THE CHALLENGE

Gretsch-Unitas is an Approved Exporter. This means increased proof of compliance requirements, a documented internal organizational instruction (customs manual) for the customs authority (Hauptzollamt) Stuttgart, and the obligation to prove every classification decision comprehensively. A product portfolio of over 35,000 items, delivered to 35+ countries, combined with customs responsibility for multiple companies within the GU Group. The pressure on the classification team is high.

The previous tool had run stably for years, embedded directly in SAP ERP. Its weak point was well known: no AI support. With incomplete product descriptions and missing technical drawings, this regularly required time-consuming manual work. When Gretsch-Unitas decided to migrate to SAP S/4HANA for October 2025, the verdict was clear: the legacy system was not S4-compatible. A new solution was needed.

"The previous software was good in terms of the automation process, but it just didn't have AI. With the diverse range of items we have, AI assistance is simply helpful." Claudia Schlag, Customs Officer, Gretsch-Unitas GmbH Baubeschläge

THE SOLUTION

The team analyzed the market closely: specialist presentations, the familiar legacy system under new terms, and database comparisons with other providers. First contact with traide AI happened rather by chance. A first meeting was followed by an extensive practical test using real items from the GU Group, comparing them against existing core data, with no placeholder data. Initial skepticism about using AI in the customs sector quickly disappeared.

Integration into SAP via partner prodata from Vienna was indispensable. Product data is transferred directly from SAP to traideCompliance, and results are automatically sent back to the core data. Without this bidirectional connection, traideCompliance would not have been considered.

"The connection to SAP was an absolute prerequisite. Without it, traide AI would have been out of the race." Hartmut Lendl, Organizational & IT Project Support, Gretsch-Unitas GmbH Baubeschläge

On October 20, 2025, the day of the SAP S/4HANA go-live, traideCompliance was live. Seamlessly.

RESULTS

The classification team tariffs externally sourced items in minutes instead of hours. If product documentation is missing, a URL is enough: the AI extracts product attributes directly from the web and delivers a fully justified audit trial. A path that did not exist before.

As an Approved Exporter, Gretsch-Unitas carries a special responsibility. Today, traideCompliance is explicitly anchored by name in the official organizational instructions for the customs authority (Hauptzollamt) Stuttgart. Every classification is documented, retrievable at any time, and ready to be explained live.

"I submitted the PDF with the detailed justification and never heard back from the customs officer again. He simply accepted it. That was also a very important reason for me: this ability to trace how an outcome is reached." Claudia Schlag, Customs Officer, Gretsch-Unitas GmbH Baubeschläge

▸ Productive go-live parallel to SAP S/4HANA migration, October 2025
▸ Bidirectional SAP integration via prodata
▸ Classification decisions in seconds, with complete AI justifications and source references
▸ Audit-secure: anchored in official organizational instructions for the customs authority (Hauptzollamt) Stuttgart
▸ Customs responsibility for multiple GU companies managed from a single platform

WHY TRAIDE AI?

Gretsch-Unitas knew the alternatives. The decision was made based on one clear criterion: AI capability. No other provider could deliver in the practical test what traideCompliance delivered. The deciding factor was not just the classification result, but the complete, traceable justification behind it.

In addition, traide AI continuously develops the product and actively communicates updates. Integration partner prodata responds immediately to any adjustment requests.

"We regularly receive updates from traide AI regarding new improvements. And prodata reacts immediately whenever we need something. I have rarely experienced anything like that until now." Hartmut Lendl, Organizational & IT Project Support, Gretsch-Unitas GmbH Baubeschläge

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON AI-SUPPORTED CUSTOMS CLASSIFICATION

Which companies is traideCompliance suitable for?
For companies using SAP, with high product diversity, and the need to document classification decisions across multiple business units in an audit-secure manner. Especially where a wide range of articles regularly brings new and difficult-to-classify products.

Are AI-generated classifications audit-secure?
Yes. traideCompliance provides a complete AI justification with source references for every classification, downloadable as a PDF. At Gretsch-Unitas, this use is officially anchored in the organizational instructions for the customs authority (Hauptzollamt) Stuttgart.

What if product information is incomplete?
The AI can extract product characteristics from technical drawings, free-text inputs, and URLs. Even a product image from the internet is enough to serve as a baseline for a reliable classification.

How long does implementation take?
It starts with a structured Proof of Concept. At Gretsch-Unitas, the testing phase began in early 2025 and led to the productive go-live on October 20, 2025, parallel to the SAP S/4HANA migration.