HMRC recently announced that CDS, which is the replacement declaration service for CHIEF, used when moving goods into and out of the UK, will now become the UK’s single customs platform from 30 March 2024.

John Varley, Product Specialist at Forward Solutions, says that the latest deadline extension, the third since the switch to the new service was first announced back in August 2021, is a positive move for businesses within the sector: “The situation has changed a lot since CDS’ initial deadline was set for November 2022.

“Right now, the finer points of inventory controlled exports have not been fully resolved between HMRC and the Community Service Providers (CSPs). The primary reason for the delay is due to issues with inventory linked exports (ILEs), which has ultimately led to the March 2024 revised deadline.

“The industry has largely welcomed this extension, as the issues relating to imports and that earlier deadline, should not be repeated for exports. The extension will allow remaining points to be resolved in a calm manner. It’s a pragmatic decision and one that all parties are happy with.”

Forward Solutions has been preparing its customers for the impending deadline, and many are already prepared for this new element of CDS.

John added: “CDS is already being used by lots of businesses to transmit exports that are non-inventory linked, or Goods Vehicle Movement Services (GVMS) related shipments. This has been the case for several months, with some of our traders taking part in the HMRC pilot programme.

“This has been very successful, and we have come across a few minor issues, as one would expect, which have been quickly resolved – it has been a relatively painless process so far.

“We are hoping this experience will give the rest of the service the best chance of operating as smoothly as possible come March 2024.”

John, however, does have a word of warning for traders, in relation to the migration to CDS exports: “Even though there is an extension, businesses should not use that as an excuse to delay their own implementation of the necessary upgrades and training of staff, where required.

“By getting ahead of the game with this deadline, companies can position themselves well to fully make use of the new service.”

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Paul, who is originally from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, joined Forward Solutions in 2004 and began his career at the company working within the Support team.

Prior to this, he worked for an Italian road freight company known as Sitir UK Limited, as an Export Manager for 15 years, where he first used Forward Office, which gave him an insight into how Forward’s software supports customer operations.

This transport industry insight is invaluable to the team at Forward, as his industry knowledge has allowed him to understand and communicate effectively and efficiently with customers.

While working on the Support desk, Paul became more involved with the Customer Success Managers, by assisting them with on-site customer training. This work led to him being promoted to Customer Success Manager in 2018.

The main priority of this role consists of providing support to the growing customer base and the Forward Solutions team. He arranges training sessions with customers on different aspects of the system and familiarizes them with the product, while also supporting the internal team with outstanding tickets and the training of new starters.

Paul added:

“Being able to get out and interact with customers is a part of the job that never gets old. Having the option to communicate with them through Microsoft Teams has created more opportunities for us, but I think face-to-face interaction is my favourite part of my role.

“The system has always been continually developed and enhanced. Currently, a new user interface is being implemented. It is exciting to be a part of this next phase, and I am looking forward to seeing how the product is advanced in the near future.”

Looking forward, Paul is set on continuing to play a big role at Forward Solutions.

Outside of work, Paul is a huge Nottingham Forest fan and enjoys attending matches with his two sons. He is also fond of photography, watching cricket, and going to the cinema.

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Tony, who hails from Little Eaton in Derbyshire, returned to Forward Solutions in November 2022 and has over 35 years of industry experience under his belt.

He started his IT career as a developer at Evets Computers Limited.

After several years, he joined Forward Solutions which led to five years with the business, until he ventured out to explore other pathways. Tony left to become self-employed, starting his own business in 2004, known as ‘Tec IT’ and for the next 20 years built a skilled team.

Tony worked with a range of huge customers, such as ITV and Manchester City F.C. providing business intelligence and reporting, data migration, global web and mobile application support, as well as financial statistics analysis.

After hearing that Forward Solutions were recruiting, in the post-pandemic landscape, Tony decided to re-join the business as a Development Manager. Tony works on co-ordinating his expanding team to develop the company’s products and push them forward, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the industry. He is currently involved with a web interface project and is eager to work with his team to progress it further.

Tony added:

“One of my favourite parts about working at Forward Solutions is that we are always pushing the boundaries and looking to utilise new technology.

“Forward has been around for a number of years, and our customers want us to continue to provide our services for many years to come, which therefore means we must ensure our technology remains at the forefront of modern industry standards.”

