The U.S. Customs Service is embarking on a modernization effort-the Customs Modernization Program-to improve Customs trade, enforcement, and administrative operations.

  The scope of this effort is vast; it reaches across the Customs Service and into the trade community as well as interacting with other government agencies. The Customs Modernization Program will bring an enterprise approach to the planning, definition, development, and implementation of new business processes and the infrastructure that supports these processes.

  In recent years, trade growth and expanding law enforcement efforts have nearly overwhelmed Customs staff and resources. These demands on Customs personnel and computer resources require changes in the way Customs operates and responds to stakeholder needs. In response, the Commissioner and the Office of Information and Technology have been planning to modernize Customs technological and operational systems to help Customs staff meet mission needs. The first Modernization project, the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), will focus on trade initially, and will provide as the foundation for future automated systems.

  In response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 , Commissioner Bonner testified before Congress that Customs would like to accelerate ACE development from five years to four years, enabling Customs to more quickly deliver ACE, and its analytical capabilities to Customs field offices.

  The Modernization Program will have a positive impact on almost every aspect of U.S. and international trade and travel, Customs operations, and related federal and international government agency missions and programs. In addition, the Modernization effort will impact its many stakeholders on a day-to-day basis.

  Although ACE will be the first significant accomplishment, the Modernization process is much more than ACE. The entire Modernization program will span 15 years and will cover each of Customs mission areas: Trade, Enforcement, and Administration. The modernization program will introduce systems that will enable Customs and over 100 participating government agencies to work cooperatively and form alliances with the industry based on shared goals and integrated systems that protect and strengthen America ’s borders.

  Overall, the Customs modernization initiative will update the systems that Customs uses to do business by:

  •Reducing maintenance costs.

  •Maximizing service to other government agencies and to the trade.

  •Allowing greater access by the public.

  •Using technologies that are interoperable and easy to upgrade.

Need

  Customs has gained a renewed sense of mission in response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. In response to these attacks Customs recognizes the need to accelerate the development and implementation of its modernization effort. The service’s current import system, the Automated Commercial System (ACS), was designed in 1984 and will not be able to meet the increasingly complex, long-term requirements impacted by the growth in trade, enforcement responsibilities, and legislation.

  ACS cannot handle the increased computing requirements brought on by trade growth. Therefore the modernization of Customs import processing system is essential. For example:

  •In the last decade, trade has grown 132 percent.

  •By 2004, Customs will be processing more than 30 million commercial entries a year up from 12.3 million in 1994.

  •New laws and regulations require enhanced functionality.

  To prepare for continued trade growth and address its long-term import processing needs, Customs has designated the ACS replacement, the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), as the first Modernization project.

  With its unique position at America ’s borders, Customs plays a critical role in the facilitation of trade and border security. ACE will not only replace the aging ACS, but it is being developed as the foundation of the modernization initiative, transforming the way Customs processes goods at the border, moving merchandise to markets faster and at lower costs, while targeting high-risk cargo for examination. The Customs modernization initiative will allow the service to leverage emerging technology and improved business processes to get the right information, to the right people, at the right time and place.

  When the Automated Commercial System (ACS) was designed in 1984, a static approach was used because large systems were expected to last 10 to 15 years. A technology insertion process was not available; however, today Customs needs a new system that can grow with its business needs and allow new advances. Therefore a dynamic approach will be used to design the new system, Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). ACE is designed to be flexible. It will support an ongoing process review of business needs and allow ACE to insert new technology as business requirements change. The Enterprise Application Layer is what permits the ACE system to be flexible.

  The Enterprise Application Layer is a mechanism that allows information to be shared efficiently from a wide array of components. This type of architecture is component driven, and is built with integration tools that allow for interface of multiple elements in a single system. The result is a plug-and-play architecture that enables Customs to add new functionality as it becomes available, update its system as new iterations with increased functionality become available, and adopt the technology to changing needs in the market place.

  It may be easiest to think of Enterprise Architecture in terms of a strip surge protector, where the surge protector is the bus, or architecture, and the different components then plug into the different plugs along the strip. Another way to think about it is a hub and spoke model in which different applications are represented by the spokes of a wheel, and the Enterprise Architecture Layer is a hub. All information in one of the application spokes is accessible to other applications in other spokes, but to get to the information, it must pass through the Enterprise Architecture hub.

