, process, data, technology, and compliance. Standardised procedures, higher-quality data, skilled teams, and integrated systems form the foundation. ESG rules and global traceability demands will accelerate this transformation and shape the customs agenda for years ahead.