Many purchases of imports or import and export business for the staff, will complain about the import of raw materials and products for a long period.  But when you ask them why such a long time, the answer is far too simple.  Is often said, importers, foreign manufacturers or freight is saying this.  Which allows us to reduce a perfunctory or evade the import channel of the power or opportunity to improve.  Figure 5 shows a typical flow of international freight imports.

In many cases, information or documents are lagging behind the actual work in the supply chain steps.  Like many foreign firms in order to later, often passively wait, especially after such goods reach the port of freight or the carrier several days by the arrival notice.  This is possible due to freight forwarding company will or the carrier’s service quality is poor, but nothing more.  In fact, we are here to be more pro-active approach:

First, by understanding the entire process, require the relevant service providers to provide timely and accurate information.  So in a timely manner, not only refers to the completion of each step until after the communication, but as far as possible the services required channels and suppliers to provide in advance of the forecast.  Such as customs handling, more traditional approach is to wait until after the arrival of the goods, freight forwarders or carriers obtained from the related documents (packing list and commercial invoice, etc.) before starting the action declaration.  As a result, sometimes as document delivery or the wrong document processing time delay correction of the declaration of the time, inevitably produce additional storage costs (many of the carriers and freight forwarders typically offer free storage of the time) and for delayed payment .  A better solution should be, before the goods had arrived there from the consignor to obtain relevant documents, so that the declaration of the action is more calm.

 Second, the interface of each step of the plan in advance so tight (even schedule), while the responsibility of the parties which clearly pre-determined.

Third, all participants in the supply channel common compression cycle time, until the supplier’s production cycle.  On the international freight (especially import business) cycle time control is very important.  Because of its cycle is generally longer, instability of correspondingly increased.

According to the previous product and raw material inventory control most of the article, we know that the longer cycle and excessive volatility, making our supply chain inventory levels in the design, the cycle had to consider setting a higher stock and safety stock.  Otherwise, we will have to reduce the supply channels of the expected service quality.  This will inevitably result in frequent shortages of goods. In resolving these issues, the present greater use of e-commerce, bonded warehouse and supply center (Supply Center) and other new tools and concepts.