Solid systems are key to compliance

Without solid systems in
place, operating in the
logistics industry has
become near impossible,
especially in the light of the
global economical turmoil.
According to J-L
Koekemoer, general
manager and systems
architect of Ship-Shape
Software in Johannesburg,
an emerging trend in recent
times has been the large
drive by many smaller
entities to tighten up
financial controls and put
more stringent processes
in place in terms of credit
limits, collection and the
management of costs.
“This is in contrast to
their traditional concerns
that were focused on the
actual operations part of
their business.”
Koekemoer attributes
this to multiple factors,
most notably the tougher
economic climate in which
business is finding itself
compared to two years ago,
as well as some significant
positive growth amongst
some companies, which
now forces them to be more
diligent on the financial
side.
“Through all of this,
solid systems are key
not only to operational
efficiency but also to being
legally and Sars-compliant
as well as competitive in
the marketplace,” said
Koekemoer. “Systems for
their own sake do not work.
Many electronic solutions
tend to be inherently
complex and have the
opposite effect to what
they set out to achieve.
We strive to always fully
understand the environment
in which our systems are
deployed in order to advise
on best practices.”
According to Koekemoer,
it is about implementing
solutions that are tailormade,
but also streamlined
and optimised for highvolume
processing,
avoiding duplication of
effort.
“It is about developing
and offering “out-ofthe-
box” interfaces into
mainstream accounting
systems – such as the
various versions of Pastel
and AccPac, as well as
building custom integration
solutions for our corporate
customers into systems like
SAGE as well as other ERP
or in-house systems they
may be operating.”
According to Koekemoer,
the Customs Modernisation
Programme has also gone
a long way to ensuring
“compliance awareness”
throughout the entire
industry, and though there
is much work still to be
done, the message has
become clear that illicit
trade will not be tolerated.
“Through the systems
in place, these trade deals
will also come to the fore
more readily. It is therefore
important for companies to
look at their systems and
ensure they have the right
package for their needs.”
He said in terms of the
Customs Modernisation
Programme, the
implementation of
electronic submission of
supporting documents in
June this year had brought
immediate benefits to both
trade and Sars. “There have
been huge savings in terms
of time and fuel when
considering the traditional
messenger-delivery method
of supporting documents,”
said Koekemoer.