Learning more about the Incoterms 2020 rules
The Incoterms rules affect people in many different functions within the company – sales, procurement, logistics, customs, finance and accounting, compliance etc. All of these groups will need some knowledge of the Incoterms rules, but it is not realistic to expect them all to become experts.
- At one end of the spectrum, there are those who are responsible for review of agreements with trading partners and/or service providers. This group will need a detailed knowledge of the rules. The ICC publication no.723 will be essential reading. Beyond formal training, there may be benefit from consultancy with an expert in one’s specific geographical markets or industry.
- At the other end of the spectrum are a large group who require a general understanding of the rules, but who are often under extreme pressure from competing demands on their time.
For many in this group, attendance at a traditional training event will be difficult to arrange, because they cannot be readily spared from their other duties. Furthermore a relatively short “overview” presentation will often be sufficient for their purposes; so distance learning methods such as e-learning or webinars are worth considering.
Learning is, of course, not a single “one-off” event. After formal training, staff will need to extend their knowledge or to investigate specific issues in further depth – hence the value of on-line resources such as forums and discussion groups.