Software adapts to constantly evolving regulatory requirements

It’s easy to see why global business is increasingly referring to Africa as being part of the new Silk Road, according to Volodya Bilanovsky, vice-president of Sydney-based CargoWise – partners with SA’s freight system specialists Compu- Clearing in the use of the CargoWise single platform logistics management system, ediEnterprise. “Not only is the African continent a major source of the resources imported by Chinese manufacturers to make the goods and services they ship out to the rest of the world, it is also a major source of the fuel powering the global boom, and increasingly a major market for goods produced all over the world,” Bilanovsky told FTW. “As these global trade routes increasingly converge to China, the challenge is in finding efficient ways to work with the Chinese economy, and design business processes and partners with the experience and technology to dovetail neatly with the opportunities as they grow.” It’s a challenge they’ve been tackling for the last decade at CargoWise, as China now represents not only its biggest growth market but its largest single customer base. China, however, represents some particular challenges which can be difficult to appreciate from the outside, according to Moshe Zulberg, Compu- Clearing’s marketing and training manager. “Regional differences within the country need to be accounted for and understood,” he told FTW. “While there is a single written language, there are at least seven different spoken forms of Chinese, and although they are often referred to as different dialects many are not mutually intelligible. There are also 34 different provinces, and provincial governments to deal with. “This means there are different regulatory and tax requirements which need to be understood and integrated into business practices in order to operate effectively in different parts of the country.” And the rapidly developing business culture requires that companies coming into the Chinese market are prepared to comply with constantly evolving regulatory requirements, added Bilanovsky. “As is often the case when moving into new markets, the safest approach is to look for technology providers who already have experience in the area, learn from and in some cases lean on, their experience,” he said. “Not only because they know the market you are interested in, but because they have already established links between both markets. “It’s a bit like paving the new Silk Road, only this time we’re doing it with software not flagstones.” INSERT ‘There are different regulatory and tax requirements which need to be understood and integrated into business practices.’ CAPTION Moshe Zulberg … ‘Regional differences need to be accounted for.'