bachelorThesis
Digitalization of export documents as a paperless trade strategy implementation
Autor
Ballen Prada, Juan Sebastian
Ballen Prada
Institución
Resumen
The traffic department at Boston Scientific Kerkrade oversees all the documentation for domestic and international shipments. Currently, the department counts a considerable number of paper-based documents which can lead to multiple errors or issues in the shipment process. According to the theoretical investigation done the digitalization of paper-based processes would improve the process efficiency, increase the data accuracy and accessibility, boost the customs clearance process, and avoid losing track of information, among other advantages of the paperless trade. This concept was investigated along with its benefits and disadvantages to then analyze the current situation in order to create a solution to turn an actual process at Expediting into paperless for the end of 2022. Once investigated with the traffic team which was the current situation it was suggested by the Traffic coordinator the implementation of the Pick to Light system. An alternative to implementing a paperless trade at expediting, alternative was studied and discarded because the Expediting picking zone is not suitable for the characteristics required for the system implementation based on the literature review research. Aiming to implement paperless trade in the Traffic department it was reviewed all the procedures related to paper-based documents and it was found a clear room for improvement in the two major paper producer processes, which are the Sending the SAP list to expediting and the number of export documents produced for the international shipments. In the field research, it was contacted the stakeholders inquiring about the current situation and digitalization possibilities for export documents, also was researched the current requirements and restrictions for the digitalization of the SAP list at the expediting department. Once researched the possibilities, it was proposed two different scenarios regarding each solution were using specified criteria in a decision matrix it was concluded that the most suitable solution for BSC was the digitalization of export documents presenting an estimated cost of € 1,111.25 and providing the opportunity of saving around 31.227 paper sheets for the following 5 years along all the benefits of the paperless trade implementation.