The digital traveler Automating border management solutions to facilitate travel and enhance security
For anyone who has waited in a queue that seems longer than their flight, the prospect of passing through a border check in less than 20 seconds is highly appealing; more time to shop, eat or simply relax before the onward journey. Travel can be both exciting and rewarding; yet often, with the additional screening and identification that has been institutionalized over the past few decades, the process that surrounds it can also disappoint. With the introduction of automated border clearance and the employment of digital technologies, reduced passenger processing time is becoming a reality and not at the expense of security. By creating a positive end-to-end travel experience, border management solutions can benefit both travelers and border agencies responsible for travel safety and enable admission. 1 For the traveler, opting in to registered travel programs and providing a biometrically-enabled identity can save time and protect privacy. And as a recent study by Accenture found, 89 percent of people are comfortable sharing biometrics in the context of traveling across international borders and 62 percent say they would be likely to share biometric data specifically to improve border security. 2 For border agencies, the opportunity to assess the relative risk of each traveler in advance and focus on the unknowns in real time helps deliver public service for the future. The travel challenge In recent years, any gains in passenger throughput have been matched by the growth in demand for travel; it is a global phenomenon. In the European Union there are more than 700 million border crossings a year, with projected air crossings likely to increase 80 percent by 2030, 3 while visitors to the United States are expected to grow at about 4 percent through 2018 to a total of 85 million visitors per year. 4 An Asia-Pacific industry forecast indicates that there is likely to be an additional 300 million passengers, 75 percent of which are expected to be domestic passengers. 5 Ongoing increases in cross-border travel highlight the need to adapt border management processes using greater automation and threat analysis. But in reality, measures that may assist, such as the proposed smart borders recommendations from the European Union which includes rolling out a registered traveler program and an entry and exit system for European member states may take some time to gain agreement. In the United States, it has been more than a decade since legislation was introduced for an integrated entry and exit data system and although the nation now has a biometric entry system which requires visitors to be fingerprinted on every encounter, there are still no biometric exit processes. Indeed, in its report released in May 2013, the GAO noted that unmatched arrival records those that do not have corresponding departure records remain open and may explain some of its backlog of 1.6 million potential overstay records. 6 To date, the United States has bi-lateral Trusted Traveler Programs, where both countries perform background checks and honor their corresponding results, with Canada, The Netherlands, and Korea with plans to add other countries. 7 Overall, proposals for policies to standardize across regions and geographies are both compelling and daunting. 1. In many countries immigration, transportation security, customs, and health inspection are handled by different agencies and/or processes within a larger border management operation. 2. Source: Digital Borders Research 2014, Accenture. 3. Source: Accenture Smart Borders Research, October 2013. 4. Source: International Business Times, June 11 2013. 5. Source: IATA Airline Industry Forecast 2013 to 2016, in the Asia-Pacific region (including China).
Airports and border agencies are faced with competing demands: managing the floor space for an increasing number of gates, being mindful of budget constraints, and accelerating passenger processing all while avoiding any compromise to security. By automating travel processes using digital technologies whether self-service kiosks or mobile check in or employing analytics or biometrics border management agencies can facilitate legitimate travel without negatively impacting security. The advantages of automation From a business perspective, there are some leading practice examples of border management automation across Europe. For instance, in a project undertaken by Accenture, the successful implementation of 36 egates at Schiphol airport in the Netherlands saw more than 210,000 passengers through the egates in six weeks, with passengers being processed in less than 15 seconds. As a terminal with an annual expected growth in passengers of approximately 5 percent but no anticipated increases to its more than 400 border guards, the airport s new approach has realized returns in respect of greater speed and efficiency, more enjoyable customer experiences and an ability to meet global travel demands. What is more, Accenture was named ICT provider of the year 2013; 8 the award noted the innovative nature of the solution that went beyond egates to realizing a productive system that adds value to Dutch society and government. By implementing a series of manageable projects that create bottom up and top down changes, border management agencies can offer more efficient, secure movement of travelers and goods. Automated processes can simplify the travel process for both traveler and border agency. In addition, the use of analytics and reporting on passenger movement from ticket purchase, to check in, to entry and exit (through manual inspection or automated border clearance) can enhance border agencies ability to assess risk. A top down approach might involve introducing a registered traveler program to improve the security checkpoint experience or entry and exit systems to deal with irregular border crossings and overstays. Indeed, smart gates and registered travel programs could be an effective path to enhancing biometrics acceptance at customs and border control our research found that 80 percent of those who have used an e-gate or smart gate once are likely to do so again. Accelerating travel Digital technologies whether related to mobility, analytics, social or cloud are helping to accelerate the flow and reliability of information that is the core of border management processes from smartphone check in through to face in the crowd border controls. Digital technologies are changing the face of airport and border operations as we know them. By combining technological capabilities with a careful blend of automation and validation throughout the entire process, travel experiences can be enhanced. Using this cohesive approach, the traveler expectations for speed, efficiency, security and satisfaction can be met and border management agencies are one step further on their journey toward public service for the future. 6. Source: Immigration Enforcement, Preliminary Observations on DHS s Overstay Enforcement Efforts, GAO, May 2013. 7. Source: US Customs and Border Protection website. 8. Source: Computable, November 2013.
Survey statistics In April 2014 Accenture surveyed more than 3,000 citizens in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and Japan via an online quantitative survey. The research explored citizens attitudes toward biometrics in the context of border control and travel. 85 percent of respondents who have used them found egates faster than manual border clearance by an officer. 58 percent say they would share their biometric information if it made border processing faster. 56 percent say they would share their biometric information if it made travel more convenient. 73 percent believe that using biometrics to verify the identity of everyone crossing the border would make national borders more secure. 67 percent say they would want to know how their personal information is being used.
Automating travel An end-to-end travel experience for border management agencies and travelers Departure Use your smartphone to manage visa applications, online bookings and confirmation, or sign up for services that offer preferential customs and security clearance. Pre-enrolment in registered traveler programs speeds up security checks and enables border agencies to conduct early traveler verification. An automated check in kiosk using biometrics validates you and your documentation. Advanced biometrics technologies verify your documents and speed your journey through automated egates. Flight An advanced passenger manifest means your details are shared with the destination country while you are in the air. Automated checks and balances have precleared you for arrival.
Pre-registered baggage is tied to your personal biometrics and travel plan. Border and airport officials use cloud computing and analytics to plan resources and be more operationally efficient. Detection technology scans for illegal items or banned substances. Face recognition software helps to confirm that you are who you say you are. Analytics drives the airport s systems, swiftly identifying unknowns and better managing passenger processing. Arrival Border control egates electronically check your identity and travel credentials upon arrival. The electronic baggage tag is checked against your travel plan and facial recognition checks your identity. The automated processes are faster and more efficient, offering you a new, improved travel experience.
About Accenture Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with approximately 289,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become highperformance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$28.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2013. Its home page is www.accenture.com Contact us Mark Crego mark.s.crego@accenture.com T: +1 703-947-1418 Connect with us to learn more on delivering public service for the future on Twitter @AccenturePubSvc Copyright 2014 Accenture All rights reserved. Accenture, its logo, and High Performance Delivered are trademarks of Accenture.