GTIN: The Next Standardization?

The Product Information Committee (PIC), a subdivision of the International Trade Data System (ITDS), has recommended a method to obtain more precise product classification and description information. The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) has been proposed to help identify any product or service that can be priced, ordered or invoiced at any point in the supply chain, enabling other government agencies (OGAs) as well as consumers to quickly identify the data elements surrounding a specific product. This information would be captured in the Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN), a network of certified data pools that enable product information to be captured and exchanged in a secure environment conforming to global standards. The following are some proposed benefits that surround this idea of the GTIN standardized identification system:

• Faster cargo release
• Cheaper importation costs, as only those high risk GTINs will be detained
• Better cargo management as OGA’s target inspections on high risk products

Although the next steps are to move to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regarding the proposed GTIN, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already incorporated the GTIN for healthcare with enforcement beginning in 2012. It is anticipated that other organizations and agencies will soon follow.

With the new proposal of the GTIN, organizations involved in the global trade industry should consider moving toward automation. An electronic global database, with the ability to store multiple data elements and identification numbers will become more advantageous as new regulations and enactments become enforced. With the influx of individual standardized systems along with the various entities involved in a supply chain, more information will be required with each transaction, further illustrating the necessity of a global classification database that will encompass all data elements.

Closing the Loop with Entry Visibility

Managing the import process requires visibility into the entire importing process especially when it comes to entry validation. Companies need to be able to validate 100% of their entries 100% of the time to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements around the globe. But how can companies validate entries without spending an inordinate amount of time and resources?

The white paper “Closing the Loop with Entry Visibility” does an excellent job of explaining the challenges companies face in their importing process, how closing the loop by validating entries and facilitating a post-entry amendment process can greatly increase compliance as well as provide bottom-line savings.

Click here to download this entry visibility white paper and learn how your organization can start closing the loop and saving money.

You Can’t Do Global Compliance and Security By Hand

“I can't see supply chain professionals effectively managing global trade processes in a manual environment any longer,” says Rennie Alston, president of American River International, a logistics services provider. Time was that moving cargo cost effectively, timely and safely was your only concern, but not any more. Security rules and regulations mandated by various government agencies make compliance management a requirement for any company today. That calls for senior management buy-in, education and training, assessing your internal policies, breaking down silos in your organization and ensuring that your providers are complementing your efforts, Alston says. Automation is the key.



To view the article and video interview, visit SupplyChainBrain at http://www.supplychainbrain.com/content/nc/logisticstransportation/global-trade-management/single-article-page/article/you-cant-do-global-compliance-and-security-by-hand/