CLEARING SUPPORT Services is making strong inroads into providing importers with more simplified e-commerce solutions for bills of entry.
The industry as a whole has been more involved in sorting out bills of lading for exporters which is understandable with exports outstripping imports in trade volumes, says managing director Roger Shaw.
What we have found is that there are a number of smaller, less sophisticated clients busy in the import field where the cost of being on a regular information supply system is not always financially beneficial.
You'll get a client who may have 20 to 30 bills of entry in one month and then only one or two the next. Paying a monthly fee is not always a viable proposition, so we have designed a new prototype for bills of entry on the internet designed for the small agents.
With bills of entry we can integrate easily into tracking facilities which shipping lines and airlines can provide. We've always realised that track and trace information is not something we can provide, as this comes from the carriers. But our expertise lies in handling all bills and we can now integrate directly with overseas sources for all the information necessary. With this service, bill of entry clients pay per entry and not on the basis of a flat monthly fee.
Shaw has also revealed plans for new developments in the early part of 2001, particularly with centralised accounts where branches can produce invoices.
We are about to launch this type of information, he says. We aim to transport it seamlessly whereas the present operation is prone to manual intervention.
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