departments within each company often manage imports and exports using
processes and tools that are not necessarily compatible company wide.
Doing this is a recipe for disorder, inefficiency, and mistakes. The best way
to handle importing and exporting is to create a central repository for all of
your global trade data and standardize on best practices for global trade.
Make Sure You Can Trust Your Partners ...................................................
You might spend months centralizing your efforts and setting up the perfect
global trade system, but your hard work can easily be compromised by the
companies to which you outsource key importing and exporting tasks. A
law firm might misclassify your product or a customs broker might not file
import documents properly. Choosing partners who are as committed to
excellence as you are is important. Check their background and research
their reputation before hiring them.
Avoid Importing Delays ...............................................................................
The old cliché is especially true when it comes to importing. Delays at
the border can have major costs. Goods may not arrive in time for the all-
important holiday shopping season. Parts arriving late can bring manufactur-
ing to a halt and the uncertainty of when goods will arrive means expensive
safety stock must be kept on hand. A clearly delineated importing plan is
the best way to stave off these border snags. The plan should feature a good
customs broker (if needed), a system for processing documents, classifying
goods, and clearing goods through Customs.
Get On Board with the Government’s
High-Tech Documenting Processes
The government is not usually known for its tech savvy, but one area where
it has made strides in the last decade or so is in importing and exporting
documentation. In fact, many trade documents are required to be filed
electronically with the U.S. government. Even though some companies have
shirked these new regulations, it’s critical to have a software system in place
to file these documents, rather than pay a third party an arm and a leg to
handle it for you.
306 Part V: The Part of Tens