Tony has a love of football and enjoys following Derby County F.C. while also being a regular supporter of Holbrook Sports Football Club, a team that his son manages in the Central Midlands South Premier League.  He also has a passion for cars and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

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Tom Donnelly becomes Manager of Operations, which will see him play a crucial role in driving the company’s strategic initiatives and advancing its work in providing the freight industry with cutting-edge technology. Tony Eley has also re-joined Forward Solutions, as Development Manager, bringing with him many years of industry experience from across the sector.

Tom has been at Forward Solutions for over 19 years, and has worked his way through the ranks at the Nottingham-headquartered firm. His time at Forward Solutions has seen him work as both a Software Support Engineer and Product Specialist, making him perfectly placed to help oversee the strategy for the business.

Tom said: “I’m delighted to have been made Manager of Operations at Forward Solutions. It has been a great journey for me at the company. It’s a fun prospect to be managing more of our fantastic team.

“We want to continue improving our team and ensure we are working together as effectively and efficiently as possible. Through working with Tony, we will ensure that we are on-track with projects and helping customers continue to improve their own services.”

Tony re-joins Forward with over 30 years of experience, having provided services for organisations such as ITV and Manchester City FC. Tony had previously worked for Forward under its previous guise, Forward Computers, as a Senior Developer.

Tony said: “It feels fantastic to be back at Forward House after 18 years away! It has been great to meet the new members of the team, as well as those who’ve remained here.

“I’m excited to get going in my new role and take a wider overview of the company, which will be critical to our delivery moving forward.”

Richard Litchfield, Forward Solutions’ Managing Director, added: “Tom and Tony are the future management team of Forward Solutions, and I have great confidence in both of them to do a fantastic job in their new positions.

“For Tom, this promotion is well deserved, he is a critical part of the makeup of our team here at Forward, and we can’t wait to see him grow further professionally. We welcome Tony back, some 18 years after his previous stint with us, his impact upon our team has been fantastic already and he will be key to the growth of the company.

“For us, these moves are about consolidating our high levels of customer service and delivering of our products, which truly do make a difference to our customers. Tom and Tony will help ensure that the Forward Solutions customer experience is as smooth as possible, which is what enables us to stand out, in a hugely competitive market.”

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Scott, who is from Belvedere in Southeast London, has worked extensively in the IT sector over the last decade, providing him with a huge amount of industry experience, before he joined the team in April 2022.

Scott kick started his career after signing up for an apprenticeship scheme with a London charity called Skills for Growth, which landed him a job with their partner at the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investment. Here, he started as a 1^st Line Support Technician, where he developed a passion for IT Support and gained essential business skills.

After three years of expanding his IT knowledge, the opportunity arose to become an IT Technician at leading logistics firm Europa Worldwide Group, which turned into an eight-year career. Scott rose through the ranks, eventually becoming IT Support Manager.

His focus consisted of not only tech support but supporting the businesses’ own internal software development.

Scott was then offered the position of Customer Success Manager at Forward Solutions, which was the starting point for the latest stop on his career journey.

Within his role at Forward Solutions, Scott’s main priority is engaging with customers and developing an understanding of the support they require. He will resolve their queries, enhance products on behalf of them, and be the reliable communication line between customers, the internal support and software development team.

Scott added:

“I have been working at Forward Solutions for over a year now, and I enjoy the fact that no two days here are ever the same.

“Our software platform is so advanced and intricate, that you are always working on a new part of the system, which is especially true for someone like me who is fairly new to the business. Still to this day, I am working on things that I have never seen before, which I find interesting as it keeps the role fresh.”

Richard Litchfield, Managing Director at Forward Solutions added: “Scott is a highly valued member of Forward Solutions and it is great to have someone of his calibre on the team.

“Having previously worked with him at Europa, I was well aware of his experience and capability to help our business thrive – and he has certainly helped us develop since joining us last year.”

In the future, Scott wishes to simplify and automate processes across the business. Coming from a large enterprise background, he is eager to use these ideologies and integrate them further into Forward Solutions. So far, he has worked with the accounts team to make the expenses process simpler, as well as overhauling the rollout procedure at the business for new customer integrations.

Outside of work, Scott enjoys fishing and playing video games, as well as socialising with friends and family.

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Dan joined the team in August 2022 at our Nottingham headquarters and comes with a rich background of IT sector experience.

