The UK is set to execute the Brexit plan by January 2021. However, the government’s IT systems are still in the development stage and may not be ready by the time the clock strikes, to open the borders with new rules.
The UK government officials are continuously working to prevent the border crisis when the country leaves the European Union trade. In four months, the country’s Brexit transition period will expire. This is worrying officials and businesses across the UK, as the government IT systems are still not ready. Also, there is a fear that the systems may not be ready in time.
Around 10,000 trucks pass across the ports such as Dover. These fleets supply and deliver goods ranging from fresh food to medicines to automotive parts. Also, about four-fifths of the food imported by the U.K. supermarkets comes from the EU. But after Brexit, the process for their smooth movement would be different.
There are the chances of glitches in the processes, which could cause chaos in the supply chains, increase jams at the ports, and inflict economic damage on the country, still shaken by the Coronavirus.
To prevent this from happening, the government has come with a web-portal solution known as Smart Freight System. This allows truckers to check whether they have necessary documents required to enter the EU, and a permit to their designated port.
“The success of the Smart Freight System will be determined by its capability to manage the swathes of data that run through the system.”, says Mike Kiersey, Principal Technologist, Boomi.
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He further adds, “Whilst the exact details are still somewhat unclear, it is certain that the system will need to be integrated with the relevant tax authorities to ensure a smooth passage. This will be a delicate process, and one that will depend on the digital ecosystem set in place, and the connectors at its core.”
To avoid the chaos which may arise due to the complications at borders, the government has asked the logistics industry representatives for help in this transition process. From Jan 1, there will be 10 new systems that haulage firms and freight forwarding companies will have to navigate. This complexity will be unmanageable and will have several duplications.
Therefore governments must-have metrics and measures in place that will help them to seamlessly integrate the new technology into the old IT systems. “A siloed approach will not work here with the need for access to real-time data.
Core legacy applications across government departments need to be open via APIs to enable emerging technologies to enter into the architecture, to help digitally capture information at the borders,” says Mike.
Governments and enterprises need to share the data that will help to integrate their process seamlessly. Collaboration between the industry and the government can significantly enhance and improve the process.
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Mike adds, “To ensure a single ‘track and trace’ view of freight, clean and trusted data must be captured into a single master data hub to record critical information. These systems need to be able to capture, prepare, and process the data within, to ensure swift processing times and avoid traffic deadlock.”
The freight industry wants the finalization of the Smart Freight System as early as possible. This will provide them with enough time to train their drivers and staff respectively. Implementing these systems early can help the government uncover the nuances hidden in the system and smoothen the Brexit transition process.
