Customs authorities worldwide are embracing big data, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, with advanced analytical technologies taking the lead.
“This trend is also evident locally,” says Clifford Evans, customs liaison manager at Berry & Donaldson, emphasising its vital role in the day-to-day operations of the clearing and forwarding industry.
Besides Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) being the electronic communication system for declaration processing, eFiling has become the preferred communication platform with the South African Revenue Service (Sars) for several functions that have, until recently, been manual.
These include Registration Licensing and Accreditation (RLA), Advance Payment Notification (APN), Travel Declaration System, Automated Refunds and Drawbacks as well as an Automated AEO process.
Technology has become so prevalent that customs managers like Evans are experiencing minimal personal interaction with Sars officials, thanks to centralised email boxes, EDI and eFiling systems.
Renko Bergh, co-founder of CtrlFleet, estimates that more than half of customs authorities now use some combination of big data, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. “And those who do not currently use them have plans to do so in the future,” he tells Freight News.
- Read the rest here: "Technology is taking the lead, but it has its challenges."
