Despite all the technology, cross-border logistics remains a people business
30.03.2026 von TRANSCO Team
In an interview with the Swiss *Tagesanzeiger*, Julian Gräble, Global Head of Customs, and Mike Bührer, Head of Branch at the
TRANSCO logistics center in Gottmadingen, explain how we support Swiss customers in their digital transformation, eliminate logistical bottlenecks, and make it easier for them to expand into international markets through customs clearance solutions.
TTransco is known for developing customized solutions for complex logistics needs. Mr. Gräble, Mr. Bührer, based on your understanding of your customers’ needs: What are the biggest obstacles preventing companies from growing?
Mike Bührer: We’re seeing an exciting dynamic in modern e-commerce: Many Swiss brands have excellent products and are strong in their home market, but the leap into the EU often seems daunting. The border isn’t just a physical line; it also represents a complex regulatory landscape and additional administrative burdens. That’s why entering the EU is particularly fraught with uncertainty for young, up-and-coming brands. They know the market offers enormous opportunities, but they fear the logistical complexity.
Julian Gräble: The challenge lies in the details: master data management, customs calculations, and accurate declarations aren’t tasks you can handle “on the side.” Without in-depth expertise, cost traps can quickly arise here. Accordingly, at Transco we don’t offer off-the-shelf solutions; instead, we build tailor-made bridges. For example, we handle the entire customs engineering process, so that the border effectively becomes invisible to our clients.
At every Swiss Post office, you’ll find people returning packages. How does the returns process work?
Mike Bührer: In fact, returns management is often an underestimated factor in today’s supply chains. Especially in the fashion industry, where there are many returns, the efficiency of the returns process determines whether a business makes a profit or a loss. At our logistics center in Gottmadingen (Germany), we inspect returns physically and immediately. We make the entire process transparent—from initial packing to restocking. We always do this with the goal of ensuring true “end-to-end” excellence for our customers.
Logistics is often held back by outdated processes or a lack of IT integration. Where do you see the greatest potential for optimization in your customers’ supply chains?
Mike Bührer: The main weakness today almost always lies in the lack of data consistency: A modern e-commerce company often juggles three or more systems—the online store, the ERP system, and specialized software for returns. If these systems don’t communicate seamlessly with one another, vulnerabilities arise. We simply can’t afford manual post-processing for thousands of orders. That’s why we focus on fully automated, seamless integration. Put simply, everything has to work as if it were all part of a single system.
How do you translate this goal into concrete services so that Swiss companies can remain competitive on the global stage?
Julian Gräble: Time is the most important currency in e-commerce. Although we operate on behalf of many customers through our center in Gottmadingen, the process is always timed so that a Swiss customer often has their package in hand within 24 hours. It feels like domestic shipping to them. This allows Swiss brands to maintain their Swiss identity while benefiting in the background from the logistical advantages of an EU location. And we’re also extremely agile internationally: we now often deliver to the U.S. within 48 to 72 hours.
Mike Bührer: A concrete example illustrates this: A Swiss customer used to operate separate fulfillment locations in Switzerland and Austria. This led to fragmented inventory and high fixed costs. We consolidated this inventory in Gottmadingen. Thanks to a smart tax and customs setup, the company now ships worldwide from a single location—faster and more cost-effectively than before.
About our fulfillment services: More
A look inside the Transco logistics center in Gottmadingen shows that the company is investing heavily in technology. What added value does this offer your customers?
Mike Bührer: We rely on automation because it increases both precision and speed. Our Autostore system comprises around 40,000 bins and 35 robots. We no longer use traditional order picking, where employees have to walk long distances—the goods come to the people. With a portfolio of 3,000 to 4,000 items per customer, a manual warehouse would be far too prone to errors. In addition, every step in our process is scan-supported, which reduces the error rate to an absolute minimum. This benefits not only our e-commerce clients but also our numerous industrial customers, whose challenges we solve optimally—for example, with efficient plant logistics, logistics, and customs services. For instance, we support a construction company for which we handle cross-border deliveries to construction sites.
Julian Gräble: But we also don’t forget traditional companies that may not yet be up to date with the latest IT technology. We offer customized interface solutions to seamlessly integrate them as well. In addition, we already use AI modules in customs data management to identify risks earlier and ensure compliance.
The term “compliance” has come up – a topic that gives many business owners a headache. What are the key issues here?
Julian Gräble: When people think of customs, they often think only of duties and taxes. But compliance goes much deeper. SECO enforces strict prohibitions and restrictions. Take food or medical devices, for example: without the proper certifications and a seamless compliance chain, the goods won’t make it across the border. We thoroughly review these lists for our B2C and B2B customers. We offer comprehensive security so that our customers can sleep soundly at night.
About our customs services: More
What developments will have the greatest impact on the logistics landscape in the coming years?
Mike Bührer: Our e-commerce clients increasingly have B2B clients in their portfolios. In this context, the process often differs significantly from the D2C process. For example, due to the larger volumes of goods, companies opt for pallet shipping instead of parcel shipping. This requires a completely new logistics setup. Thanks to its own freight forwarding division, Transco can serve both markets. This allows us to act as a “market expander” for our clients.
Julian Gräble: Another trend is “value-added services.” Here, the unboxing experience becomes a marketing tool for our clients. We include tissue paper, apply stickers, or package goods in high-quality gift boxes. The refurbishment of returns is also becoming increasingly important, as this is a matter of sustainability: returns should not simply be disposed of, but professionally refurbished and reintegrated into the cycle.
When companies choose Transco as their logistics partner, what does the path to a successful partnership look like?
Mike Bührer: Logistics is and always will be a “people business.” The chemistry between people has to be right. That’s why we make it a point to have potential clients visit us and get a feel for the atmosphere on the floor. We work with our own staff rather than subcontractors; our employees identify with our clients’ brands—this awareness ensures a quality that you can feel and see. The technical process is then highly structured. A project manager handles the onboarding and creates a customized project plan with clear milestones. We don’t go live until end-to-end testing has gone perfectly. Because our goal is for the implementation to go as smoothly as possible. If the customer says at the end that it runs “like clockwork,” then we’ve done our job right.
The interview was published on March 27, 2026, in the Swiss newspaper *Tagesanzeiger*, in a special edition on the topic of “Next Level Supply Chain.” View the publication
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