ACSS Articles
Member Profile - Charles Barber
1. Can you describe your trade compliance journey?
My journey in trade compliance began in a small company providing logistics to numerous clients. Among other duties my major exposure to all things trade compliance came as the “implant” working on-site at customer locations dealing across numerous industries including Aid, FMCG and Turnkey Projects. This on-site presence expanded my knowledge into a range of so called “aligned” logistics tasks such as customs, export and sanctions controls and import management driven by the differing demands of individual business units in those companies.
I suspect this shaped my career as I spent much of my time trying to figure out these complex areas and over time became more expert; ultimately plotting these aspects into a simple supply chain, and starting to determine, when the specific trade compliance element needed to be done, who needed it to be part of their role in the different business units and functions, how to explain, teach and motivate so that the requirement stuck, became win-win and part of the day-job in that particular business unit. Essentially making the complex the norm in the business’ supply chains. This implementation to day-to-day challenges soon became process documents and then moved to the strategic in determining the company position through the creation of a business program; the policy(s), people, training, audit, systems, etc.
This activity further developed my skills as it pulled me into procurement, with a US$200M spend, the rationalisation of 3rd party providers and changing Incoterms from a DDP to an FCA position, providing significant cost reduction and visibility on supply. This also changed the trade compliance tasks, exposing me to US export, re-export, de-minimis, deemed persons and a raft of other “interesting” aspects, to input into my supply chain visibility, in terms of owners, timing, benefit, risk, etc. A pressurised environment with multi-million $ contracts and significant penalties.
I then moved again, rounding out my trade compliance experience, handling more and being exposed to more issues in contractual and strategic terms and building out regional and global teams, traveling, dealing with different cultures, people, their approach, mergers and acquisition and an increasing focus to strategic management, planning and efficiencies to ensure that trade compliance was present in the business thinking.
Such experiences take you through many parts of your own, and your suppliers/clients, 3rd parties, organizations. I learned to listen, make mistakes and study how to do things better, and accept that this space in which I found myself working would remain interesting and encourage me to question. My simple drawing of a line on a board – my basic supply chain, was getting busier containing subject, cause, owner, and consequence.
2. How do you use your experiences today?
Technical awareness, understanding how the company wants to position itself through policy, its strategic position, and recognising the challenge that may give individual parts of the company, especially when the legislation allows what the policy prohibits, is an experience in listening, diplomacy, and patient clarification, through discussion and training.
Soft skills are vitally important; those challenging or seeking something the company or law prohibits are, usually, just focusing on their core activity; clear messaging on how the policy and/or law fits their piece of the overall company is important. It is key to have corporate training on trade compliance, to have policy, systems, a program, and good people, but equally important to implementation is to explain to each function what their role is in this area, what pieces of the trade compliance puzzle fit their role and that if they make that part of their day job then they will positively engage and support the overall compliance position of their company.
As I have worked through problems, teamed with colleagues to address issues, worked with authorities to enhance and defend positions, I worked in other areas, such as contractual language, clauses, indemnities, using all my experiences to create language that truly had the effect required for the business I was in and then exploring overall contracts to see if other language might undermine the intent of the trade compliance piece.
Of course, greater efficiencies, speed, etc., can be found by utilising systems and having worked through implementations for export, sanctions, import, controls, denied party screening, customs, knowing how the supply chain and trade compliance fit together, certainly helps ensure the system can deliver what is expected.
The amount and availability of information out in the universe today is of course a major source for help, perspective, and in some cases challenge. I stay actively engaged with industry groups like Association of Certified Sanctions Specialists (ACSS), who provide excellent information, quickly, on what today is a very dynamic space. Their clear communication and deep expertise help demystify complex regulatory issues, making it easier to stay ahead of the curve.
I still come back to that simple supply chain line drawn on a board with the elements of trade compliance added; it still works, it just has more elements, more specific timing, accountabilities; it’s much busier today but the basic concept of ensuring the strategic is in place in policy, etc., but equally each part of the organization is responsible for its piece of trade compliance as a part of its activity ensures that implementation, or where the “rubber hits the road” as an old boss of mine quoted (several times), usually supports a successful program. So, this is a good basis but of course now we have pre and post work to consider in supply chains and from a data and compliance perspective this is increasing.
3. What is next…
In conclusion, my career in trade compliance has been one of continuous learning and adaptation. From the early days of simple processes, quietly done, to today’s complexity encompassing many different areas in reaching solutions, the space has evolved significantly, and I am excited to see where it goes next.
Please check me out on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbarber and if you have any roles, or know of contacts that do, where I could help you, I would be pleased to hear from you, if not and you still wish to connect then please do.
Finally, my sincere thanks to ACSS for allowing me to share here. It was great to meet up at the recent event in London in July and I am looking forward to the next one. If you have a chapter in your city/location I recommend getting involved.