PRODUCTS
CUSTOMSOS
CustomsOS
BY Nehlum
AI CUSTOMS EMPLOYEE
CustomsOS: AI Customs Clearance Software for Saudi Arabia
What if you knew what was missing before it became a problem?
Detention, port storage, a wrong HS code, an SFDA or SABER requirement found at the last minute, or simply a document nobody asked the customer for. Most clearance delays start in the inbox. CustomsOS is an AI customs employee: it reads every customer email and attachment the moment it arrives, checks the file against the shipment's requirements, identifies exactly what's missing, and asks the customer for it straight away. Your broker files a complete declaration.
- Reads every email
- Checks every document
- Finds what's missing
- Asks the customer
- Follows up
- Your broker files
CHECKS FOR
Certificate of origin
SFDA
SABER
Health & halal certificates
HS code
Invoice vs packing list
The animation: a busy port, and alerts arrive one after another: detention charges, port charges increasing, wrong HS code, missing SFDA requirement, certificate missing. A customer email with a commercial invoice and a packing list is opened by hand; the certificate of origin and a required certificate are missing, and an additional requirement needs checking. We forgot to ask. Then a new email arrives and CustomsOS reads it: email received, attachments read, documents checked, missing requirements identified. It sends the customer a message listing what is missing, the customer replies with the documents, and the file is complete. Impossible? Not anymore. CustomsOS. Clear faster.
01THE QUESTIONS
Detention again? Extra port charges? Wrong HS code?
Answer five questions about your clearance desk. The meter shows how much could be leaking out every month because a document was missing, wrong or asked for too late.
How often is an HS code corrected after the declaration is filed?
Did you find out at the last minute that a shipment needed an SFDA or SABER certificate?
How many customer files arrive incomplete, and how long does it take to chase them?
How long does it take to check one customer's documents by hand?
SAR lost to clearance delays every month
- Detention & port storage while waiting for documents 36 container-days
- HS code corrections
- Last-minute SFDA / SABER surprises
- Chasing customers for missing documents 63 h
- Checking documents by hand 50 h
Illustrative estimate. Your figures will differ.
How we calculate
- Delay = shipments × % delayed × 3 days × SAR 400 per container-day (detention + port storage)
- HS corrections = corrections × SAR 1,500 (amendment, rework, penalty risk)
- Regulatory surprises = surprises × SAR 3,000 (extra days, rush certificates, re-inspection)
- Chasing = shipments × % incomplete × 1.5 h × SAR 60 per hour
- Checking = shipments × minutes per file ÷ 60 × SAR 60 per hour
We forgot to ask.
What if someone checked every document the moment it arrived?
What if the customer was asked before the ship even sailed into port?
What if every file was complete before your broker opened it?
02THE SOLUTION
Every document checked the moment it arrives.
CustomsOS connects to the inboxes your customers send documents to. It reads each email and attachment, works out what the shipment is, builds the list of documents that shipment needs from your requirement rules, and checks what's there, what's missing and what doesn't match.
Required from your rules HS 0207.14
- Commercial invoiceReceived
- Packing listReceived
- Bill of ladingReceived
- Certificate of originMISSING
- Health certificateMISSING
- Halal certificateMISSING
- SFDA requirement for food importsTO CONFIRM
3 missing · 1 to confirm
Attached
Commercial invoicePacking listBill of lading
Requirements come from your requirement library, the rules your team keeps in CustomsOS by commodity, HS chapter, origin and mode. CustomsOS checks files against those rules; it does not replace regulatory advice.
The three sample shipments, checked against the requirement rules:
- Frozen chicken cuts · Brazil → Dammam · sea, reefer. Required: Commercial invoice, Packing list, Bill of lading, Certificate of origin, Health certificate, Halal certificate. Attached: Commercial invoice, Packing list, Bill of lading. Missing: Certificate of origin, Health certificate, Halal certificate. To confirm: SFDA requirement for food imports.
- Air compressors · China → Dammam · sea. Required: Commercial invoice, Packing list, Bill of lading, Certificate of origin, SABER shipment certificate. Attached: Commercial invoice, Packing list, Bill of lading, Certificate of origin. Missing: SABER shipment certificate.