After completing his A-Levels, Dan originally planned to head off to university to secure a degree, although these plans swiftly changed after he got in touch with a careers advisor.

Instead, he pursued an IT apprenticeship at his old high school, which gave him industry standard qualifications to help him excel further in his career. From there, Dan became a 2^nd Line IT Engineer at Pall-Ex, a recognised leader in palletised freight distribution, until a career diversion later down the line saw him become a Project Manager at Task Corporation, specialists in bespoke manufacturing of joinery fabrications.

This role provided Dan with skills in managing projects which diversified his portfolio, before he returned to his roots and continued pursuing his passion for IT, gaining a further 6 years’ experience as an IT engineer at two different organisations.

Now working at Forward Solutions, Dan’s role is focused on working closely with Forward Office, our freight management system which is made up of eight different modules which all provide a unique function.

His team works from a technical end, providing the infrastructure and platforms that allow applications to function optimally and effectively, by supporting the rest of our applications, including the physical and virtual hardware.

The main responsibilities within his role consist of designing and maintaining system architecture, monitoring the performance of servers and network devices, utilising Red Hat Linux and Windows environments to provide the platform with software to run on, proving consultancy and technical support for their customers.

Dan added:

“When I joined the team, I felt a strong sense of belonging, which allowed me to settle in quickly. The work environment is great, and I have found myself challenged in all the right ways, enabling me to grow both personally and professionally. The team are highly collaborative, fostering a growing sense of camaraderie, that is enhancing our collective productivity.

“One aspect that particularly stands out is how Forward leverage my existing skillsets, while also providing opportunities to acquire new skills by providing the training I need, which has equipped me with the tools and knowledge I require to execute my role efficiently and contribute significantly to the company’s success.”

In the future, Dan wants to develop his skillset at Forward Solutions to enable him to move into a more senior role, with further ambitions to become a Consultant/Architect in the industry at some point.

Outside of work, Dan keeps busy by focusing on his goals by keeping active in the gym, hiking, playing golf and basketball as well as pursuing other interests like improving his ability to play acoustic guitar, attending gigs and music festivals when they are in season.

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Neil is the newest member to join the Forward Solutions’ support desk, having previously worked in the customer service industry as gaining a good amount of experience in the freight sector.

His began his career as  Customer Service Representative at a major retailer, giving him hands-on experience resolving issues in a timely and efficient manner.

He then became a Premier Customer Service Advisor for DHL, where his passion for IT and software grew. Neil worked with DHL’s internal software, helping clients overcome any problems or issues that caused downtime.

Two years after being promoted to Senior Customer Service Adviser at DHL, in 2022, Neil joined the Forward Solutions team.

As a member of the software support team, Neil helps customers fully maximise Forward Solutions’ software. He and the team help hundreds of users get to grips with the different modules which make up Forward Office, whether that be helping users work more efficiently with import and export customs management on Forward Clear, or using Forward Core to manage shipments precisely from quote to invoice.

Neil Howdle said:

“As the newest member of the support team, I’m constantly learning from everyone around me every day, which is great as there is a real sense that everyone here wants each other to do a great job. The knowledge the wider team have is absolutely incredible.

“Experience is key for this industry and having worked in IT and customer service before, I feel I have the confidence to do my job to the high standard Forward Solutions always provide, and I’m thankful that I’m trusted to deliver my work to this degree.

“I really enjoy speaking with our customers, having a dedicated team to help answer queries means we get to know them on a one-to-one level, they know us, we know them, and it makes solving issues a lot more fluid.”

Richard Litchfield, Managing Director of Forward Solutions added: “Neil has been a great asset to the team and has really shown what he is capable of since joining the team. He brings a wealth of experience in both IT and customer service, and is always eager to resolve our customer’s concerns.

“One thing about Neil, which is admirable, is his passion to develop and learn, treating every day like a school day, and using what he learns to further support and provide for both the business and our customers.”

“With an industry as ever-changing as technology, it’s important to have the right mindset and understanding of our software, to allow for creative and intuitive ways to solve challenges that come our way.”

In his spare time, Neil likes to watch and, when he can, play football, supporting Nottingham Forest and has been a season ticket holder for over 20 years. He also enjoys cycling and took part in the London to Brighton Off-Road bike ride where he cycled for 72 miles, raising £3,000 for the British Heart Foundation in memory of his Nan.

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