Every freight forwarder has experienced it. A shipment is booked, documents are ready, and the cargo is already on its way, then customs clearance becomes the bottleneck. One incorrect declaration or a missing data field can delay the entire shipment.
With the UK moving to the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), customs processing has become more structured and compliance-driven. That means forwarders need systems that can handle growing regulatory requirements while keeping operations efficient.
This is why many logistics companies are turning to MultiShed CDS integrated with CargoWise to streamline their customs workflows.
But freight teams are still asking:
- Why do customs declarations take so long?
- Why is shipment data re-entered across multiple systems?
- How can forwarders reduce errors and speed up UK customs clearance?
The answer lies in creating a connected customs environment, where freight operations and declaration systems work smoothly together.
Understanding CargoWise: The Digital Core of Freight Forwarding
Before diving into MultiShed, it’s important to understand why CargoWise plays such a critical role in modern logistics.
CargoWise is a cloud-based freight management system widely used by freight forwarders, customs brokers, and logistics providers worldwide. Instead of managing operations across different tools, CargoWise allows companies to manage their entire logistics workflow within a single platform.
Think of CargoWise as the central nervous system of a logistics company.
Within CargoWise, teams typically manage:
- Shipment bookings and orders
- Air and ocean freight operations
- Customer documentation and compliance records
- Financial transactions and invoicing
- Shipment tracking and operational visibility
Because it’s cloud-based, CargoWise integrates global teams and allows logistics companies to operate with real-time data and centralized visibility.
However, when it comes to UK customs declarations, many forwarders require specialized customs solutions that are fully aligned with CDS regulations.
That’s where MultiShed CDS becomes a powerful addition.
What is MultiShed CDS?
MultiShed is a UK customs declaration clearance, brokerage, and duty management solution designed to simplify the process of submitting customs entries for both air and ocean shipments.
The platform supports a wide range of customs declaration types used in UK trade, including
- Imports and Exports (NES)
- NCTS transit declarations
- CFSP (Customs Freight Simplified Procedures)
- ETSF / ERTS warehouse declarations
What makes MultiShed particularly valuable for freight forwarders is its simple and fast entry interface, designed specifically for customs declaration workflows.
The system can operate in two ways:
- As a standalone customs platform
- Or fully integrated with freight management systems like CargoWise
When integrated, MultiShed allows forwarders to remove manual processes and build a connected customs workflow.
The Hidden Problem in Traditional Customs Workflows
Even with powerful systems like CargoWise, many freight companies still manage customs processes using fragmented workflows.
A typical customs workflow often looks like this:
- Shipment details are entered into CargoWise
- Customs teams manually copy shipment information into another customs system
- Declarations are submitted to CDS
- Duty and VAT values are manually updated back into CargoWise
While this process may work operationally, it creates several major problems.
Increased Risk of Human Errors
Manual data entry always introduces risk. Incorrect commodity codes, wrong values, or missing fields can trigger customs rejections or delays.
Time-Consuming Operations
Customs teams spend valuable time copying data between systems instead of focusing on declaration accuracy and compliance.
Limited Operational Visibility
When customs processing happens outside CargoWise, operations teams often lack real-time visibility into the clearance status.
Delayed Financial Updates
Duty and VAT values may not immediately reflect in CargoWise, making it harder for finance teams to track shipment costs.
These inefficiencies create operational friction across the entire logistics workflow.
How MultiShed CDS Strengthens CargoWise Customs Operations?
When MultiShed integrates with CargoWise, customs declarations become part of a unified operational workflow instead of a separate process.
Here’s how customs integration can transform your customs operations.
1. Real-Time Shipment Data Integration
One of the biggest advantages of integrating MultiShed with CargoWise is the automatic transfer of shipment data.
Instead of re-entering information, declaration data can flow directly from CargoWise into MultiShed.
This provides several benefits:
- Eliminates duplicate data entry
- Improves declaration accuracy
- Speeds up customs filing preparation
With consistent data flowing between systems, customs teams can focus on compliance rather than manual tasks.
2. Automatic Duty and VAT Updates
Once a declaration is processed through MultiShed, the system automatically updates Duty and VAT values within CargoWise.
This provides immediate financial visibility for logistics and accounting teams.
Key advantages include:
- Real-time cost tracking for shipments
- Reduced manual financial updates
- Accurate financial reporting inside CargoWise
This automation significantly improves coordination between operations and finance teams.
3. Centralized Documentation and Compliance Records
Customs declarations require proper documentation for compliance and auditing purposes.
MultiShed allows forwarders to store key customs documents, including:
- C88 declaration forms
- customs clearance records
- supporting declaration documents
When integrated with CargoWise, these documents can be easily accessed within the operational workflow.
This improves documentation management and simplifies compliance audits.
4. Faster Customs Declaration Processing
MultiShed is built specifically for UK customs workflows, which means it offers optimized entry screens designed for CDS filing requirements.
This allows customs brokers to:
- prepare declarations faster
- reduce manual steps
- process multiple entries efficiently
As a result, shipments clear customs faster and operational delays are minimized.
Why Forwarders are Choosing MultiShed CDS?
The logistics industry is evolving rapidly, and forwarders are constantly looking for ways to improve operational efficiency.
MultiShed adoption is growing because it directly solves several key operational challenges.
Forwarders benefit from:
- Reduced manual workload for customs teams
- Higher data accuracy in customs declarations
- Stronger compliance with UK customs regulations
- Faster customs processing for shipments
- Improved financial transparency with automated duty updates
For high-volume freight operations, these improvements can significantly increase operational productivity.
The Future of Customs Operations with MultiShed and CargoWise
As customs regulations become more complex, freight forwarders are moving toward integrated customs technologies that connect directly with their freight management systems.
Instead of managing customs declarations through separate tools and manual workflows, companies are now building connected operational environments where systems work together seamlessly.
By integrating MultiShed CDS with CargoWise, forwarders can:
- Automatically transfer shipment data into customs declarations
- Reduce manual entry and declaration errors
- Update duty and VAT values directly inside CargoWise
- Maintain centralized documentation for compliance
- Improve visibility across customs and freight operations
This type of integration is becoming essential for forwarders handling UK trade. It allows customs declarations to become a natural part of the freight workflow rather than a separate manual task.
As logistics operations continue to digitize, solutions like MultiShed CDS integrated with CargoWise are helping forwarders create faster, more accurate, and more efficient customs operations.
Conclusion
Customs clearance is one of the most critical stages in global logistics. With the right technology, forwarders can turn it into a faster and more efficient process.
By integrating MultiShed CDS with CargoWise, companies can create an end-to-end customs and freight workflow where shipment data flows smoothly, declarations are processed faster, and duty and VAT updates appear automatically in CargoWise.
The result is:
- Faster customs declarations
- Reduced manual data entry
- Better compliance and documentation visibility
- Real-time financial updates
Want to simplify UK customs declarations and improve CargoWise operations? Schedule a demo to see how MultiShed CDS integration can simplify your end-to-end customs workflow
