Becoming the smartest airport: An update on the Compliance Checker
Just over a year ago, we introduced our online Compliance Checker to the world at TIACA’s Air Cargo Forum in Paris. Developed by Cargonaut, the customs tool has been facilitating export customs procedures at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol by automatically analysing the content and format of declarations to predict any issues. This way, non-compliant shipments are detected before reaching customs, instead of being put on hold, or fined at import customs at their destination.
The Compliance Checker is part of our Smart Cargo Mainport Program (SCMP), our plan for becoming a smarter airport through digitalisation. Founding partner Air France-KLM (AFKLM) has now completely integrated the Checker into its internal e-acceptance app, granting its warehousing and handling staff constant access to live Customs data, and allowing the airline to speed up its compliance procedures without compromising on quality.
Update on the pilot
‘The pilot stage is complete and the Compliance Checker interface is now fully integrated into our own app via API’ explains Bart Krol, Project Manager at KLM, which was the first company to test the tool.
‘The Compliance Checker supports us with all kinds of compliance issues and it has been especially useful with exports to the US,’ he says.
As things progress with AFKLM, we are excited to also announce that one of the community members preparing to join the pilot program is an international forwarder, meaning that reliability of shared information will be guaranteed from even earlier in the chain!
US imports, as well as several other Customs regimes, have a different set of requirements, and the Compliance Checker provides full support on this.
What can the Compliance Checker do?
‘Staff feedback on using the Compliance Checker has been overwhelmingly positive. It is more efficient, and identifies errors at a much earlier stage, meaning we have more time to address and correct any arising issues. Our e-acceptance app has been up and running for a couple of months now, and was officially showcased at IATA’s e-cargo conference in September, where we provided the audience a quick overview of what it can do. Having the Compliance Checker directly integrated into it has provided extra critical functionality.’
At AFKLM, there is a dedicated team constantly adding new functionality to the app, and a training programme is in place to support staff with using the new app.
What is new?
So, can the Compliance Checker do anything new? We asked SCMP Programme Manager Teunis Steenbeek.
‘Never one to stand still – the team has integrated address information to the live data, meaning it will alert to errors on the final delivery location. Further extensions are being prepared, and there will be more exciting news from the team soon.’
‘We are very positive about this stage of process change,’ said Bart.
‘Our main objective is higher quality of compliance, and we are already seeing this effect.’
Check back soon to hear more from our new partners, and their experiences on using the Compliance Checker.