TRG Direct Self-Filer, Atalanta Corporation, Achieves 99% Level of Importer Security Filing (10+2) Compliance in Less Than 3 Months

Bozeman, MT (PRWEB) November 18, 2009

Atalanta Corporation, a leading importer of processed foods, has achieved virtually flawless electronic filing with U.S. Customs Importer Security Filing (10+2) regulations within 3 months of initiating its project. Implementing ISF software solutions by TRG Direct and Blinco Systems Inc has grouped the company in the top 10% of importers filing ISF.

In late November 2008, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released its final interim ruling entitled “Importer Security Filing and Additional Carrier Requirements”, ISF/10+2, in the Federal Register. The interim final rule requires both importers and carriers to submit additional information pertaining to cargo for import into the United States, to CBP 24 hours prior to the goods being laded for the U.S.

Atalanta imports foods from over 50 countries and every continent, and relies on global supplies for over 80% of its volume and revenue. The most pressing challenge for Atalanta from the regulations was the possibility of supply chain disruption due to CBP non-compliance. The failure to comply would significantly impact the profitability of ­the organization. The inability to be assured of Importer Security Filing compliance would result in Atalanta having to carry additional safety stock to insure supply continuity with its customers.

With upwards of 1000 shipments to manage at any given time, Atalanta’s international logistics group could not confidently assure management that they had a fail-safe way to insure that the information required to be filed would be available well within the time frame necessary to meet the CBP filing requirements. The sheer volume of additional administrative burden required for tracking the required supplier ISF/10+2 details provided a significant tertiary challenge.

Atalanta’s Importer Security Filing Solution

Shortly after completing its internal analysis in late February 2009, the Atalanta team reached out to its enterprise solution provider, Blinco Systems Inc. and its hosted custom’s filing provider TRG Direct, to become part of the solutions design and implementation team. As the enterprise solution provider, Blinco Systems Inc. quickly affirmed that its 3rdwave GCM (Global Commerce Management) solution was able to provide the infrastructure required to meet all the challenges faced by Atalanta in meeting the ISF/10+2 regulations and filing requirements. Once the ISF/10+2 details began populating the 3rdwave GCM database, Atalanta’s IT group coordinated the efforts of integrating the electronic feeds between 3rdwave GCM and the TRG Direct ABI system. With minor modifications to the TRG Direct ABI system, Atalanta was able to begin completely integrated ISF/10+2 test filings with customs by the middle of June.

“The integration of BSI’s 3rdwave GCM solution with TRG Direct’s ABI self-filing solution (http://www.trgdirect.com) was almost flawless in its execution and for an IT project, very easy to achieve,” stated John McClennan, Direct of IT for Atalanta.

Atalanta has met all the compliance challenges that were presented by the mandatory requirements of the CBP ISF/10+2 regulations. Equally important, they were able to meet these challenges with a minimum of effort and cost. As of the middle of July 2009, Atalanta met the requirements of the Importer Security Filing and was told by customs that they were in the top 10% of all companies currently submitting filings. The accuracy level of their filings is exceptionally high.

Regulatory compliance is generally viewed as a cost and potential business disruptor. By systematizing the processes to manage the ISF/10+2 regulatory requirements, Atalanta is able to assure ISF/10+2 compliance and meet their business requirements without incurring unnecessary cost. Atalanta knows with confidence that its international business will not be disrupted by regulatory challenges. Compliance Officer Charlie Gabbert said, ”Having a solution that enables me 99% ISF pass rate at minimal cost allows me to sleep easier at night.”

About the companies:

Atalanta

For more than sixty years, Atalanta has been a driving force in food importing and international trading. Today, with robust sales that exceed $500 million annually, Atalanta has a presence on three continents and agents in every major commerce center in the world.

Atalanta is actually two companies: a leading food importer headquartered in the USA with an executive sales force that reaches deep into the American marketplace; and an international trading company with equity partnerships in local trading companies around the world, forming a synergistic worldwide trading web that efficiently marries buyers and sellers across national frontiers. Atalanta's trading partnerships assure an uninterrupted supply of product. The technical expertise it provides to suppliers assures that those products are always of the best quality. And its exclusive sales force means that products move into the hands of buyers quickly meeting the demands of the marketplace. http://www.atalantacorporation.com/index.asp

TRG Direct

TRG Direct is an importer direct-filing service. Over the past few years TRG Direct has become the fastest-growing Web-based solution for filing Customs entries in-house. TRG Direct provides a compliance-based solution that allows importers of various sizes to save thousands of dollars annually in outsourcing fees. Even though savings has been a significant factor in the decision for many importers to direct file, the increased supply chain visibility and U.S. Customs compliance are known to be two of the greatest benefits of TRG Direct. The company offers solutions for both customs entry and Importer Security Filing self-filing.

Blinco Systems Inc.

Blinco Systems Inc. (BSI) is a leading developer of 3rdwave enterprise solutions for organizations that source globally and manage non-asset-based manufacturing operations. From its inception, BSI has focused on enabling companies that source and manufacture globally to deliver orders that meet or exceed their customers' expectations BSI provides solutions that synchronize control over the entire supply chain -­from your suppliers' suppliers to your customers' customers --through totally integrated execution, compliance, costing, visibility and financial tools. http://www.blinco.com/

Contact:
Jena Leary
TRG Direct
Marketing Coordinator
847-756-7553

###