- Cosmetics · France → Riyadh · air. Required: Commercial invoice, Packing list, Air waybill, Certificate of origin, SFDA product listing reference. Attached: Commercial invoice, Packing list, Air waybill, Certificate of origin. Missing: SFDA product listing reference.
How CustomsOS works
-
01
Read
Every customer email and attachment (invoices, packing lists, BLs, AWBs and certificates), including scanned PDFs and photos.
-
02
Understand
Identifies each document, the shipment, the commodity and its likely HS code, the origin, the mode, the port and the ETA.
-
03
Check
Compares the file with your requirement rules, and cross-checks quantities, weights, values and parties across documents.
-
04
Ask
Sends the customer one clear message listing exactly what's missing, and follows up until it arrives.
-
05
Prioritise
Ranks open files by ETA, so the shipment arriving tomorrow is handled before the one arriving next week.
-
06
Your broker files
Your broker confirms the HS code and submits a complete declaration. Every step is recorded.
03SEE IT WORK
Eight emails in. Eight missing documents found. Customers asked before the ship docks.
This is a realistic clearance inbox on a normal morning. Click any email to watch CustomsOS read the attachments, check the file and draft the request to the customer. Or press the button and let it check the whole inbox.
- 9emails read
- 7files checked
- 5missing documents
- 2checks flagged
- 6requests to customers
- 2files complete
Clearance inbox0 unread
File complete2
Waiting on customer3
Check needed2
Skipped1
Click an email to open its shipment file.
A newsletter, not a shipment: CustomsOS skips it.
BL DEMO-77812Al Noor Trading
ETA 9 Oct · 4 days- Commodity
- Frozen chicken cuts
- Route
- Brazil → Dammam
- Mode
- Sea, reefer
- HS on invoice
- 0207.14
- HS suggested
- matches
Documents this shipment needs
- Commercial invoiceReceived
- Packing listReceived
- Bill of ladingReceived
- Certificate of originReceived
- Health certificateReceived
- Halal certificateReceived
- SFDA requirement for food importsConfirmed by your team
Attachments · click one to see what CustomsOS read
Read from Commercial invoice
- Invoice number
- INV-DEMO-4471
- Quantity
- 2,400
- Value
- SAR 312,000
- Consignee
- Al Noor Trading
Cross-checks
- Quantity: invoice vs packing listMatch
- Consignee across documentsMatch
- HS code vs descriptionMatch
Nothing missing, so no message is needed.
Sent automatically 08:11
Approved & sent
Flagged file: a person approves the request before it goes out.
DOCUMENT RECEIVED
FILE COMPLETE
Ready 4 days before arrival
Declaration data prepared for FASAH · reviewed by your brokerSubmitted by your broker
What CustomsOS does on its own
CustomsOS reads emails and attachments, checks files against your requirement rules, flags gaps and mismatches, and sends the missing-documents request and reminders. It sends on its own only when the request is clear and the customer is set to auto-send, and every message is logged. Confirming HS codes and filing the declaration stay with your broker.
04BEFORE THE SHIP DOCKS
Will every file be ready before arrival?
Three questions every clearance manager asks. Pick one.
Which shipment arrives first with a file that isn't ready?
| Shipment | ETA | Days left | Readiness | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Oct | 2 | 4 / 5 | At risk | |
| 8 Oct | 3 | 4 / 5 | Watch | |
| 9 Oct | 4 | 6 / 6 | Complete | |
| 10 Oct | 5 | 3 / 4 | Watch | |
| 11 Oct | 6 | 4 / 5 | On track | |
| 12 Oct | 7 | 5 / 5 | Complete | |
| 14 Oct | 9 | 4 / 5 | On track |
AWB DEMO-3301 · Bloom Cosmetics
Missing: SFDA product listing reference
Reminder 2 sent 09:00 · no reply
Customer calledFirst request immediately · reminder after 24 h · daily when the ETA is 3 days away or less · escalate to the account manager when the ETA is 2 days away or less Readiness = documents received ÷ documents required. Team checks such as the SFDA confirmation are not documents, so they are not counted.
Will this HS code survive the declaration?
