If you are a customs professional, you will know exactly what this is about.
Over the past years, I have given numerous trainings on how to use the core of Customaite. Time after time, I saw something striking: despite the technology being ready, declarants were unable to continue their work. Not because of the software, but because crucial information was missing or contradictory.
Almost half of the time, a declaration cannot be completed straight away. Documents are not there, order details do not match, or essential data is unclear. And so the declarant tells me the same thing I have heard too often: “Wim, I cannot continue on this case for now. I need to query the customer first.”
That query process looks like this:
- Write to the customer to explain the issue
- Log the message for traceability
- Wait for a reply (and check several times)
- Send reminders by email or phone
- Wait again
- Return to the declaration once the reply arrives
- Log the answer for traceability
- Worst case: discover something else is missing and repeat the whole process
You can imagine the impact: delays, frustration, inefficiency, and a poor customer experience.
At Customaite we have always focused on solving the most cumbersome and error-prone steps of customs declarations. Since 2020 we have helped teams across Europe save time, reduce stress and strengthen compliance. But from my own experience in these trainings, I realised that tackling the “querying” problem would unlock a new level of efficiency.
That is why today we are announcing the Customaite Customer Portal.
With this new feature, a declarant can mark directly inside Customaite what is missing or unclear. With one click, a secure email is sent to the customer, who can provide the answers through a digital portal fully branded in the name of our client. Once the response is in, the declarant is notified and can continue the work immediately.
No more endless reminder emails. No more waiting. Based on both industry research and our own training experience, removing the manual back-and-forth saves on average 10–15 minutes per incomplete declaration, fully in line with the time gains seen in broader customs digitalisation cases.
This is another step in our product vision: combining human expertise with technology to revolutionise customs declarations. And we are already working on the next capability that will give customs teams an even stronger boost in efficiency and compliance.
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