Supplier search stops at the usual list
Symptom
New suppliers are searched across inboxes, spreadsheets and trade sources, so comparisons stop at the first few credible replies.
Trade Lab
AI for trading companies, built around your trade desk
Shipping files, supplier quotes, entry records and deal terms often contain enough history to test a useful first use case. We identify the two or three places AI may pay off, then build around the workflows your team already runs.
4 minutes · results on screen · no email needed
The challenges we see
Four patterns come up in almost every one of the trading company owners and operators we work with. If one sounds familiar, that is usually where to start.
Border issues found after the file is ready
Symptom
Tariff codes, quantities and document fields are checked line by line, so an invoice or packing-list mismatch can surface late.
Market-entry cases built from fragments
Symptom
Demand signals, landed cost, local requirements and competitor prices sit in different sources, making a new-country recommendation slow to defend.
Deal economics reviewed after terms are set
Symptom
Payment terms, currency exposure, duties and working-capital timing are modelled late, when the commercial terms are harder to change.
Practical AI uses
Four uses we would consider first. Each one runs on data most teams already have.
Use case 01
Supplier shortlist and enquiry draft
- What it does
- Searches the sources you approve and your supplier history, ranks candidates against stated criteria and drafts an enquiry for a person to review and send.
- Data it needs
- Product specifications, supplier history and the criteria used by your team.
- Time to first value
- 4–6 weeks
Use case 02
Pre-filing tariff and document check
- What it does
- Suggests a tariff-code shortlist and checks invoices, packing lists and certificates against the fields your team and broker expect. A broker or compliance lead confirms.
- Data it needs
- Past entries, commercial invoices, packing lists, certificates and your broker's code list.
- Time to first value
- 6–10 weeks
Use case 03
Landed-cost and market-entry brief
- What it does
- Compiles demand signals, competitor price references, landed-cost assumptions and import requirements for one target market, with sources and open questions listed.
- Data it needs
- Your product list, target market, cost assumptions and approved source list.
- Time to first value
- 3–5 weeks
Use case 04
Deal margin and cash-timing model
- What it does
- Models gross margin, payment timing, currency exposure and customer-credit inputs for a proposed deal so terms can be reviewed before signing.
- Data it needs
- Past deals, supplier and customer payment terms, cost inputs and customer credit information.
- Time to first value
- 8–12 weeks
How we implement
Four steps, with a decision point after each. You can stop after any of them and keep what was built.
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Diagnose
Review sourcing, customs, market-entry and deal workflows with the people who run them.
You get: a ranked use-case list with baseline time, risk points and data gaps
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Pilot
One trade lane, product group or document flow, measured against a baseline we agree before work starts.
You get: a working pilot and a go / no-go report with results and limits
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Integrate
Connect approved files, spreadsheets and systems, define review points, and train the trade desk and compliance staff.
You get: a production setup with human review points and a runbook
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Scale
Extend to more lanes and product groups, with your team leading and us in support.
You get: a rollout playbook, monitoring checklist and handover plan
Expected outcomes
These are estimates, not client results. We confirm or revise each one against your own baseline during the diagnosis.
- Estimate for a typical first project. Assumes product specifications and selection criteria are structured, source records are accessible, and a person makes the final choice.
- Estimate for a typical first project. Assumes 12 months of reasonably consistent entries, corrections are logged with a reason, and a broker or compliance lead confirms filings.
- Estimate for a typical first project. Assumes baseline hours are logged for one lane or product group and volumes remain similar during measurement.
- Estimate for a typical first project. Assumes the agreed pilot and integration cost, recurring monthly savings, and excludes unpriced avoided delays or errors.
Questions trade desk and operations managers ask
Something else on your mind? Ask us directly.
Does this replace our customs broker?
No. The tool suggests tariff-code options and flags document mismatches. Your broker or compliance lead still confirms every filing.
How current is the market and regulation data?
Each brief lists its sources and retrieval dates, so your team can see what to re-check before relying on it for a deal or filing.
Who owns the models and the data?
You do. Models, code and data stay in your environment or your cloud account. We don't reuse your data to train anything for other clients.
How much of our team's time does a pilot take?
About three hours a week from a trade, operations or compliance lead, plus a short session at the start to select and prepare the files.
What if the pilot misses its target?
We agree the target and baseline before we start. If the pilot falls short, you get a written explanation of why, and you are not committed to the next phase.
Reviewed by Faruk Karagöl, CTO ·
Find out which use case fits your trade desk
18 questions, about 4 minutes. You see your score and top three gaps before we ask for anything.
