Despite the best assertions of musician, singer and songwriter, Bob Dorough, “three” is most definitely not “the magic number”. The magic number is, in fact, “one”.
Specifically, in relation to the “single window” concept, there should only really be one “single window”. The clue’s kinda there in the name. It’s the word “single”. It means “one”.
It does not mean three.
Not that you’d know it from the Australian authorities.
Why? Because Australia appears to be in the process of creating multiple single windows. Three, specifically. Having three single windows pretty much defeats the point of having a solo, unitary, single window.
What is a single window?
The mostly widely adopted definition of “single window” is found in Recommendation 33 of the United Nations “Recommendation and Guidelines on Establishing a Single Window to Enhance the Efficient Exchange of Information Between Trade and Government”. It was published by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business.
A single window is defined as “a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardized information and documents with a single entry point to fulfil all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements. If information is electronic, then individual data elements should only be submitted once“.
“Tell us once” is, or should be, the guiding philosophy of a single window. Not tell three different people the same information three different times. “Three” is not the magic number.
Think of a single window not so much as a “window” but more as a single “counter” to interact with government bodies.
Most interactions these days are done digitally. But back in ‘Ye Olde Days’ a person would go to a government building somewhere to fill out and file a bit of paperwork. He or she would then go to another government building somewhere else to do a similar thing, often providing the same information to a different government agency. He or she would then go somewhere else to another government building to do the same thing all over again… and again… and again…
Everyone got pretty fed up of that. So governments started creating one-stop-counters where a citizen could go to one counter to fill out and file multiple bits of paperwork at the same time.
Jump forward in time today and information technology offers the opportunity for the general public to remotely fill in one set of government forms with one set of information that, upon filing, simultaneously goes to all government departments that need it.
That prevents errors while preventing the erosion of everyone’s time, money, and sanity.
So this is what a “single window” is: it’s a digital one-stop-shop where the public (or, in this case, the maritime public) can fill in all their maritime forms once and then have it sent to all relevant government agencies.
Australia is investigating multiple single windows…
Unfortunately, three different government actors / bodies in Australia appear to be pursuing their own policies to build this important digital infrastructure.
The likely result is multiple single windows. At least three. Which, as you know, is not the magic number.
There’s a lesson to be drawn from the creation of physical infrastructure, specifically, the creation of the Australian railways. Back in the nineteenth century there were multiple different railway gauges. Passengers on the Melbourne-Sydney line had to change trains at Albury because Victorian trains could not run on NSW gauge and vice-versa. That situation lasted for near 100 years.
Political philosopher Karl Marx once wrote that “History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce…”
While we won’t go so far as to say that having to change trains at Albury was a tragedy, it’s hard to regard the creation of at least three single windows as anything other than a farce.
Who’s building what?
- Federal Government – Simplified Trade System Implementation Taskforce
- TfNSW – the Freight Community System
- Port Authority of NSW – OnePort
Simplified Trade System
The Federal Government has announced a new Simplified Trade System Implementation Taskforce that will review international trade regulations with the purpose of modernising outdated information and communications technology systems. The purpose is to help Australian exporters and importers by cutting red tape and by simplifying border processes to help boost productivity while saving time and money.
The Taskforce will work with the Simplified Trade System Industry Advisory Council, the Deregulation Taskforce, other border agencies, and Australian businesses to review and improve regulations and trade systems. The Taskforce team has acknowledged a need for government agencies to share information. Shipping Australia has urged the adoption of a “tell us once” model and has urged that the Taskforce work with other bodies that are progressing their own programmes.
The shipping industry is concerned that unilateral and disjointed efforts by Australian governments and local port authorities would create another set of sub-optimal and duplicative processes. This could lead to further inefficiencies and additional administrative burdens for shipping lines resulting in additional costs to end users.
A single, nationally standardised approach guided by the “tell us once” philosophy is the superior approach.
Freight Community System
TfNSW began a Freight Community System in July with the aim of boosting visibility across the supply chain. Shipping Australia has attended, and has actively participated in meetings carried out by TfNSW. The need for consistent data standards across the supply chain has stood out. Shipping Australia has pointed out that the IMO has set up an Expert Group on Data Harmonization which is well-progressed in this area. Meanwhile, the shipping industry has established standard port call data definitions aligned with existing standards from the IMO. We have highlighted the current IMO framework for standard data exchange which is well underway for international shipping and ports.
Shipping Australia has advised TfNSW that the shipping industry is concerned that unilateral and disjointed efforts by Australian governments and local port authorities would create another set of sub-optimal and duplicative processes. This could lead to further inefficiencies and additional administrative burdens for shipping lines resulting in additional costs to end users.
Once again, we have urged a single, nationally standardised approach guided by the “tell us once” philosophy.
OnePort
Port Authority of NSW is creating one system and one process for six of its ports. The aim is to deliver greater transparency of port operations, with the aim of simplifying interactions and reducing data duplication. The Port Authority hopes to have the standard set for the next 20 years. There’s little to say at the moment as the project only recently appears to have been launched and the Port Authority says that its looking for feedback from the maritime industry.
Here’s ours: the shipping industry is concerned that unilateral and disjointed efforts by Australian governments and individual actions by local port authorities would create another set of sub-optimal and duplicative processes. This could lead to further inefficiencies and additional administrative burdens for shipping lines resulting in additional costs to end users.
Once again, we urge a single, nationally standardised approach guided by the “tell us once” philosophy.
One message to officials and governments
We realise that actually setting up and integrating lots of different IT systems, processes, and data standards, is fiendishly difficult.
But, conceptually speaking, it’s very simple.
We’ve told you three times: three is not the magic number.
Three times is two times too many.
Single is superior. Unique is unequalled. Alone is awesome.
Please let us just tell you once.
That’s the single message that we long to hear.
