Neutrality is an important aspect when choosing a
service provider. Exporters, traders and roasters will generally feel more
comfortable with a visibly neutral platform. They also prefer a legal framework
in which supply chain participants can communicate data and documents within a
closed community, yet within an open technology environment providing more
effective business processes throughout the supply chain.
Individual participants will continue needing to
keep data on their own servers and will strive to establish 'straight through
processes' to their particular customers. But over time communities served by
different providers will require cross-provider links between those networks.
Service suppliers to the trade who are active across multiple industries, such
as carriers, warehouses and banks, require access and transferability.
Both the open technology used and the transparency
of cross-provider transfer of data will eventually allow companies to interact
across borders and industries. Already several systems such as Bolero*,
Identrus** and GS1US*** collaborate and promote collaboration between supply
chain members, so they will seek similar connections between different
networks.
But obviously
such transactions must be handled through a provider or trustee who furnishes
depository services. That is to say, all those wishing to use electronic
transfer of original documents will have to be linked to a provider of
depository services, at least until individual providers can themselves be
linked to each other and carry out each other's deliveries, adhering to the
strictest standards of integrity and verification of the documentation.
The international banking community has been using
such protocols and systems for many years: SWIFT (Society for Worldwide
Interbank Financial Telecommunication) and CHIPS standards (Clearing House
Interbank Payments System). Today these systems handle approximately 95% of all
international dollar payments. Bolero and Identrus are based on similar
principles and are logical extensions of the original considerations that led to
SWIFT's formation.
SWIFT is one of the founders of Bolero and Identrus
and manages the technical operations of the Bolero system under contract, thus
linking Bolero directly into the international banking system. As at mid 2002, a
total of 197 countries were on-line with SWIFT. Over 7,000 live users transmit
well over a billion individual messages each year, at peak times more than 8
million messages in a single day. Details at www.swift.com.
* Bolero International, developers of an electronic
trade facilitation system originally known as Bill of Lading Europe - see www.bolero.net
** Identrus is a Certification Authority and Scheme
that enables digital signatures to be deployed by applications. SWIFT provides
network and interface services to Identrus. For more go to www.identrus.com.
*** GS1US, previously Transora (www.gs1us.org) is a supply chain standard development and information sharing platform, linking multiple sectors and businesses.