Can Document Clerk handle documents in languages other than English?

Yes. The agent supports over **100 languages**. It can process invoices in Chinese, Spanish, or German, extracting the relevant data and mapping it to your system's native language fields, effectively breaking down linguistic barriers in global supply chains.

What happens if the AI encounters a document it doesn't understand?

The system utilizes a **Human-in-the-Loop (HITL)** workflow. If a document has a low confidence score (e.g., due to a coffee stain or illegible handwriting), it is flagged for a human operator to review. The AI learns from this correction, ensuring it handles similar issues autonomously next time.

Does it require setting up templates for every new vendor?

No. **Document Clerk** uses 'template-agnostic' AI. Unlike legacy OCR which needs coordinates for every field, this agent reads the document like a human, identifying 'Total Amount' or 'Date' regardless of where they appear on the page. You can onboard new vendors instantly.

Is my data secure when processed by the AI?

Absolutely. The architecture is SOC 2 Type II compliant and designed for enterprise security. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest. The AI models are often 'zero-retention' for training, meaning your proprietary trade data is not used to train public models, ensuring confidentiality.

How long does it take to implement?

Implementation is rapid, typically taking **2 to 6 weeks**. Because it connects via standard APIs or simple email forwarding and requires no template training, you can start processing live documents and seeing ROI within the first month of deployment.

Return Manager - AI-Powered Cross-Border Reverse Logistics

Document Clerk is an AI worker that autonomously converts unstructured trade documents into structured, audit-ready data.

It extracts, validates, and reconciles line-items from BOLs, invoices, and packing lists with 99.9% accuracy - reducing processing costs by 90% (from $25 to under $1.50 per document).

What is Document Clerk?

Paper Crisis Solution. An estimated 4 billion paper documents circulate in global trade at any time. Traditional OCR tools fail because they rely on rigid templates - when a supplier changes invoice layout, legacy automation breaks. This agent perceives documents like a human expert, understanding context and reasoning through data relationships regardless of format.
Cognitive Document Processing. Lives within your email inbox and TMS. Instantly classifies documents (Commercial Invoice vs. Pro Forma), extracts consignee details, Incoterms, and line-item HS codes. Performs the "3-way match" - cross-referencing Commercial Invoice against Packing List and Purchase Order to ensure quantities, weights, and values align perfectly.
Error Elimination. Manual data entry consumes 10 to 60 minutes per document with error rates between 18% and 40% for complex files. These errors cause customs inspections, demurrage fees, and reputational damage. Creates a "Digital Twin" of every shipment's paperwork in seconds.
Decoupled Growth. Allows freight forwarders, customs brokers, and enterprise shippers to decouple growth from headcount, scaling document processing infinitely to meet seasonal peaks without temporary labor.

Replaces:

Manual Data Entry - eliminates re-keying from PDFs into ERPs/TMS, which consumes 40-60% of staff time.

Template Management - replaces brittle OCR software requiring constant IT maintenance for layout changes.

Visual Verification - automates the "stare and compare" checking of packing lists against invoices.

Email Attachment Triage - stops manual sorting of "shipping docs" emails, auto-classifies and routes attachments.

Compliance Pre-Checks - replaces reactive discovery of missing data with proactive pre-filing validation.

Ready to see Document Clerk in action?

Why Document Clerk?

Slash Operational Costs. Manual processing costs $5.00 to $25.00 per document when factoring labor, overhead, and error correction. Automation drives costs to $0.25 to $1.50 per document - approximately 90% reduction. Mid-sized firms handling thousands of monthly shipments save millions annually with direct gross margin improvement.
Achieve Hyper-Accuracy. Human fatigue is inevitable; machine precision is constant. Manual entry error rates reach 40% in complex trade documents, causing customs penalties and stoppages. Advanced ML models trained on millions of documents achieve 99.9% accuracy - extracting from handwriting, multi-page tables, and low-quality scans.
Accelerate Cash Cycle. Speed in documentation equals speed in cash flow. Digitizing documents in seconds enables instant invoicing and faster "Order-to-Cash" cycles. Validates vendor invoices against accruals immediately, preventing payment bottlenecks and capturing early payment discounts.
Scale Without Headcount. Offers "elastic capacity" allowing firms to handle 300% to 500% volume spikes during peak seasons without hiring additional employees. Protects margins during downturns and prevents service degradation during upturns.

How It Works

Workflow Automation

How Document Clerk integrates with your systems

Document Processing Pipeline

Document ProcessingClassificationDMS

Loading workflow...

