cs near north.pdf

CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

Near North Customs Brokers, Inc.

Updating Existing Technology with Descartes

NEAR NORTH CUSTOMS BROKERS

Near North Customs Brokers, Inc. is an expanding North American customs broker, international freight forwarder, and trade consultant headquartered in Ontario, Canada. The company is committed to providing world-class service using innovative technology such as Descartes Canadian Customs Brokerage solution.

Patrick Plourde

Sudbury Branch Lead
Near North Customs Brokers, Inc.

“As a technology innovator, Descartes worked to help us implement and test Canadian ACI security filing technology to benefit our operations. We worked closely with Descartes to ensure a seamless filing with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). As a result, we no longer had to rekey information which improved our efficiency and overall performance.”

Company Profile

Near North Customs Brokers, Inc.

Descartes Solutions

Near North Customs Brokers provides tailored customs brokerage, trade consulting, and freight-forwarding services in Canada and the United States. With more than 30 years of experience, Near North continues to invest in the knowledge and expertise through ongoing training and a commitment to stay current on all changes in the industry.

About the Client

Near North Customs Brokers provides

Quick Overview

Challenge

Decentralized Business Systems Hindering Efficiency

Solution

Improved Efficiency and Overall Performance

Results

Challenge: Decentralized Business Systems Hindering Efficiency

“As we have grown in size, our portfolio has expanded across a broad range of service offerings and business niches. This set the foundation to provide a more comprehensive level of service that our customers expect in today’s competitive marketplace,” said Patrick Plourde, Sudbury Branch Lead at Near North Customs Brokers, Inc. “One of the core challenges we faced was unifying our business on a common platform to be more agile and to operate our business more efficiently. We knew that we needed to move to a centralized system to better manage operations.”

Switching technology platforms can be challenging since many systems can become interdependent and difficult to separate. “In addition, there was some functionality, such as Canadian Advance Commercial Information (ACI) filing for trucks, that needed to be fully explored in order to fully switch platforms,” explained Plourde.

Solution: Improved Efficiency and Overall Performance

Descartes worked with Near North to implement and expand the technology for Canadian ACI security filings and to help them be compliant with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) regulations. To ensure a smooth transition, Descartes provided support during both implementation and the testing phase to minimize disruptions and maximize productivity. In adopting Descartes’ Canadian Customs Brokerage solution, Near North developed a clear path forward with future growth in mind. A roadmap was created to migrate the legacy platforms into one system and integrate added carriers for Canadian ACI compliance. This collaboration has not only improved day-to-day operational performance but has positioned Near North for continued growth and profitability.

“As a company that grows through targeted acquisitions, we also now have a roadmap to move legacy platforms to the Descartes Canadian Customs Brokerage solution and to add on additional carriers for Canadian ACI. With Descartes, we have a pathway for growth to boost our bottom line,” noted Plourde.

Results:

Path for Expansion

With a roadmap in place to integrate acquired companies on a centralized technology, it is easier to standardize business processes.

Added Services

Near North Customs Brokers ended the need to rekey Canadian ACI information into existing platforms.