New export requirements call for a review of systems

Now is the time for all those involved in the export process to consider the suitability of their current systems and evaluate them in terms of functionality, in the view of Jonathan Sims of Core Freight Systems, a provider of IT applications for South African forwarding and customs clearing operators. “The requirements of systems used in the processing of export transactions have traditionally been less demanding than those in place for imports, primarily due to the absence of customs duty and VAT on an export transaction,” Sims told FTW. “This position may well be changing with the advent of Sars’ requirements in respect of EDI, UCR and MAS, and the ‘paperless environment’ initiative. “Given this it may be worthwhile for those involved in the export process to establish if their systems provide the optimum functionality, with the objective of improving the quality of data processing, ensuring compliance with Sars and driving down costs.” Perishables and mining commodity exports are obvious examples of industries that would benefit from this kind of review, in his view. “In addition exports by project type operators and the motor industry, although currently depressed, present an opportunity for companies to leverage their IT investment.” The CoreFreight application is designed to improve internal operational efficiencies, enhance management control and, where applicable, facilitate better transfer of information between the importer/exporter and his agent, says Sims. “These features are available in both the imports and exports processes. “The company uses modern windowsbased technology to support a logical process-flow that is easy to learn and is fully comprehensive, allowing staff an opportunity for personal development and to cross-skill for the benefit of their employer. “The application includes a Personal Task Manager, which allows the operator to manage his own work across multiple files, detailed audit trails, integrated file profitability analysis. A wide range of reports is available for both internal use and to communicate with external parties. A document image storage facility is integrated into the application allowing for simple access to information and internetbased tracking of transactions is available.” According to Sims, Core Freight Systems has a broad user base and has cost-effective solutions for small, medium and large operators. “The idea is that the application provides more than simply a tool for producing documents – it is a mechanism for managing and controlling the forwarding and clearing processes at both the individual and organisational level.”