Customer description‍

An internationally operating food company that exports freshly processed products to countries inside and outside the EU. Due to seasonal influences and regulations, the logistical and financial picture per country and period is complex.

Challenge‍

The company missed out on margin because production and exports were not aligned with periods when export tariffs were lower or zero. Manual analyses of customs rules and production capacity were time-consuming and unreliable. As a result, export opportunities were not used optimally.

Solution‍

A solution was developed that includes an AI dashboard that combines current customs data, production capacity and export forecasts. This gave the company real-time insight into the most advantageous export opportunities and how to adjust its production accordingly.

Approach

1. Connect data sources
   Customs rules, trade agreements, historical export data and production data were centrally accessible.
2. Develop an AI model
   The model predicted tariff-free periods per country, with associated export potential based on market demand and logistical capacity.
3. Linking production planning to export opportunities
   The output was integrated into the planning system so that production could be moved to favourable export windows during busy periods.
4. Dashboards and decision making
   Through clear dashboards, the supply chain manager was able to make choices by country, product and period based on financial impact.

Results

• 8% increase in export turnover due to better use of tariff-free windows
• Shorter response time to changing trading rules
• Higher coordination between production, logistics and sales
• More control over margins in international trade

Learnings‍

By cleverly connecting customs rules and production via AI, the food company was able to make better decisions and seize commercial opportunities more quickly. The investment led to direct sales growth and greater agility in a changing trading landscape.

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