-
Brake pads for passenger cars
8708.998708.30Brakes and their parts have their own subheading.
Confidence86%Confirmed by your broker -
Frozen chicken cuts
0207.14Matches the invoiceFrozen cuts of fowls of the species Gallus domesticus.
Confidence97%Confirmed by your broker -
Semi-milled white rice
1006.101006.301006.10 is rice in the husk; milled rice is 1006.30.
Confidence91%Confirmed by your broker
Suggestions are at 6-digit HS level with the reason shown. Your broker confirms the national tariff line before filing. Illustrative.
Can you quote duty and VAT before the ship arrives?
Prime Motors · BL DEMO-77870 · brake pads
- Duty
- VAT
- Total
Each day the file waits at the port: about SAR 400 per container (illustrative).
Estimate sentIllustrative. Rates depend on the confirmed tariff line and any exemptions; your broker confirms the final amounts.
05INBOX TO RELEASE
Can you see every file from the first email to release?
Every customs file follows the same path. CustomsOS records each step with the time and who did it, so anyone can see where a shipment stands without asking.
BL DEMO-77812Frozen chicken cuts · Brazil → Dammam
- 5 Oct 08:10 Documents received Email and 3 attachments readCustomsOS
- 08:10 File checked 3 missing, SFDA requirement flaggedCustomsOS
- 08:11 Customer asked Request sent with the listCustomsOS
- 10:40 File complete Certificates received and checkedCustomsOS
- 11:05 HS confirmed 0207.14 confirmedBroker
- 11:30 Declaration submitted Submitted on FASAHBroker
- 9 Oct Arrival Vessel arrives Dammam
- 9 Oct Released Cleared and handed to transport (FreightOS / FleetOS)
Ready 4 days before arrival · 0 days of port storage(Illustrative)
06CAPABILITIES
One AI customs employee. Every file, every rule, every reminder.
- Reads emails and attachments (PDF, scans, photos)
- Document type recognition
- Requirement checks by commodity, HS, origin and mode
- Missing-document detection
- Invoice vs packing list cross-check
- HS code suggestions with reasons
- Regulated-goods flags (SFDA, SABER)
- Customer requests and reminders
- ETA-based prioritisation
- Duty and VAT estimate
- Declaration data preparation
Document Inbox
Every customer email and attachment read, sorted into shipment files.
Requirement Library
Your rules for which documents each shipment needs.
File Checker
Missing documents and mismatches found on arrival.
Customer Requests
Clear requests and reminders until the file is complete.
HS Classification Assist
Suggested codes with reasons, confirmed by your broker.
Readiness Board
Every open file ranked by ETA and risk.
Duty & VAT Estimator
Early landed-cost estimates for customers.
Declaration Prep
Complete, checked data ready for filing.
Reports & Audit Trail
Every document, message and decision recorded.
Who uses it
- AdminUsers, rules and audit log
- Customs BrokerHS confirmation and filing
- Documentation OfficerFiles and customer requests
- Operations ManagerReadiness and escalations
- Customer ServiceCustomer replies
- FinanceDuty, VAT and charges
- CustomerUpload documents and see file status
07BEFORE / AFTER
Found at the port. Known from the first email.
Switch to "With CustomsOS" to see what changes for your team and what management sees every morning.
| Core pain | AI action | Human outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Documents opened by hand, one by one | AI reads every email and attachment on arrival | No file waits in an inbox |
| Missing documents found at the port | AI checks the file against the shipment's requirements | Gaps known on day one |
| "We forgot to ask the customer" | AI drafts and sends the request for what's missing | Customer asked the same hour |
| Customers slow to reply | AI follows up until the file is complete | Files complete before arrival |
| SFDA or SABER requirement discovered too late | AI flags regulated goods from the commodity and HS code | No last-minute surprises |
| Wrong HS code on the invoice | AI suggests the HS code with its reason | Fewer amendments and penalties |
| Invoice and packing list don't match | AI cross-checks quantities, weights and parties | Discrepancies fixed before filing |
| Duty and VAT a guess until the end | AI estimates duty and VAT from the file | Customer quoted early |
| Detention and port charges keep growing | AI ranks files by ETA and readiness | Urgent files handled first |
| Management finds out when the bill arrives | Morning clearance brief | Problems seen days ahead |
| Confirming the HS code and filing the declaration | — | Your broker decides |
Morning clearance briefTo: management · 07:30
- Open files7 · complete 2
- Missing documents still open5
- Files at risk (ETA in 2 days or less)1
- HS codes waiting for broker confirmation1
- Customers who haven't replied in 24 h1
- Estimated port charges avoided this weekSAR 6,000
Illustrative
Management finds out when the detention invoice arrives.
