For ages, the exporters relied on paper-based documentation procedures in order to prepare or obtain necessary trade documents. With the advent of the internet and debut of trade software tools, exporters are making a transition to electronic documentation. So, what exactly does it mean? The process of electronically preparing or obtaining export documents makes things extremely convenient in many possible ways. Find out how it happens and why your export business needs to adopt this transition at the earliest.
One of the biggest roadblocks on the way to smooth export documentation is the failure to adhere to the trade norms, both the national and international ones. When you follow the traditional process, you need to refer to various resources that may provide conflicting or outdated information. With a trade software, you always keep up-to-date about the latest trade regulations set at various levels. As a result, the electronic documents have negligible chances of violations and you never fail to stick to the expected standards.
As an exporter, you need to share information about each consignment with a number of parties. For example, you must convey the information to stevedores via pre-receival advice regarding details of the goods being exported. If you are exporting plant produce, you must specify the quantity, quality, required storage temperature etc. so that your goods reach the destination safely. By keeping the information centralized using electronic documentation tools, you always share information with each of the involved parties without any ambiguities.
In addition to share information without any ambiguity, it is equally important that it is communicated at the right speed and on time. Taking the example of communicating with the stevedores, it is important to send information without any delays in order to get container acceptance clearance immediately. The software you use for documentation can take care of this as well. You would experience better trade relations with all the parties by adopting electronic communication through a responsive trade tool.
It is easy to understand that electronic document preparation would consume a lesser amount of time as compared to the conventional process. You don’t need to prepare any paper document by hand but simply apply online to the designated department. The document-approving authorities also use state-of-the-art electronic interfaces to verify and approve the document requests. Moreover, you can receive important documents electronically and print them right in your office.
You can easily compare the costs incurred in preparing the documents manually and those charged when you apply online. For example, if you request stamping of a certificate of origin from a Chamber of Commerce electronically, the chamber would charge you less than the cost you would be paying when applying offline. In addition, the electronic process eliminates the possible human errors that are usually costly and damaging for the export businesses.
By choosing a cloud trade software for electronic documentation, you can further add value to each of these advantages. You should consider it as an investment with great returns in the long term.