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strategicinsight SOURCING
To speed up the customs clearance process, Monaghan
urges companies manufacturing in Mexico to join the
Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), a
voluntary supply chain security program run by U.S.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP). (Essentially, C-TPAT members agree to police their own supply chains in
exchange for expedited clearance.) That applies to their
transportation partners as well. “Make sure to use carriers
that are C-TPAT certified as they can get across the border
faster,” Monaghan says. He also encourages companies to
make use of C-TPAT experts who can put together programs to ensure compliance.
Another way to ease border crossing headaches is to
use a qualified freight forwarder, customs broker, or
third-party logistics service provider. “There are several
cross-border agents that are good at handling the
required documentation and customs issues to facilitate
the crossing process,” says Malanga. He recommends
choosing agents that have existing alliances with transportation providers.
Help wanted!
The challenges associated with logistics operations in
Mexico aren’t limited to the mechanics of moving freight.
Another issue is staffing. Many companies have run into
difficulty recruiting and hiring qualified people to work in
operations south of the border. Although businesses can
usually find what they’re looking for in major cities like
Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, that’s not the
case in smaller cities, García says.
Companies unable to find local expertise may be able to
“import” talent. In certain cases, Mexico does allow businesses to bring in foreign workers, Monaghan says.
Otherwise, their best bet is to train and develop local talent, he says. Monaghan notes that online training can be a
good way to bring supply chain personnel up to speed
quickly.
A head start
Given the potential difficulties, the experts interviewed for
this article urge companies planning a move to Mexico to
begin working out the details well in advance. García of
Teleperformance recommends the team approach—
establishing a core project team that includes both company
executives and local experts to oversee the transition. “In
my personal experience, the best practice is to hire the local
key players months ahead of the go-live and send them to
the home country for training,” he says.
Whether a company chooses to form a team or not, the
important thing is to set up its own “infrastructure” of
transportation and logistics partners as well as qualified
local personnel. “It’s not like you can find a factory in
Mexico and start shipping,” says Monaghan. “You need to
do your homework. It’s not a decision to be made without
understanding all that’s involved.”
