Global Transportation Trade Association Awarded Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) Designation

The Household Goods Forwarders Association of American has been designated as an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer (ASD).

Alexandria, VA (Issues Wire / PRWEB) March 12, 2008 -- The Household Goods Forwarders Association of America (HHGFAA) was officially recognized as an Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) on February 28, 2008. The accreditation is the culmination of a nearly 6 months application process designed to establish operational rules and procedures for the development of electronic code inventory and manifest standards for the domestic and international household goods transportation and forwarding industry.

While the accreditation itself is a significant accomplishment, it also marks the starting point from which the household goods transportation and forwarding industry aims to draft and develop an open and voluntary electronic standard for international household goods and/or personal effects shipments. The standard will define the minimum transaction header data, and provide for the numerical codification of items and exceptions that constitute a shipment. The standard will not be vendor, software or hardware specific, providing freedom of movement and choice for the customers of handheld readers, inventory software, and other related hardware and software.

The Household Goods Forwarders Association of America, Inc. considers the development of an electronic numeric code codification standard for use in international household goods shipment manifests and inventories as an underlying necessity to advance the global household goods forwarding and transportation industry to the next level and to demonstrate the industry's ability to meet future logistic challenges and security requirements head-on.

ANSI represents the interests of its nearly 1,000 company, organization, and government agency, institutional and international members by facilitating the development of American National Standards (ANS) by accrediting the procedures of standards developing organizations (SDOs). Accreditation by ANSI signifies that the procedures used by the standards body in connection with the development of American National Standards meet the Institute's essential requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due process. Incorporating these requirements into the standards development process affirms the standards ability to be recognized by the International Standards Organization (ISO) and other global standards organizations.

As parts of its standards development activities, HHGFAA has establishing a truly industry-wide consensus body, by inviting a broad spectrum of hardware and software developers, domestic and international transportation industry trade associations, as well as, industry leaders and innovators to be actively involved in this important industry effort.

The development and implementation of standards aimed at codifying numeric data elements in household goods transportation puts the industry in a proactive position and ahead of the curve in the event that regulatory and security requirements mandate the transmittal of detailed electronic inventory prior to customs clearance.

Who is HHGFAA?
Household Goods Forwarders Association of America, Inc. is the largest international trade association and advocacy group for household goods forwarders, movers, and service providers. Founded in 1962, the association has a worldwide membership of over 2,000 companies from more than 165 countries and territories.

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