  The e-Customs Partnership is building an enterprise architecture in alignment with Customs that will allow for improved flexibility among Customs and its constituents. Other noted benefits include:

  •Adaptable to new technologies as they evolve.

  •Scalable to changing business volumes.

  •Interoperable with existing systems, new systems, and package systems.

  •Manageable for the operations staff who administer the environment.

  •Maintainable for the development staff who administer the enterprise.

  •Reliable according to the requirements of the client’s customers.

  •Accessible to end users who need services and data transparently.

  •Reusable to other applications for shorter time to production and higher quality.

  Since 1984, the pace of technological change has increased dramatically, and continues to intensify. Customs Modernization is ongoing; it’s a process that allows insertion of new technology as advances become available and as our business needs change. By creating an user friendly system, the insertion of new technology will be a reality in the future Customs environment.

New hire

  The Customs Modernization Office (CMO) recently welcomed Lawrence J. Rosenzweig as its modernization business executive. This position is critical to guide Customs leadership and the workforce to adopt modernized processes and technology improvements.

  Rosenzweig has been with the U.S. Customs Service for 30 years. He joins the CMO in Washington , D.C. from his post at John F. Kennedy Airport as assistant area director, trade operations. Rosenzweig hopes to bring his field experience to the Customs Modernization effort.

  “I’d like to provide a field perspective to the technology that is being developed.” He said.

  Rosenzweig’s role is a pivotal one because he will help integrate the operational and technical efforts on the Automated Commercial Environment and future Modernization projects. By joining the CMO, Rosenzweig wants to help shape the future of Customs. With his previous involvement with the Customs automated prototypes, such as the Risk Management Prototype and the Port Account Management Prototype, he realizes the importance of building new automated systems to meet the needs of the Customs workforce.

  Rosenzweig will report directly to the Deputy Commissioner of Customs.  His goal is to instill commitment to Modernization throughout the Customs organization.

  “Modernization is about change, and to effectively address change we will first communicate to our internal and external stakeholders, involve the participants in the new processes, and train them,” he said. “The key is to get people involved.”

Customs begins training on first ACE release

  On Dec. 12, 2002 , a select group of 44 Customs employees was given an overview of what to expect when the electronic version of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) went into User Acceptance Testing (UAT). This overview served as a preview of training and the Customs Evaluation Period that will follow.

  While this first piece of ACE creates the infrastructure and foundation for future system capability, users in this first test will be able to log on to the ACE web portal and receive hands-on HTS training.

  The electronic version of the HTS will allow for keyword searches of the schedule, annotations that can be saved and a split screen to look at different sections of the HTS at the same time.

  The 44 Customs employees, including Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), representatives from the Office of Information and Technology (OIT), and the CMO, were the first to be trained to use ACE on Jan. 8, 2003 . The purpose of the training was to familiarize participants with the functionality of the first ACE release. Participants were given scenario exercises and the opportunity to practice using ACE.

  They then began User Acceptance Testing, which is a period of evaluation where Customs users try out the system and provide feedback to ensure it meets the needs of the Customs Workforce.

  The UAT provides Customs with the opportunity to use the system through structured test cases, as well as through individual free time.

  All experiences of the testers were recorded through a UAT journal. The deployment team will be looking at specific performance measures including User Satisfaction, Availability, Performance, Reliability, and Help Desk. In addition to the journal, there was a lessons learned event on January 22 between UAT participants and the deployment team to survey overall user satisfaction with the system.

  Feedback collected from this first UAT will be assessed for improvement opportunity to the system or services provided.  It enables the deployment team to gauge the success of training and communication efforts.

  On Jan. 8, User Acceptance Testing Training participants were invited to a ceremony held to recognize their accomplishments and dedication to Customs Modernization. This event signified the achievement of the first major milestone in Customs Modernization – the first delivery of ACE functionality and dedication and service from Customs employees that have provided critical steps to the realization of Modernization.

            CMO Executive Director Charles R. Armstrong, and Rosenzweig were present at the event to recognize attendees for their participation in the UAT and their involvement in the ACE modernization initiative. Armstrong thanked participants for their service to Customs in the testing of the initial release. They are helping to move Customs towards an era of advanced technology, increased service to the trade and enhanced enforcement of our nation’s borders.