Documents sit in personal inboxes. Nobody can say which file is incomplete or which ship arrives first.
08WHO IT'S FOR
Built for everyone who clears goods into Saudi Arabia.
Customs brokers
Dozens of customers, hundreds of files, and every one needs chasing.
A missing document CustomsOS catches
Certificate of origin missing for BL DEMO-77812.
Freight forwarders
Clearance is the step that holds up the whole door-to-door promise.
A missing document CustomsOS catches
Packing list says 112, invoice says 120.
Food importers
Health, halal and SFDA requirements on every shipment.
A missing document CustomsOS catches
Health certificate missing, ETA in 4 days.
Medical & pharma importers
Regulated products where one missing reference stops everything.
A missing document CustomsOS catches
SFDA authorisation reference missing for AWB DEMO-3315.
Industrial & construction importers
SASO-regulated goods that need SABER certificates.
A missing document CustomsOS catches
SABER shipment certificate missing for air compressors.
09GETTING STARTED
Three steps to go live.
Connect
We connect CustomsOS to the inboxes your customers send documents to, and load your customers and open shipments.
Configure
We set up your requirement library, message templates, reminder rules and approvals with your clearance team.
Go live
Every incoming file is checked, customers are asked straight away, and management gets the morning clearance brief.
10FAQ
Questions clearance teams ask first.
What is CustomsOS?
CustomsOS is AI customs clearance software for Saudi Arabia, built by Nehlum. It reads every customer email and attachment the moment it arrives, checks the file against the shipment's document requirements, identifies what's missing or doesn't match, and asks the customer for it straight away, so your broker files a complete declaration before the shipment arrives.
How does CustomsOS check customs documents?
CustomsOS reads invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, air waybills and certificates, including scanned PDFs and photos. It identifies the shipment, commodity, origin, mode and ETA, compares the file with your requirement rules, and cross-checks quantities, weights, values and parties across documents.
Can CustomsOS tell which certificates a shipment needs?
Yes. CustomsOS builds each shipment's document list from your requirement library, which holds rules by commodity, HS chapter, origin and mode. It flags items such as a certificate of origin, health or halal certificates, SFDA requirements and SABER certificates when the rules call for them. Your team keeps the rules up to date.
Does CustomsOS suggest HS codes?
Yes. CustomsOS suggests an HS code from the product description and explains why, and it flags invoices whose HS code doesn't match the goods. Your broker reviews every suggestion and confirms the final tariff line before the declaration is filed.
Does CustomsOS contact the customer automatically?
Yes, when you allow it. CustomsOS sends the customer one clear message listing what's missing and follows up until the documents arrive. You can require approval before any message is sent, per customer or for every file, and every message is recorded.
Does CustomsOS file the declaration?
No. Filing stays with your licensed broker. CustomsOS prepares complete, checked declaration data, and your broker reviews and submits it on FASAH.
How does CustomsOS help avoid detention and port charges?
CustomsOS checks every file on the day the documents arrive and ranks open files by ETA, so missing documents are requested days before the shipment lands rather than at the port. Files at risk of arriving incomplete are escalated early, which reduces port storage, detention and demurrage caused by paperwork.
How do we get started with CustomsOS?
Request a demo and we will run CustomsOS on sample files from your own customers. We then connect your document inboxes, set up your requirement library, message templates and reminder rules with your clearance team, and go live with training and support.
READ · CHECK · ASK
Impossible? Not anymore.
CustomsOS does the checking, chasing and preparing. Your broker files.
Also from NehlumInquiryOSSupportOS
Works withFreightOSFleetOSTerminalOSWarehouseOS