The words that make up your compliance program documents are critical, there’s no doubt about that. But they will only ever be words on a page if their structure and design are disconnected. Mark Beyer, a trade compliance consultant, explores the principles of compliance program documentation through the lens of an ancient axiom: as above, so below.
The phrase “as above, so below,” the origin of which dates to sometime after 200 CE, suggests that patterns and principles at one level reflect those at another. This ancient axiom speaks to a profound unity and connection between the layers that exist.
Within systems thinking, we see this similar concept in the idea that systems are nested within larger systems. The layers are interdependent and connected through feedback loops; they influence and reinforce one another rather than functioning in isolation.
Imagine a tree; on the surface, you see its trunk and branches reaching up, but beneath the surface lies a hidden world just as vital if not more important. You find an intricate network of roots, silently anchoring the tree to the earth.
In the context of trade compliance, this concept reflects the importance of aligning overarching principles with the many operational program documents that implement them. Corporate value statements, codes…
