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Issue 6 2019 - Freight Business Journal


r e s erv a ti o n systems of two


(or more) partner carriers and


enables real-time capacity inquiries and seamless booking in each other’s system with application of appropriate revenue management controls. The solution does not require complex system integration and can integrate easily with the carrier’s existing booking system.” At the moment,


it is only


applicable to air freight carriers, and not for other modes. However, says Vaideeswaran, the underlying platform technologies of AFLS Exchange could be applied in any situation where there is supply and demand for capacity along routes.


Development Accenture’s work on the


platform began over three years ago, and AFLS Exchange was launched more than a year ago at an AFLS customer conference attended by existing Accenture clients and prospects. Vaideeswaran recalls: The


genesis for AFLS Exchange was a high-level problem definition that came from our customer community. The problem and the solution definition went


through multiple agile


iterations of our innovation architecture,


leading to strong


validation of the idea with the entire industry as well as our customer community before we formally launched the platform for all carriers to onboard and reap benefits.” AFKLMP Cargo was a pre- existing element of Accenture’s


end-to-end AFLS Air Cargo Suite


core of modules, designed


to support a freight carrier’s core business. Unlike the AFLS Cargo Suite that is meant for a single carrier, AFLS Exchange is a digital platform for the entire air


cargo community. “The


Exchange platform is for the entire industry to collaborate in new ways and unleash the full potential of the partnerships and alliances in this industry,” says Vaideeswaran. AFLS Exchange fits into


a range of capabilities that Accenture offers the air cargo industry. As mentioned above, its first line of offering is for a carrier’s core business and is called the AFLS Air Cargo Suite. This is a digital-ready platform helping airlines drive profitable growth in their


business by providing


cross-functional capabilities across sales, customer service, pricing, revenue management, operations and finance. “The capabilities we offer in


the Air Cargo Suite are focused on users within the boundaries of the enterprise with support for industry best-in-class processes, data architecture and the latest technologies needed to stay relevant and differentiated in this post digital world,” says Vaideeswaran. Accenture’s second line of


offering is digital connectivity, in which is offered the AFLS Exchange platform and the AFLS Cargo Customer Portal solution. While AFLS Exchange platform helps carriers expand their digital footprint beyond the boundaries of


their


27 up opportunities for


enterprise and opens growth


with their partners in new and existing markets, the AFLS Cargo Customer Portal allows carriers to offer self-service and to “reinvent the way they work with their customers and partners in this digital age”. Further development


is planned. “We continue to invest significantly in our air cargo products and platforms portfolio,” confirms Vaideeswaran. “We have a clear vision, strategy and roadmap for our products and platforms as we pursue our mission to leverage Accenture’s innovation architecture and capabilities to help the air freight industry pivot rapidly and become disruptors rather than disrupted.”


First forwarder- airline interface


Over half the respondents to an IAG Cargo survey said that increased automation and digitalisation were the most important trends in the air freight industry while 81% expect technological change to have a positive impact on their business. IAG Cargo shared the findings


from a global survey of more than 400 freight forwarders in 47 countries on perceptions of the air cargo industry on 1 August in its Cargo Next survey, which identifies the key trends and expectations of forwarders within the next 12 months. The report found that


70% of forwarders surveyed are


expecting the rate of


technological change to increase in the year ahead, in comparison to one year ago, and 81% of forwarders believe technological innovation will have a positive impact on their business. Some 55% of survey


participants identified increased automation and digitalisation as the most important trends in the air freight industry in the near future, followed by the growth of e-commerce (41%). Trade tensions came up third in importance for freight


forwarders, with 29% of survey respondents listing trade tensions dampening growth as a very significant or significant trend. The most significant


challenge identified was talent attraction and retention, with 79% of respondents identifying talent as either very significant or significant. IAG Cargo director of strategy


and revenue optimisation, Enikö Matanovo, said: “We are hugely encouraged by the global appetite of freight forwarders to implement real change in the fields of digitalisation and automation. The scope for


British ports and Rotterdam put their heads together on digitisation


The British Ports Association has published a new joint paper with the Port of Rotterdam on digitalisation. The paper is part of the BPA Port Futures programme, a thought leadership programme where the BPA teams up with industry partners,


innovators and


experts. Rotterdam’s director of


digital business solutions, Joyce Bliek, said: “We look forward to sharing our knowledge and experience in this field with the BPA members, in the hope that


we can both inform and inspire them.” BPA chief executive Richard


Ballantyne added: “We are delighted to be working with the Port of Rotterdam examining how smarter operations could deliver a wide range of benefits to the ports and logistics sectors in the UK and beyond. “Smart port operations can


offer new ways of improving port services and infrastructure by getting the most out of our assets and joining up different parts of the supply chain within


and beyond ports. This paper sets out some of the benefits of smart operations and how ports can benefit. Ports of all sizes face similar challenges in adapting to new technologies and developments in the industries we serve. Smart port operations will give ports the edge in becoming


greener


and ultimately, more efficient in serving the wide range of industries we support.” https://connect.portofrotterdam.


com/portforward-digital-maturity- bpa


forwardcomputers.co.uk


digitalisation and automation to transform the cargo industry is huge. We are dedicated to bringing advancements from within and outside the air cargo industry to continually improve and deliver the best service for our customers. “Our work in this area has


accelerated significantly in recent years. We are working with start-ups from the Hangar 51 accelerator programme, trialling new technologies and investing in innovation to improve the way we work. We


have further developed


our APIs, enabling real-time information on rates, available capacities, and routing options via e-booking platforms, customer booking systems, and IAGCargo.com, providing a one-stop shop for freight forwarders.” http://marketing.iagcargo.com/ report/cargo-next.


Kuehne + Nagel and Air France KLM Martinair Cargo have joined forces to improve integration of their electronic booking processes. A recently concluded proof of concept enabled total host-to-host connection through application programming interface (API)


and was the first time that an airfreight carrier and a global logistics provider have created a direct system-to-system connection. Both companies have agreed to further develop the solution and to start the roll- out in Europe and South Asia Pacific.


soſtware deal


Ceva Logistics has signed a multi-year, seven figure contract with freight software firm Kontainers to power its primary customer- facing e-commerce portal. The


forwarder will utilize


Kontainers’ Enterprise product for rates, booking, customs, trucking, FCL/LCL, global


schedules, bill of lading, chat support, dashboard analytics, payment system and back office applications. Kontainers says that over 25% of the top 20 forwarders now use Kontainers as their primary e-commerce solution with the same amount again considering at a very advanced stage.


Ceva signs


Forward thinking, Forward moving Since purchasing ForwardOffice in 1998, our business


has evolved considerably. ForwardOffice has developed with us throughout this period. We have developed a


fruitful relationship with FCL and see them very much as a strategic partner, rather than just a software supplier.


Jerry Cook, IT Manager, Meachers Global Logistics


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