Receives documents via email, uses AI to extract data and classify document type, validates against rules, stores in DMS, and updates shipment records.

Omnichannel Ingestion. Monitors API connections, dedicated email inboxes (e.g., imports@company.com), and cloud storage folders. Ingests PDF, JPEG, Excel, Word documents. Automatically separates combined file packets (single PDF with invoice, packing list, BOL) into discrete classified types.
Contextual Extraction & Understanding. Uses computer vision and Large Language Models (LLMs) to read semantic context. Distinguishes "Shipper," "Consignee," and "Notify Party" regardless of layout. Extracts line-item details, quantities, unit weights, and HS codes from multi-page tables spanning dozens of pages.
Logic-Based Validation (3-Way Match). Cross-references Commercial Invoice line items against Packing List and Purchase Order. Verifies line item totals match invoice value. Checks compliance flags like missing country of origin. Discrepancies isolated and flagged for human exception handling.
System Synchronization. Pushes validated, structured data directly to ERP (SAP, Oracle) or logistics platforms (CargoWise) via API connectors. Triggers downstream actions: filing customs entries or generating payment vouchers without a single keystroke.

Get Started

Stop letting the "data entry tax" erode your margins. Deploy Document Clerk to digitize documents instantly, eliminate manual errors, and focus on moving freight rather than paper.

See how Document Clerk works for your business

Core Capabilities

Template-Agnostic Extraction

Extracts data from any document layout without training templates, handling variable formats from thousands of different vendors.

Automated 3-Way Matching

Reconciles Commercial Invoices, Packing Lists, and Purchase Orders automatically to identify discrepancies in quantity or value instantly.

Handwriting Recognition

Deciphers handwritten notes, stamps, and signatures on Bills of Lading and Proof of Delivery documents with high accuracy.

Line-Item Digitization

Converts complex, multi-page PDF tables into structured line-item data for direct ERP integration and granular inventory visibility.

Who It's For

Customs Brokers

Deploy Document Clerk to automate the entry writing process. The agent converts customer invoices into customs declarations in minutes, increasing files-per-operator capacity by **4x** and eliminating the backlog during peak seasons.

Freight Forwarders

Use the worker to ingest carrier Bills of Lading and vendor invoices. It automates the creation of house bills and client invoices, reducing the "swivel chair" data entry between carrier portals and internal TMS systems.

Enterprise Importers

Implement the worker to audit high volumes of inbound shipping documentation. The agent validates every commercial invoice against contract rates and POs, preventing overpayment and ensuring audit-ready compliance for duty drawback programs.

Value Outcomes

Cost Reduction

90% cost savings

Slash administrative overhead by automating manual entry. Moving to AI processing reduces the cost per document from over $5.00 to under $1.50, delivering a **90% reduction** in direct processing expenses.

Accuracy & Compliance

99.9% data accuracy

Eliminate human error in critical trade data. AI-driven validation achieves **99.9% accuracy**, preventing costly customs fines and reducing the risk of cargo holds due to documentation mismatches.

Processing Speed

11x faster processing

Accelerate document turnaround times drastically. The agent processes complex trade documents in seconds rather than hours, enabling **11x faster** shipment clearance and invoicing cycles.

Staff Productivity

15k hours saved/mo

Liberate skilled workforce from data entry. Automation saves up to **15,000 hours per month** for large enterprises, allowing staff to refocus on customer service and exception management.

Strategic Value for Decision Makers

For the CFO

**Cost Control & Cash Flow.** The Document Clerk converts a high-variable labor cost into a low fixed cost, reducing OpEx by 90%. It accelerates the 'Order-to-Cash' cycle by digitizing proofs of delivery and invoices instantly, reducing DSO and preventing revenue leakage from billing errors.

For the COO

**Scalability & Resilience.** This agent decouples our operational capacity from our headcount. We can handle 5x the volume during peak season without hiring temp staff or burning out our team. It eliminates the single point of failure in our document workflows and ensures 24/7 processing capability.

For the Owner

**Asset Value & Modernization.** Implementing this AI worker transitions our business from a 'people-heavy' brokerage to a 'tech-enabled' platform. It builds a proprietary data asset from our documents, increasing our enterprise multiple and proving we are future-proofed against digital-first competitors.

Why Export Arena

Document Clerk is not a standalone tool - it's part of Export Arena's AI & Automation Department as a Service. Pre-trained on global trade nuances, from HS codes to geopolitical risk, it delivers strategic insights tailored to C-suite decision-making. We provide resilience as a service.

See how Document Clerk works for your business