Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What if the single biggest threat to your supply chain isn’t a storm, cyberattack, or strike, but a mistyped HS code?
And what if the paperwork you ignore is costing you millions in delays, fines, and avoidable carbon?
In this episode, I’m joined by Yeelen Knegtering, Co-Founder & CEO of Klippa, a Dutch SaaS scale-up now part of the SER Group. Yeelen has spent the last decade tackling one of the quietest yet most destructive weaknesses in global logistics: the manual, error-prone, compliance-heavy document workflows that still underpin cross-border trade. As regulations tighten and documentation volumes rise, this isn’t just an admin headache — it’s a resilience risk.
You’ll hear why many of the failures we treat as “operational issues” actually originate in paperwork that wasn’t processed on time — and how specialised AI is now cutting delays, cost, and carbon by automating the most painful parts of compliance. We unpack why general-purpose AI isn’t the answer, and why purpose-built models deliver higher accuracy with a far smaller environmental footprint.
Yeelen and I explore the uncomfortable truth: paperwork volumes are increasing, not shrinking, and organisations still underestimate how much risk is hiding in admin processes no one wants to do. You’ll hear examples of planes waiting on dangerous-goods forms, shipments destroyed due to incorrect HS codes, and postal operators fined millions because their back offices simply couldn’t keep up.
We also get into workforce impact — relief vs fear — and why reskilling is no longer optional. With supply chains running 24/7 but admin teams working 8-to-5, automation isn’t about job replacement; it’s about preventing the system from breaking under regulatory pressure.
If you care about supply chain resilience, cost reduction, compliance, sustainability, or simply eliminating the chaos no one talks about, you’ll find this conversation eye-opening.
What’s your take? Let me know below 👇
🔗 Links & CTAs:
🎧 Listen to the podcast + sign up for updates:
resilientsupplychainpodcast.com
📬 Get my weekly newsletter FutureProof:
newsletter.tomraftery.com
🟢 Follow & subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of resilient, sustainable supply chains.
⏱ Timestamps below
Guest Links:
🔹 Klippa: klippa.com
🔹 Yeelen’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yeelenknegtering
2️⃣ Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – The silent supply chain risk: paperwork
02:10 – Who is Yeelen Knegtering? Klippa’s origin story
04:22 – Why manual admin still dominates global logistics
06:41 – When missing documents trigger million-euro failures
09:05 – Regulation overload and the new compliance burden
11:12 – AI’s environmental footprint: nuance that leaders miss
13:40 – How specialised AI cuts cost, carbon, and delays
16:05 – Workforce reaction: relief, fear, and reskilling
18:00 – Why paperwork volumes keep rising globally
20:10 – Where AI can move the needle most in sustainability
22:35 – A bold 2030 prediction for compliance and risk
24:01 – Final advice for supply chain executives
25:20 – If listeners take one thing away…
26:10 – Where to find Yeelen and more from Klippa
What if the single biggest threat to your supply chain isn’t a storm, cyberattack, or strike, but a mistyped HS code?
And what if the paperwork you ignore is costing you millions in delays, fines, and avoidable carbon?
In this episode, I’m joined by Yeelen Knegtering, Co-Founder & CEO of Klippa, a Dutch SaaS scale-up now part of the SER Group. Yeelen has spent the last decade tackling one of the quietest yet most destructive weaknesses in global logistics: the manual, error-prone, compliance-heavy document workflows that still underpin cross-border trade. As regulations tighten and documentation volumes rise, this isn’t just an admin headache — it’s a resilience risk.
You’ll hear why many of the failures we treat as “operational issues” actually originate in paperwork that wasn’t processed on time — and how specialised AI is now cutting delays, cost, and carbon by automating the most painful parts of compliance. We unpack why general-purpose AI isn’t the answer, and why purpose-built models deliver higher accuracy with a far smaller environmental footprint.
Yeelen and I explore the uncomfortable truth: paperwork volumes are increasing, not shrinking, and organisations still underestimate how much risk is hiding in admin processes no one wants to do. You’ll hear examples of planes waiting on dangerous-goods forms, shipments destroyed due to incorrect HS codes, and postal operators fined millions because their back offices simply couldn’t keep up.
We also get into workforce impact — relief vs fear — and why reskilling is no longer optional. With supply chains running 24/7 but admin teams working 8-to-5, automation isn’t about job replacement; it’s about preventing the system from breaking under regulatory pressure.
If you care about supply chain resilience, cost reduction, compliance, sustainability, or simply eliminating the chaos no one talks about, you’ll find this conversation eye-opening.
What’s your take? Let me know below 👇
🔗 Links & CTAs:
🎧 Listen to the podcast + sign up for updates:
resilientsupplychainpodcast.com
📬 Get my weekly newsletter FutureProof:
newsletter.tomraftery.com
🟢 Follow & subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping the future of resilient, sustainable supply chains.
⏱ Timestamps below
Guest Links:
🔹 Klippa: klippa.com
🔹 Yeelen’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yeelenknegtering
2️⃣ Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – The silent supply chain risk: paperwork
02:10 – Who is Yeelen Knegtering? Klippa’s origin story
04:22 – Why manual admin still dominates global logistics
06:41 – When missing documents trigger million-euro failures
09:05 – Regulation overload and the new compliance burden
11:12 – AI’s environmental footprint: nuance that leaders miss
13:40 – How specialised AI cuts cost, carbon, and delays
16:05 – Workforce reaction: relief, fear, and reskilling
18:00 – Why paperwork volumes keep rising globally
20:10 – Where AI can move the needle most in sustainability
22:35 – A bold 2030 prediction for compliance and risk
24:01 – Final advice for supply chain executives
25:20 – If listeners take one thing away…
26:10 – Where to find Yeelen and more from Klippa
