Impact of SAP GTS on International Supply Chain Efficiency

International supply chains depend on timely trade documentation, regulatory checks, customs processing, and coordination between organizations. SAP Global Trade Services provides functions intended to support these activities, but documented functionality should be distinguished from independently measured business benefits. This assessment examines operational changes associated with SAP GTS implementation using a simulated before-and-after dataset representing 24 matched trade lanes and 2,400 shipments. Each lane contributes 50 shipments before implementation and 50 during a subsequent stable operating period. Documentation preparation time is the primary outcome; customs release time, trade-administration cost, and international delivery lead time are secondary outcomes. Paired comparisons use lane-level means to avoid treating shipments within a lane as independent implementation units. Mean preparation time decreases from 48.0 to 31.0 minutes, a reduction of 35.4% and a paired difference of 17.0 minutes (95% confidence interval: 14.49–19.51; p