Know Your Audience

Please allow me to take a moment to thank you for your patience. This posting is the first since January, and I reiterate my appreciation for all the shout outs and voices of support for all the posting made.

My wife's birthday is in the summer and to celebrate, it is always amazing to see her enjoy some of her favorite culinary delights.

- Braided spiced mozzarella cheese with a thin slice of tomato on melba toast
- Creamed garlic salmon
- Roasted veggies covered with sumac and shredded cheese
- Glass of wine
https://www.saltandlavender.com/salmon-pasta-creamy-garlic-sauce/
- 2 heads of broccoli
- 1 large sweet potato
- shredded cheese
- half a teaspoon of sumac

- melba toast crackers
- braided spiced mozzarella cheese 
- 1 medium tomato (thinly sliced)

- half a pound of fresh skinned salmon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 4 cloves of garlic (finely diced)
- half a cup of white wine
- 3/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- half a cup of shredded parmesan
- 1 tablespoon ground parsley

- bottle of white wine (Pino Grigio)


Lay out a number of melba toast crackers.
Layer with a slice of tomato and a slice of braided spiced mozzarella cheese

Cut up the broccoli into florets and stems.
Cut up the sweet potato into thin slices.
Place on a bake sheet on top of parchment paper.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until potato and broccoli is soft.
Remove from oven once salmon is ready and sprinkle with shredded cheese and sumac.

In a skillet on medium heat, pour in the olive oil. Drizzle the salt and pepper and onion powder on the salmon and place salmon in skillet once oil is hot.
When salmon changes color to a dull pink, flip and remove from skillet after about 4 minutes.

Add butter, flour, garlic, wine and yogurt to the skillet. Continue to stir thoroughly.
add salmon back into the skillet and break up the salmon while stirring the salmon into the sauce.
Add the lemon juice and parmesan. Continue to mix and sprinkle in the parsley.

Once creamy salmon is simmering. Remove and plate with veggies
Serve immediately.


How in the world does a creamy salmon over roasted veggies align with Customs?
I realized that, although my wife would be happy with any dish I prepare, she does have some food  preferences. 
I chose to focus on those.

Similarly, as a Customs practitioner, suggested solutions and road maps for arising Customs and supply chain issues is not a "one size fits all".
Each company has its business priorities and plans that need a unique way to align with Government rules and regulations. A solution for one company may not be a solution for another.

If we look at a previous Blog posting about partnering with a Customs practitioner...

https://customsandcooking.blogspot.com/2021/07/partner.html

...there are underlying reasons to move business processes forward using the expertise of an external service provider and business partner.

In that Blog, I outlined why it would be a good idea to use external assistance and keeping the function or resolution plan in-house may not be as effective.

In this regard, the same is true for the Customs practitioner. Providing the same guidance over and over again will not continue to fit the business that is being assisted.

Basically, to my Customs Practitioner colleagues...
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!

Here are some examples...
- Do all companies that conduct business in Canada have a requirement to file a report under the current Canadian Forced and Child Labor Regulations, S-211? Will every single company gain valuable insights by receiving the same advise given to another company?
- How does Export Control Regulations align with a software company versus a company exporting "dual use" items versus a company engaged in the distribution of goods that fall under the auspices and control of several various Government agencies? Do each of these require the same or different guidance? How about the method and mode by which the goods are shipped and what supply chain route the goods take to their final destination AND are the goods sold to more than one entity from the time of departure until the arrival to the ultimate destination? How are all these handled?
- Let's bring it back to the three key data elements of Customs: HS, Origin, Value. Will advise on HS be the same if the end-use of a product is different?

Take a quick trip down memory lane and review: 
https://customsandcooking.blogspot.com/2021/03/baked-or-fried.html

How will a Customs practitioner align guidance for one company and how will the advise differ based on the business model and ultimate business goals of another?


Just like any dish prepared for my wife would be appreciated, understanding preferences goes along way. 

Ultimately, providing the same supply chain and Customs guidance to various business is not going to work. It is up to the practitioner to understand and digest the requirements, the underlying risks and the business as a whole to be able to provide the most accurate guidance and empower the business with making decisions affecting the business overall.


Build the partnership.
Engage in communication.
Gain the trust.

Know your audience!

Location: Montreal, QC, Canada

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