Beyond the Single Window
2013-10-31
In the decades since the first Single Windows (SWs) opened in Singapore and Sweden, national SW implementations by Customs focused on simplifying the interactions of traders with government,
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ultimately achieving a single point and moment of interaction for data submission by traders and for clearance decisions by government. Building on the same skills as those required for SWs, leading Customs administrations have enhanced their border clearance operating model with four best practices: streamlined inter-agency workflow; account-based Customs practices; segmented clearance classes; and cross-functional intervention teams. This article suggests that by combining these four best practices with the traditional SW, a best practices operational model for collaborative border management (CBM) can be realized [Editor’s note: the WCO has adopted the term ‘Coordinated Border Management’ when referring to this approach].
Leigh H. Coen, Ziv Baida, Norbert Kouwenhoven