Many things have changed since I entered the logistics industry in the mid-1990s. There was no conceptual thinking and designing. Transport documents were still on paper with here and there an exception, namely integrators that started to offer EDI. Tracking and tracing, also driven by integrators, became known, but as a gadget and not really as a tool. Customs was still seen as a watchdog and a policeman. If you thought about trade facilitation, you did not necessarily think about Customs.
I was introduced to the Belgian Shippers’ Council in the 2000s; this council defends the interests of companies in trade and industry that make use of transport providers. Only then did I realize that the rules of the game I had been playing the previous 10 years were to a great degree determined by governments, institutions, and associations linked with transport modes and occasionally a “shippers association.” But the term “partnership“ was still a rather dirty word. The conclusion was quickly made: Shippers should raise their voice to keep their goods flowing at a higher speed, with acceptable costs and excellent quality.
Today, partnership is no longer a dirty word. “Track and trace“ is part of vital supply chain visibility. Authorized economic operators have given the clear sign that Customs recognizes a trade lane should be similar to a highway: speedy, without traffic lights, but still safe and secure for all involved. And shippers have been raising their voices.
Views on how supply chains should work could come together in a goods flow where both the interests of lawmakers and law enforcement and the objectives (KPIs) of trade and industry are met. And with the help of information and communications technology, time will tell that it isn’t just theory. Just as in relay races, it will take serious effort to make a project, named CORE, a winner. Every participant will not only have to prepare his own part of the race, but also the handover part. And when all participate with the goal to win the gold medal as a team, it will become reality.
Nik Delmeire, Secretary General, European Shippers’ Council