How do you develop your import/export team?

1 Assess your needs

The first step to developing your import/export team is to assess your current and future needs. What are your goals, strategies, and plans for your import/export operations? What are the markets, products, and regulations that you deal with? How much volume, frequency, and complexity do you expect? Based on these factors, you can identify the gaps and opportunities in your existing team and determine the size, structure, and skills that you need.

2 Hire and train your staff

The next step is to hire and train your staff according to your needs. You may need to recruit new employees or outsource some functions, while providing ongoing training and development for current staff. The key roles and skills you may need in your import/export team include an import/export manager to oversee the entire process, an import/export coordinator to handle day-to-day operations, an import/export specialist with technical expertise, and an import/export analyst to collect and analyze data. The manager will coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, manage budgets and contracts, ensure compliance and quality standards, and resolve issues and risks. The coordinator will prepare and process documents and data, liaise with suppliers, customers, and transporters, track shipments, and report on performance. The specialist will provide support on specific aspects of operations such as customs clearance or tariff classification. Finally, the analyst will analyze markets, trends, opportunities, risks, best practices, and provide insights to improve efficiency, profitability, and competitiveness.

3 Define your roles and responsibilities

Once you have hired and trained your staff, you need to define their roles and responsibilities clearly and communicate them to everyone involved. You can use tools such as job descriptions, org charts, process maps, or RACI matrices to specify who does what, when, how, and why. This will help you avoid confusion, duplication, or gaps in your import/export operations and ensure accountability and transparency.

4 Establish your policies and procedures

Developing your import/export team requires establishing policies and procedures that guide your import/export operations. A comprehensive import/export policy should include a vision, mission, goals, principles, roles and responsibilities, compliance and quality standards, risk management, and performance measurement. Additionally, an import/export procedure should detail the steps, tasks, documents, and data needed for each import/export activity. Lastly, an import/export manual should provide instructions and guidelines on how to perform each procedure, including the roles and responsibilities, tools and systems, rules and regulations, and best practices that apply.

5 Foster your team culture

The final step to developing your import/export team is to foster a culture of collaboration, communication, and learning. To do this, create a shared vision and values that align with your organizational culture and strategy. Encourage teamwork and cooperation among import/export staff, across other departments, and provide feedback and recognition. Additionally, facilitate knowledge sharing opportunities such as mentoring, coaching, training, or networking. Lastly, solicit input from import/export staff and involve them in decision making and problem solving. Following these steps can help you develop your import/export team and enhance their performance and satisfaction. A strong import/export team can help you achieve goals and deliver value to customers and stakeholders.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?