TNT Express choose conex for its customs operations

TNT Express France (part of the TNT Group) dispatches more than 310 000 packages each day. France’s, and indeed Europe’s, leading express transporter has decided to take care of its own customs clearance procedures, which had been previously outsourced. “It was a matter of reintroducing in-house customs skills to order to offer customers a better quality service,” explained François Darden, Customs Director for TNT Express France. Three main conditions were important for TNT.
Firstly, the service provider needed to have substantial knowledge of customs regulations and their evolution (a strong point at CONEX via its partner ED, Customs Encyclopaedia). Next, it needed to offer an IT system compatible with that of the customs agent, avoiding re-entering data. CONEX was able to interface well with TNT’s computer system. Finally, the service provider needed to prove itself as a long-term partner. CONEX answered all three criteria. With the Roissy platform becoming operational last Spring, in one year and two months TNT settled an innovative challenge of integrating customs clearance procedures with CONEX

At the time of integrating CONEX’s leading solutions for customs clearance of import and export merchandise, Tradin/Tradex, TNT requested that the customs software specialist develop a custom-made module: Fret express (express freight). In combining the experience of people on the ground at TNT with CONEX’s specialist IT developers, the resulting concept improves processing time. The key being a simplified apprenticeship.
Interfacing with the TNTQuantum database, used for tracking packages, CONEX has introduced immediate or deferred customs clearance, producing the customs declaration and the accounting document at the same time . With the CONEX solution, TNT also obtains supporting documents for import/export. Its main customers, who are exempt from taxes and duties, receive appropriate statements. CONEX has also provided a tool to stock supporting documents.

All the main players in international trade: companies, forwarding agents and software suppliers, face the prospect of the establishment of the overhauled customs computer system, DELTA (automatically transmitted electronic declaration) programmed to start from 1 January 2007. After consultation with its partners, French Customs set themselves a major goal: dematerialisation of the customs administration. “CONEX will take part in our meetings with the general direction of customs. TNT is an express delivery service. We must work permanently against the clock. If a package must be in the baggage hold of an aeroplane by 22.15, the new DELTA procedures must not in any way hinder us. They should contribute to the success of our customers,” affirms François Darden.

More about TNT Express France. TNT Express, France and Europe’s number one in business to business express delivery services, brings together three activities: National Express, International Express and Special Services. Boasting a network of 120 sites, TNT Express delivers more than 310 000 packages and documents everyday. TNT Express France had a turnover of 622 million euros in 2005 and today its staff numbers 4 600. TNT Express France belongs to the Group TNT, one of only four global integrators. The Group employs 128 000 people in more than 200 countries. Listed on the stock exchanges of Amsterdam, New York and Frankfort, its 2005 turnover totalled 10.1 billion euros. TNT is a partner of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). For more information, visit “our news” section on the TNT Website : : here