ULDs & COLD CHAINREPORT F E A T U R E Jettainer app helps track ULD damage J


ettainer had a good 2012. The ULD man- agement company continued to grow, and it convinced Air


Berlin — a Oneworld mem- ber, meaning Jettainer now services airlines from all the major alliances — to join its network.


Managing director of Jet-


tainer, Alexander Plümacher says he is particularly pleased that Jettainer landed British Airways as a client. “They haven’t outsourced their entire ULD management with us, only a few units, but as a Lufthansa-owned company, it is a special pleasure to have


convinced them to join us,” he tells ACW wryly. “They are a good partner that we’ve been trying to persuade for years to utilise our services,” he says. Jettainer also spent last year


developing its value-added services. One such innovation – Jettlease – allows customers to order a ULD on a daily basis. “Our standard business model means a five-year con- tract for us to care for your ULDs worldwide,” explains Plümacher. “Jettlease started at the beginning of last year, and instead allows our cus- tomers to use however many ULDs they want to, for how- ever long they want, and then


return them to whichever air- port is in our network. “People are looking for more and more flexibility and this gives it to them. It is also use- ful for emergency logistics. It is still only a small plant but one which is showing growth.” The company has also been


heavily developing its data management. “Moving ULDs isn’t just moving an alumin- ium can from A to B; there is a complex data management system behind it. You need to know about the stations and forwarders around the world and track damages globally. Notoriously, ULDs can often be treated like footballs rather


than being given the care they require for their cargo. That means, for both the shipment and the ULD itself, that track- ing damage is important for both Jettainer and its client. “When it comes to tracking damage, you have to be able to easily log the damage, but you also have to make the person responsible pay for it,” says Plümacher. “We have devel- oped an app – JettApp – that allows you to scan a ULD’s QR code with your smartphone and then sign your signature with your finger, and that’s a legally reliable contract. With the app and your smartphone camera you can also document


any damage to the ULD and sync that to our global data- base. What’s really important though is having a system in place that incentivises the one who documents damage, so that they do not pass on the damaged ULD further down the chain and we are in the middle of launching such a plan.


“Though [the app] is only a


small investment in compari- son to dealing with the damage that comes to ULDs, it has been critical in terms of data man- agement and for processes.” Four years ago, Jettainer


tested several lightweight ULDs. It is now in the process of changing its units to light- weight versions and will next look at composite containers. This has two advantages. “Containers have two main issues: obviously weight, but also complexity. With com- plexity fewer parts means less maintenance and the easier and more efficiently you can change parts the better it is.” One area that has shown significant growth has been environment tracking for per- ishables and pharmaceuticals and, indeed, Plümacher says


PLÜMACHER


Tough only a small investment, it has been important


the company is planning to introduce cool-chain manage- ment. “The high value in such a container, especially pharma, makes that data import- ant. This type of business is important.” The next step he says will


be to incorporate tracking and tracing devices into the unit. “QR is passive tracking not active. If the economies of scale go low enough that we can do that with ULDs for gen- eral cargo then we will, but it is not possible at the moment.”


Intelleflex improves cargo visibility


SUPPLY-CHAIN VISIBILITY is key when dealing with temperature-sensitive cargo, says Kevin Payne, senior director of marketing at US-based technology provider Intelleflex. “It’s important for producers, manufacturers, logistics suppliers and the recipient to think about their entire cold supply chain, from the beginning to the end,” Payne tells ACW. “Any segment of the chain can become the weakest link — and once a product has experienced an excursion or issue, it’s often impossible to recover it.” Such oversights can lead to waste, spoilage and safety issues, he adds.


Mitigating these risks led Intelleflex to develop products like Zest Data Services, Payne explains. The cloud-based platform, which Intelleflex rolled out last year, allows users to share, analyse and respond to data about the location and condition of a product. Payne says Zest improves vis- ibility in the supply chain by relaying data about freight in a ULD to the manufacturer or third-party logistics provider. Payne says Intelleflex is developing systems that allow products within the ULD to be monitored at an individu- al-carton level. The pharmaceutical sector, in particular, is benefiting from these advancements and the same is true for highly perishable foods, such as seafood, meats, fruits and vegetables. “The result is that waste can be averted, quality can be maintained, and shipments can be delivered with better quality and safety.”


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