Software Development:
Individual Programming

Goal

GermanCandy4You exports sweets from Germany to the US. Any food import into the US is subject to an extensive "Prior Notice" process required by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). The sender must log the weight, FDA item code, manufacturer, purchasing source, sender and receiver and many other characteristics of each individual package and its content, even down to an individually wrapped cookie bar, in several online forms. Each item position must be logged individually, while all of the items make up one shipment.

The prior notice process is very time-consuming for the sender. Therefore, was commissioned with developing a software that would automate the login process and complete several nested FDA online forms with data supplied by GermanCandy4You's online store. Since the FDA system doesn't offer a programming interface (API) or an XML upload possibility, the software must simulate the manual data input of a human operator.

As an added challenge, the software must react to the responses generated by the FDA server. It must recognize the content displayed by the FDA server. At the end of the process it has to save two transaction numbers from a webpage and download a PDF file containing an individual prior notice customs form and save it in the online store. The program must function without error, since false information will lead to the destruction of arriving packages in customs and could entail legal action as well.

Screenshot: Source code excerpt from the application for automatic completion of FDA prior notice online forms.

Implementation

developed a PHP-script that can be executed from a web browser or as a console script under Linux. Using PHP cURL, it simulates a web browser including its operator, that logs into an SSL-protected connection in the FDA system and fills out the necessary forms for each shipment and each item contained in that shipment. The script saves all web pages the FDA server shows to the browser, while logging exactly which information was entered at a specific time as well as the FDA server's response. This makes it possible to keep a complete log of what happened at any time during a session. If the script fails to recognize that the data was processed by the FDA as expected, it will cancel processing the order with the respective error protocol entry.

The solution reads the transaction numbers for each shipment provided by the FDA from the FDA website and automatically downloads a PDF customs clearance document from the FDA website. This document, which is completed with the individual information for each package is saved for each respective order in GermanCandy4You's online store and can be attached to the package upon shipment with a simple mouse click, exactly as required by the US customs authority.

Processing time for filling out the FDA's prior notice has shrunk from approximately 20 minutes per package to a single script request, which processes all new packages fully automatically and therefore offers incredible cost savings.

Screenshot: Excerpt from the protocol. For legal reasons all of the script's work steps are logged in minute detail.

Work Hours & Price

The ready-to-run solution has been developed in only approximately 32 hours. The total cost was approximately 1,600.00 € incl. VAT.

Client¹

GermanCandy4You
M. Bartsch
Degnerstrasse 70
D-13053 Berlin

www.germancandy4you.com 

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