News | March 25, 2009

Descartes Customers Leading The Way With '10+2' Importer Security Filing Success

Descartes Evolution 2009 User Group Conference — Descartes Systems Group, a global on-demand software-as-a-service (SaaS) logistics solutions provider, announced that its more than 200 Importer Security Filing (ISF) "10+2" customers are making the new filing with U.S. Customs & Border Security (CBP) at an accuracy rate close to 99% - significantly higher than the overall rate of approximately 85% recently reported by CBP.

These results were announced by Descartes' ISF "10+2" working group, a customer subcommittee of Descartes' Customs Advisory Council. This working group was formed in response to CBP's new ISF "10+2" rule that requires importers to provide CBP with 10 data elements about ocean shipments inbound to the U.S. at least 24 hours prior to vessel departure, and ocean carriers to provide 2 data messages at least 48 hours prior to vessel departure.

Descartes' ISF "10+2" customer working group works with Descartes to enrich the Descartes ISF service, offer industry insight into adoption and roll-out, and communicate with government representatives to better understand and normalize compliance requirements for smoother adoption.

The Descartes ISF Service offers importers, customs brokers, carriers, freight forwarders, NVOCCs and shippers a comprehensive solution to help them make the new ISF filing. To accommodate customers' varying technical capabilities, Descartes offers options that range from a user-friendly Web solution that permits manual entry of data information, to a tightly integrated system-to-system electronic data interchange (EDI) connection. Regardless of the option chosen, Descartes ISF Service submits required data information electronically to CBP and gathers the status of that filing in real-time streamlining the process and ultimately improving productivity and ensuring compliance.

"At Descartes we strive to enhance our Global Logistics Network and help our customers be prepared for new regulations," said Ed Ryan, Executive Vice President, Global Field Operations at Descartes. "Our customers have come together with Descartes through this "10+2" working group to standardize business processes and ensure that we deliver solutions to improve their ability to manage shipments while complying with this and future regulations."

About 2009 Descartes Global User Conference
On March 24, 25 and 26, 2009, Descartes will host its Global User Conference and Global Logistics and Customs Advisory Council meetings in Atlanta, Georgia. Details on the events can be found at www.descartes.com/usergroup. The primary sponsors for the event are Xata, Avocus Group, BSM Wireless, CombineNet, Intermec, Motorola, Navteq, NationLink Wireless, SMC3, TeleAtlas, Telogis, Turnpike Global Technologies, and Viewnyx. Descartes customers speaking at the event include the Vice President of Engineering at DHL Express, as well as spokespersons from CVS/Pharmacy, Delta Cargo, The Home Depot, Ideal Supply, Panalpina and others. Samuel Banks, Executive Vice President of Sandler & Travis Trade Advisory Services and retired Deputy Commissioner of US Customs will also be speaking at the event covering key issues and strategic global trends for international trade, customs and public health/safety agencies.

About Descartes
Descartes, is making the world a better place by enabling global organizations with logistics-intensive businesses to save money by improving the productivity and performance of their operations. Underlying Descartes' offerings is the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN), one of the world's most extensive multi-modal business applications network. As a federated software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, the Descartes GLN combines with component-based ‘nano' sized applications to provide messaging services between logistics trading partners, shipment management services to help manage third party carriers and private fleet management services for organizations of all sizes. Descartes' solutions and services deliver results by enabling organizations around the world to reduce administrative costs, billing cycles, fleet size, contract carrier costs, and mileage driven; improve pick up and delivery reliability; and optimize working capital through fleet visibility. Descartes' hosted, transactional and packaged solutions deliver repeatable, measurable results and fast time-to-value. Descartes customers include an estimated 1,600 ground carriers and more than 90 airlines, 30 ocean carriers, 900 freight forwarders and third-party providers of logistics services, and hundreds of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, private fleet owners and regulatory agencies. The company has more than 350 employees and is based in Waterloo, Ontario, with operations in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Montreal, Miami, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Derby, London, Stockholm, Shanghai, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.descartes.com.

SOURCE: Descartes Systems Group