When the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading for an import arrive, an AI reader extracts the key fields and compares the three documents. Mismatches become a correction email to the shipper, and clean files are marked ready for customs entry.
Typical results
≈20 hrs/wk
Saved on a desk handling 30 import files a week
≈70%
Fewer customs entries amended after filing
3 docs
Compared line by line for every shipment
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
Import coordinators check every shipment file by hand, reading three PDFs side by side to compare consignee details, item lines, weights and HS codes. A careful check takes about 45 minutes, and on busy days small gaps slip through, leading to amended entries, storage charges and shipments held at the port.
Before and after
Minutes to check one shipment file
−89%Entries amended after filing per month
−70%Days lost waiting for corrected documents
−67%The automation
A flow in Make collects the three documents for each shipment from the operations inbox. An AI reader built on OpenAI extracts the consignee, item lines, HS codes, quantities, weights and delivery terms, and the automation compares the documents line by line. Gaps such as a gross weight difference above 2% or an item without an HS code trigger a drafted email to the shipper. Clean files are marked ready for customs entry in the shipment tracker.
How it works
- 01
Documents arrive
The commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading for an import reach the operations inbox and are grouped by shipment.
- 02
AI extraction
An AI reader pulls the consignee, item lines, HS codes, quantities, weights and delivery terms from each PDF.
- 03
Three-way comparison
The documents are compared, with flags for gaps such as a gross weight difference above 2% or an item without an HS code.
- 04
Correction request drafted
For files with issues, an email to the shipper lists each mismatch and what to correct, ready for the coordinator to send.
- 05
Ready for customs
Files that pass are marked ready for customs entry in the shipment tracker, with the extracted data attached.
Starts from
- Operations inbox
- Invoice, packing list, B/L
Delivers
- Ready for customs entry
- Correction email to shipper
- Data on shipment tracker
The impact
A shipment file check takes about 5 minutes of review instead of 45, which frees around 20 hours a week on a desk handling 30 imports. Mismatches reach the shipper before the entry is filed, amended entries drop by about 70%, and coordinators spend their time on the files that need judgment.
Questions about this automation
Which mismatches does it look for?
The checks follow the forwarder's own rules. Typical ones are consignee or shipper names that differ, item lines or quantities that do not match, a gross weight gap above 2%, missing or malformed HS codes and delivery terms that differ between documents. Each rule and threshold can be adjusted.
Does the AI file the customs entry?
No. It prepares and checks the data, and a licensed customs broker or coordinator still files the entry. Files that pass are marked ready with the extracted fields attached, which saves retyping, and any file with a flag stays with a person until the shipper sends corrected documents.
What does the forwarder provide to get started?
Access to the operations inbox, a sample of past shipment files for testing, the forwarder's list of checks and thresholds, and the shipment tracker where file status is kept. This is a multi-step build, usually rolled out in stages, starting with one trade lane or document type.