|
by Lauren Gibbons Paul, Contributing Editor   | Abstract: | In the aftermath of 9/11, many manufacturers are struggling with high costs and process disruptions resulting from the need to comply with increasing export regulations. That's especially true of manufacturers like Anritsu Company Inc. that make so-called dual-use products that could potentially be used in terror devices. In order to cut compliance costs, streamline order shipments, and reduce risk, Anritsu has since 2000 been progressively automating its trade management processes. As a result, the company has been able to substantially reduce the number of employees needed to manage trade compliance while reducing risk. |
 For manufacturers that sell goods outside U.S. borders, complying with governmental regulations that prohibit selling to a restricted party or for a restricted use can be a heavy burden. Each company must weigh the risk of violating regulations against the need to have an efficient, globally competitive supply chain. For companies selling products that could be used in weapons of mass destruction, achieving equilibrium is trickier still. If your product should fall into the wrong hands, the outcome could range from simple bad publicity to exorbitant penalties to a terrorist act. These manufacturers must automate the screening of orders and customers to have any hope of surviving the onslaught of regulations created by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security post-9/11. Take electronics test and measurement equipment maker Anritsu Company Inc., for example. Even before the disaster of 9/11, the subsidiary of $776 million, Japan-based Anritsu Corp. was struggling to comply with a growing list of trade regulations. With largely manual trade management processes, the company was forced to hire scores of employees to keep orders moving. Even then, customer shipments were sometimes delayed. [Click to continue] |