Watch List Screening: Does It Cover Everything or Nothing?

Real-time data sharing will be a key in the future for all of the business organizations.

Thankfully, this question was raised. Earlier, discussions were stopped along with trades and export regulations. Now that businesses have realized that they could get themselves in legal troubles for defying export regulations, the questions have started storming from all the directions. That’s really a good thing.

Let us reminisce the snippets when businesses weren’t aware of such illegitimate deals.

Violations led to rejections of export privileges.

Businesses faced heavy penalties for serious violations.

Subjected to imprisonment for non-compliance.

In the present day, such situations have reduced where businesses relied upon watch list screening of parties, especially considering their current trade partners and new, potential partners on the line. However, rigorous questioning has made it clear that only the BIS and OFAC lists are not enough. Some would only be justifying their cause with the help of these lists. But, is it the end, then? We’re done with any other screening? No, certainly not.

The software and its advantages

Anticipating the squirms of various business organizations, the software developers or providers came up with the solution of restricted party screening software, which would help them avoid non-compliance with trade regulations in the US and other countries as well. Having an overall understanding of various software systems, we reached at a conclusion and that is quite formidable from different perspectives. The advantages they pack in:

Extensive lists for screening, maybe it is from the European Union, FDA (Food and Drug Administration), Interpol or any other list featuring undesirable entities. In addition, the compliance managers greatly benefited from it.

Real-time data sharing will be a key in the future for all of the business organizations. Notably, some software packages have included it in their operations for increasing the efficiency levels.

Individuals and businesses have reprimanded dealing with parties that were enlisted on the debarment lists.

However, there have been some undeniable hiccups in the process of identifying some entities too. The BIS ambiguity on parties with red flags have hurt organizations in one way or the other. Though it is not so devastating because it’s better to avoid a party that has been red flagged and needs verification, prior to any export transaction.

The conclusion

One thing is straight and clear – it’s definitely not “nothing” or so.

Given the question about “everything”, we can see there is more room for improvement, which the software providers along with reputed experts have started working on. As of now, the businesses and individuals need to find reliable software providers who get them effective solutions.

There can’t be two theories of judging software providers. If they have done their jobs efficiently, their majority of clients will have amazing response to themselves. Only new finders will have to classify the export screening software after running a research, which is not so difficult at this point of time. We can say the information available over the internet search engines can also help someone to reach a decision. But, we advise good digging for information.

Fred Danny has written numerous articles about the watch list screening software and non-compliance features along with the export screening features. Notably, the vendors have come up with top-class software products featuring restricted party screening and other screening options.

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