Contributing to a smooth and compliant customs process
Joyce Matthews
As an administrative employee within the Customs Department, Joyce Matthews has developed the knowledge and skills needed to support customs clients and colleagues in a crucial part of the international logistics process.
Discover how her curiosity and daily commitment contribute to an efficient and transparent customs process, and how she draws on her knowledge and experience across different roles to support both clients and colleagues.
Foto credits: Modexpress
As an administrative employee within the Customs Department, Joyce Matthews has developed the knowledge and skills needed to support customs clients and colleagues in a crucial part of the international logistics process.
Discover how her curiosity and daily commitment contribute to an efficient and transparent customs process, and how she draws on her knowledge and experience across different roles to support both clients and colleagues.
Foto credits: Modexpress
How did you come to join Modexpress?
I have been working at Modexpress since 2016. At the time, I was working at PostNL when someone recommended Modexpress to me. I started through Tempo-Team in the warehouse as a logistics employee in the returns department. I worked in several departments within the warehouse and was part of a great team with lovely colleagues.
Together with a permanent colleague, I was given the opportunity to set up the returns department for a major customer. In 2018, I was offered a permanent contract with Modexpress. I continued to be involved in various new projects after that.
In 2020, I was asked to join the Customs Department, where I still work today. I had a background in administration, so I decided to take on the challenge.
Can you tell us about your work at the Customs Department and your role within the team?
We are currently a permanent team of eight people. My role involves many different responsibilities. I do a lot of preparatory work, carry out checks, handle the financial processing and invoicing, and take care of archiving. The only thing I don’t handle myself is the import and export declarations.
I support my colleagues and take over tasks when they are absent. There is a lot involved in the customs process, which is sometimes underestimated. This includes checking customs documents to make sure everything is correct and complete, such as verifying the validity and completeness of certificates for shipments received by Modexpress. These checks are also very important for maintaining the customs authorisation that allows Modexpress to carry out customs-related activities.
When I first joined the department, I knew nothing about customs matters, but gradually I became more involved and learned the ins and outs of the job through practical experience. I’m naturally quite curious and eager to learn, and I find the subject matter very interesting. My colleagues and Henri, our department manager, have supported me along the way. I feel that I have one of the most enjoyable roles within the department because it is so varied.
Looking ahead, my ambition is to provide more support to our Customer Support department on customs-related matters. I would like to share my knowledge with the team and help ensure that any information they receive from customers is also passed on to the Customs Department.
Customs plays an important role in our customers’ logistics processes. What are the main challenges customers face?
For our customs clients, the main challenges are often related to system integration. All the information in the system needs to be correct before the process can run smoothly and shipments can be delivered.
We aim to provide as much support as possible and make adjustments where needed to ensure that this process works as efficiently as possible. It is a continuous process, with my colleagues working closely with customers to identify issues and find the right solutions.
Can you tell us about a project or situation that you are particularly proud of?
Looking back, I would say reorganising and clearing out the customs archive. The Customs Department is required to retain documents for 11 years, so it was quite a job when I first started. Fortunately, I had a lot of help from my colleagues, which was much needed as everything was still kept on paper at the time. Thankfully, the archive is now fully digital.
Aside from the archive, I’m also proud of the improvements we have made to our procedures over the years. I like to think along with the team about how we can make processes simpler and more efficient, and whether certain steps can be improved or eliminated.
If you could give customers one tip to help ensure their customs processes run as smoothly as possible, what would it be?
There is a lot involved in the customs process, and this is sometimes underestimated. Any company involved in importing or exporting needs to be aware of what is going on and understand its responsibilities.
My advice would be to have someone within the organisation who has a good understanding of customs matters. There are legal obligations that you, as a customs client, need to comply with, and customs legislation and regulations change regularly. Having someone in-house with the right knowledge and expertise means you are more likely to stay up to date and understand what is required.
Want to read more inspiring stories from our team?