‘Slowly moving towards a seamless communication flow’

Software support service provider Easyclear is expecting big growth following the successful merger with its marketing and sales agent, Prime-X Business & Account Management Services. The company has a new web application in the pipeline that will allow its customers to frame entries without being in their offices as well as improve their current forwarding system. “We effectively want to double our growth figures,” says Michael Henning, Easyclear national sales and marketing manager. “We have built our record on providing our customers with a system that is easy to use and very stable. Unlike many of our competitors we don’t have a huge helpdesk or call centre because once our system is installed and the relevant training completed it is user friendly and does not give many problems. The company has always been focused on support and exceptional service levels and that will continue to be our focus. We will add to our support team as and when required.” Especially in the current technological era where IT support is more important than ever before, one of the most notable milestones in this industry has been the advent of EDI (electronic data interchange). This has made communication with Sars and industry role players almost seamless, though we have a long way to go, says Henning. In October Sars implemented the Mandatory Electronic Data Interchange system for Customs, ensuring that all companies submitting more than 20 entries a month are registered and submit all these entries electronically via EDI. “Sars is heading towards a paperless Customs release encompassing the entire supply chain. The various legislative pieces are now in place and we are slowly but surely getting to the point where the whole logistics chain is electronically linked and the flow of communication is seamless.” This, he says, is good news for software companies like Easyclear. “Our system is such that we can easily incorporate the necessary changes as and when the legislative process requires it. As a whole it is a very attractive package for the freight industry to use.” He says it is therefore important for the company to stay ahead of technology. “We are always embracing new technology and looking at ways to improve and upgrade our system to ensure our clients can meet the official requirements from Customs and other logistics service providers, while staying competitive.”