Case study
From seven isolated solutions to one customs platform
How the fenaco Group consolidated its import customs clearance across 19 subsidiaries with customs operations and gradually brought the process in-house.
19
subsidiaries and the parent company migrated
90,000
import customs clearances per year
1/3
of customs clearances already handled internally
CHF 3 million
savings per year as a goal
The cost of import customs clearance varied between 35 and 160 Swiss francs per clearance, depending on the fenaco subsidiary. Only the company-wide overview made these differences transparent. Today, the fenaco Group's subsidiaries with customs operations process their approximately 90,000 import clearances through a central platform provided by AEB and are handling an increasing portion of them in-house. Already in the first quarter of 2026, this reduced external customs clearance costs by 200,000 francs.
Initial situation: A fragmented customs landscape
The fenaco Group is a cooperative group of companies with business operations in agriculture, food industry, energy, and retail. Its net revenue amounts to 7.2 billion francs. It comprises numerous subsidiaries, 19 of which are involved in import customs clearance. It was precisely these 19 that made up the scope of the project. The impetus came from the realization that a group-wide overview would create additional transparency and leverage valuable opportunities for optimization and economies of scale. Which systems are in use, how are they linked, what interfaces exist? To clarify this, the project team developed a questionnaire and collected four key metrics from each company: the system in use, the volume of customs clearance per month and per year, the cost per external transaction, and the degree of automation.
The analysis revealed the extent of the fragmentation.
| Dimension | Status quo before the project |
|---|---|
| Systems | 7 parallel customs clearance solutions within the fenaco Group |
| External handling | More than 35 external service providers |
| Processes | Entirely manual, both at fenaco and externally |
| Archive | Physical, printed documents stored in a large archive |
| Data flow | Media breaks between systems |
| Licenses | High licensing and maintenance costs |
| Cost per customs clearance | Between CHF 35 and 160 |
The most visible indicator of the fragmentation was in the costs. The cost of external import customs clearance depended on which subsidiary commissioned the service.
There was a significant discrepancy in external customs clearances. For an import customs clearance, one subsidiary paid 35 francs, another one up to 160.
Martin Scherz, Head of VAT & Customs, fenaco Group
Decision and implementation
From the analysis, fenaco drew a clear conclusion. The goal was to find a central platform that would provide visibility into all companies, automate manual processes, and integrate directly with the Swiss Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG), so that control would remain in-house. AEB's end-to-end solution met these requirements by combining import and export functions within a single system and using AI to support document recognition.
The pace was the deciding factor. Migrating a company of this size all at once would have caused resistance and increased operational risk. That is why fenaco started small: In 2025, the parent company served as the pilot company, with a single division and five suppliers that switched from external customs clearance to the group's own customs clearance office. Following the successful pilot, fenaco established its internal customs clearance office and migrated the first subsidiaries as well as additional suppliers. With each area that was migrated, acceptance grew, and more subsidiaries expressed a need for it. What began as a cautious pilot program turned into a rollout that gained momentum on its own.
We have now reached a point where I receive inquiries from the subsidiaries on a daily basis: When can we finally migrate? I have to ask them to be patient a little longer, because I cannot ask too much of the people at the customs clearance office.
Martin Scherz, Head of VAT & Customs, fenaco Group
Status quo today
Today, all 19 subsidiaries operate on the AEB customs platform; electronic assessment decisions are received automatically and stored centrally. The approximately 200 trained employees work in the system every day, and AI recognition improves with every transaction.
Together with AEB, we have further developed the AI solution, and we are now measuring a detection rate of 85 percent.
Martin Scherz, Head of VAT & Customs, fenaco Group
Two key figures show how far this migration has progressed. fenaco's in-house customs clearance office now handles about one-third of all import customs clearances, and the number of external service providers it uses has dropped by 40 percent.
The more customs clearances are processed internally, the greater the financial leverage. The amounts in the table refer solely to the savings in external customs clearance costs. The costs of automation and implementation are not factored into this figure, nor are any additional efficiency gains resulting from automation.
| Milestone | Share of in-house processing | Annual savings | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2026 | 14% | CHF 200,000 | Achieved |
| End of 2026 | 40% | CHF 600,000 | Planned |
| In 3–4 years | 100% | CHF 3 million | Target |
In addition to cost savings, data quality improved. The customs authorizations of all subsidiaries are now managed centrally. They are immediately available for every customs clearance; a single check is sufficient, and the process proceeds without interruption. Assessment decisions are automatically posted to each party's CSP account, and the customs rate can be verified in a timely manner.
What is yet to come: Roadmap 2026+
fenaco is continuing to develop the solution in several directions.
| Period | Project |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | Smart Border: Proof of concept for truck recognition and automatic assignment, supported by the Austrian subsidiary |
| Q4 2026 | Further rollout of automated supplier onboarding |
| 2027 | Expansion of the AI module to additional document types and real-time response to regulatory changes in the EU |
Learnings from the fenaco project
Digitalization is a continuous task. Six factors have contributed to fenaco's results to date:
- Integration: A single platform replaces seven isolated solutions and provides a comprehensive overview for the first time.
- Step-by-step approach: Start with a few pilots and slowly expand the scope. This enhances acceptance.
- Early AI integration: The solution went live with 85 percent recognition without waiting for complete coverage.
- Internal resources: fenaco developed customs clearance as a core in-house competency.
- Change management: Accompanying the technological change with organizational measures was equally important.
- Compliance: The automated, system-based check enhances security across all customs clearances.
With the migration to Passar, every importing company should analyze its customs processes anyway. In Martin's experience, companies that see potential in bringing customs processes in-house should not wait for the perfect solution.
Start with two or three suppliers if you have the resources, and gather valuable experience. Don't wait until you have the perfect solution. Start with the 85 percent solution and take it step by step.
Martin Scherz, Head of VAT & Customs, fenaco Group
Three questions can help you assess your own potential:
- Do you have a comprehensive overview of your customs processes?
- Do you know your costs per external customs clearance and per transaction?
- Are your processes digitalized and automated?
If you cannot clearly answer any of these questions, it's worth taking a closer look at your customs clearance costs. With the AEB savings calculator, you can get an initial idea of your potential by entering just a few values.