Descartes Thyme strengthening Ireland's supply chain

Ireland’s trading environment is shifting quickly with recent changes in the customs software market, price increases and platform uncertainty. Many businesses are taking a closer look at the systems they rely on every day. When the costs of disruption are high, choosing a partner with a proven track record becomes essential.

Descartes Thyme offers a stable, long-established alternative for Irish importers, exporters and logistics providers who want to protect their operations from unexpected change. The solution connects seamlessly to Automated Import System (AIS), Automated Export System (AES) and Excise Movement & Control System (EMCS), ensuring your compliance processes remain uninterrupted, even as the market around you evolves.

Ireland’s customs systems have undergone major modernisation. AIS and AES now demand richer data, more structured declarations and tighter integration. For many operations, this shift has exposed weaknesses in systems that weren’t built to handle the new requirements, especially when combined with sudden pricing changes or uncertainty about long-term product direction.

AIS requires accuracy, consistency and reliable connectivity. Businesses need a solution that:

• Validates data before submission
• Reduces manual rework
• Provides real-time status visibility
• Integrates smoothly with existing systems

Descartes Thyme delivers all of this through a platform trusted by thousands of organisations across Europe to help  avoid the risk of operational disruption.

AES introduces more detailed data requirements and tighter timelines. Exporters need confidence that their declarations will be processed correctly the first time, without delays or unexpected system changes.

A key part of the modernised process is the proper close-out of export declarations. AES now requires additional steps to confirmations to ensure movements are fully compliant in the system. Many businesses are discovering that their current providers don’t support these new close-out requirements, leaving declarations open, creating compliance gaps, or forcing teams into manual workarounds.

Descartes removes the risk with built-in functionality that fully supports the complete AES lifecycle, including the new close-out process. Exporters benefit from:

• Automated declaration creation
• Integration safety and security filings
• Real-time updates on release and departure
• Full audit trails for compliance assurance
• End-to-end support for the new AES close-out requirements

When the cost of delays is high, reliability becomes non-negotiable

Excise movements depend on precision and continuity. With some providers adjusting pricing or restricting their current EMCS solutions can offer long-term stability.

Descartes Thyme provides:

• Full support for all EMCS message types
• Automated creation and validation of Electronic Administrative Document (eADs)
• Real-time movement tracking
• Exception alerts to prevent delays

Many organisations have already moved to Descartes Thyme to avoid the risk of future disruption, a decision that protects their excise operations from uncertainty.

Why Irish businesses are choosing Descartes Thyme

Across the Irish market, several themes are emerging as businesses review their customs software options:

• Predictable, transparent pricing
  No sudden increases. No unexpected changes. No surprises.
  
  
• A partner with scale and stability
  Descartes has supported customs processes across Europe for decades, a level of continuity that gives customers confidence.
  
  
• Local expertise backed by global capability
  Our Descartes Thyme team understands the specific requirements of Irish importers, exporters and excise operators.
  
  
• One platform for AIS, AES and EMCS
  Fewer systems mean fewer risks, fewer errors and fewer points of failure.
  
  
• A roadmap aligned with EU customs evolution
  We invest ahead of regulatory change, so our customers don’t fall behind.
  
  

With the Irish market experiencing renewed activity and pricing volatility from certain providers, many businesses are choosing to move to Descartes Thyme to protect their operations from uncertainty.

By choosing a partner with a long-standing presence in the customs industry, proven technology and a commitment to stability, you safeguard your compliance processes and ensure your business remains resilient, no matter how the market shifts.

AIS, AES and EMCS are too important to leave to chance. Descartes Thyme gives you the confidence that your systems will continue to perform, today and in the future.