Brexit and E-Max ERP & RM6 – what you need to know
The E-Max team has been working closely with UK trade organisations in the run-up to the UK’s exit from the EU. Below we outline some of the updates being made to our ERP and MRP systems to ensure those of our customers who currently or plan to trade with EU member states are in the best possible position for the changes 2021 will bring. Our team is also available to help with questions and guidance on these essential updates.
What can we expect?
The UK now has customs borders with mainland Europe, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This will mean significantly more paperwork for import and export declarations, and charges for goods passing both into and out of the United Kingdom, as well as taxes, duties, tariffs and import VAT. Companies that trade with the EU should expect an increase in both the time and money spent completing this extra documentation.
Additional details will need to be captured so that new tariffs and taxes can be accurately levied. VAT returns will also need to include new information. Recording the Country of Origin for every component, item or raw material will be critical as this, more than any other data, dictates what charges will be levied.
Our aim is to allow our customers to capture this information easily as part of a standard process and make it accessible when required.
Updates to E-Max ERP and E-Max RM6
Companies that import or export to the EU will need to record certain data so that it can be included on invoices and delivery notes. We have updated our software to permit capture and use of the following:
• Inco Terms (including destination and version)
• Weights (including gross, net, etc)
• EORI Number
• Country of Origin
• Commodity Codes
We are also redesigning our Delivery Notes and Sales/Commercial Invoices so that this information can automatically be displayed on these. Although not mandatory to include this information on each of these documents, our research and advice from external parties suggests that this should be best practice activity.
Country of Origin (CoO) upgrades:
Defining Country of Origin will be a major requirement when trading with the EU. This is already a key field within E-Max software. From January 2021, we will be further integrating Country of Origin data into other areas of the system, ie on stock lots and batches. Not only will CoO be visible on stock records, we are introducing a Product Origin by % calculation to display the Countries of Origin by percentage for manufactured parts.
Moving forward
As the dust settles on this deal, there will be further changes to our software required. These include the creation of any specific fields for data required for imports into the EU on Delivery Notes, Sales or Commercial Invoices. These updates will be implemented imminently.
We are also developing the BOM calculator to enable you to work out the forecasted UK/EU content on an item and select different suppliers or sub contractors to meet the planned local content. When this is done at planning stage, the information generated can help identify any cost implications for the product and allow you to review this against the calculated profit margin.
Whilst this is a time of uncertainty for any business involved in importing or exporting goods or products to the EU, using E-Max software will put your company in a stronger position to respond to these new rules and regulations than many of your competitors:
– Your data is already centralised and easily accessed
– New fields are available to capture the additional information likely to be required in future
– Our import features mean that you can use Excel spreadsheets to easily import default Country of Origin Codes per supplier or per item, Inco terms, commodity codes, etc.
Now that a final agreement is reached, we advise you to review any changes that you may need to make to your existing processes and speak with us or make an enquiry as to how you can streamline these new activities using E-Max software. We’ll be happy to help.