18


Issue 1 2020 - Freight Business Journal


///IT Airfreight flies through Hamburg with Dakosy


Late last year, Hamburg Airport launched a new digital booking service for forwarders and express service providers designed to speed up booking and handling times, as well as to improve transparency in the air cargo supply chain. FAIR@link is a cargo community


platform for airports developed by German soſtware specialist Dakosy. It was launched in early winter 2019 at Hamburg Airport following six-months of testing. Alexander Müller, head of cargo


at Hamburg Airport says: “The new platform is an important step into the digital future for us. With FAIR@ Link, we can significantly improve handling processes and manage the increasing volume of traffic on the ground more efficiently. At the same time, we increase sustainability and promote environmentally compatible growth.” Forwarders can use FAIR@Link


to book time slots for deliveries. This shortens waiting and handling times, creating greater transparency and improving documentation for handling agents, who no longer need to re- enter data, avoiding mistakes and saving time. Digitalisation of bookings also


allows for the preparation of export declarations and automatic submission of electronic forms upon arrival at Hamburg Airport customs office’s geofenced area. The airport and DAKOSY


worked with partners on the pilot: forwarders Cross Freight, Delta-Stallion, a.hartrodt and Sable; handling agents LUG and Swissport; Hamburg Airport Customs Office; and the Hamburg Forwarding Agents Association


(VHSp). Cross Freight managing


director Jens Sorgenfrei, enthuses: “Transports preregistered via FAIR@Link are handled preferentially by handling agents at the airport. The slot bookings save us several hours every day. Processes are easier to plan. All in all, we benefit in customs and door clearances.” LUG managing director Jürgen


Vogt, adds: “With slot booking, our EDP


system receives all


information before arrival of the goods. The data does not have to be entered again when the document is received. This saves a lot of time and speeds up the receiving process. With FAIR@Link, we gain more transparency into all processes and can better manage our capacities with regard to door and personnel availability.”


Looking ahead


Müller says that Hamburg Airport has long been a believer in digitisation. “When our Hamburg Airport Cargo Center (HACC) entered into operation in May 2016, we were already thinking about digital solutions to optimise operations.” FAIR@Link will be an important


part of the digitised mix. “In the search for a suitable system that met our requirements, the choice was not difficult,” Müller informs. “The FAIR@Link Cargo Community System is a proven solution, already in use at Germany’s biggest


air cargo


hub, Frankfurt Airport. Many of the forwarding agents, handling partners and truck operators there are also active in Hamburg, and in many cases already use


the system. DAKOSY is a reliable partner,


fulfilling our and our


partners’ requirements and their customers at HACC.” There is plenty of scope for


further development across the Hamburg cargo community. “We hope to see as many forwarding agents as possible using FAIR@Link,” says Müller. “The system brings a lot of benefits. For companies involved in transhipment, transparency increases along the chain and processes become quicker and more efficient. “And a positive side effect,


very important to us at Hamburg Airport, is sustainability. Optimised processes reduce waiting times, and digitalisation means less paper– two ways in which FAIR@ Link contributes to protecting the environment. “It is an obvious step to move


from paper-based processes to digital solutions. We will continue our discussions with those involved, namely freight forwarding agents, cargo handlers and truck operators, in an attempt to win more FAIR@Link partners in Hamburg.” Further expansion of the


platform’s capability will very likely attract new users. “When we installed FAIR@Link at Hamburg Airport, we first implemented the system on the export side,” remembers Müller. “For the future, it is planned to extend the platform to the import area, and initial workshops for this are currently underway. “Due to the high volume of


hazardous goods at HACC, we also plan to move from DGD (Shipper’s Declaration for Dangerous Goods) to the electronic eDGD, thus


pressing ahead with paperless air cargo.”


Modular composition


DAKOSY, which also operates the community system for Hamburg seaport and the cargo community system for Frankfurt Airport, took the lead in developing the portal. Chief executive Ulrich Wrage, declares: “FAIR@Link can optimise the physical processes between companies and achieve significantly faster and more transparent processing. In addition, optimised traffic management and reduced check-in and waiting times lead to CO2 savings. And it saves paper, too.” Dirk Gladiator, authorised officer


of DAKOSY, offers FBJ more detail on the nature and capability of the FAIR@Link platform. “FAIR@ Link has a modular structure and is adapted to the special requirements of airports and their logistics customers. Depending on


requirements, Customs, security, dangerous goods and supply chain management processes are also supported – in many cases automatically. “However, this also means that it


is not possible to simply implement standard soſtware,” Gladiator recalls. “In the preliminary stages, we talked to all those involved and developed a system together that met all needs. Our decades of experience in developing logistics soſtware as well as our experience in port community systems helped.” The six-month testing phase


did reveal a few issues. “A test phase always serves to stabilise the soſtware and raise user


awareness,” Gladiator notes. “The pilot customers started testing bit by bit. The biggest challenges were to adapt the pilot customers’ operations to the new processes and to motivate employees to use FAIR@Link in their daily work. “Of course, we are also in


contact with other airports around the world about a possible implementation of our soſtware. The interest is great because FAIR@ Link is able to solve the urgent problems of these airports as it enables all companies involved – in particular handling agents, forwarders, truckers and airlines – to optimise and accelerate their transport and freight processes on both the import and export side.”


DHL’s Saloodo! drives into Africa


In November Saloodo! announced that it would be the first international digital road freight platform to cover part of the African continent. It now covers domestic shipments within South Africa and movements to several neighbouring countries. Further expansion to connect


shippers and carriers within the wider Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region is planned for early this year. Deutsche


Post DHL Group


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


subsidiary Saloodo! was launched in 2017 in Germany. From Western Europe it spread in mid-2019 to the Middle East and the move into Africa represents a new market for the platform. In total, the service now covers over 30,000 shippers and 12,000 carriers in 35 countries. With South Africa as its launch


pad, Saloodo! is the first digital platform available in the SSA region, offering a single, simple and reliable interface for shippers and transport providers to optimise costs, routes, cargo and transit times. Backed by DHL’s global and regional footprint, all contractual relationships on the platform are organised via the local DHL entity. Tobias Maier, chief executive


forwardcomputers.co.uk


of Saloodo! Middle East and Africa, declares: “With real-time


visibility, Saloodo! will inject greater transparency and efficiency to the road network in the region, enabling shippers – from small enterprises to large multinational groups – to find trusted and reliable freight carriers in South Africa. This will in turn help carriers manage existing fleets and optimize capacity with full truckload shipments. He explains: “Although road


freight volumes in South Africa have been increasing steadily, the market is highly fragmented and less efficiently organised than more mature markets. Saloodo! can add real value in terms of transparency, efficiency and security to both shippers and carriers. “Our digital platform is designed


for ease of use, and the security and connectivity that it offers combined


with DHL’s logistics


expertise will help leverage the potential of South Africa’s road freight market and trade volumes.” Maier says the demographics


of South Africa also fuel demand for digital solutions: “Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with 60% of the continent below the age of 25. This is a dynamic generation of digitally minded young adults, demanding smart solutions both on the business and


home front. Saloodo! addresses that by offering a shipping process that is particularly fast, smart and reliable.” Saloodo! already connects


South African shippers with neighbouring countries and plans to expand to further key markets in SSA in the first half of 2020. However, it is solely focused on road freight and there are no plans to break out into other modes which is “how we ensure that we meet the many challenges that exist


in this area without


losing focus”, says Maier. “Further modes are of course covered by DHL Global Forwarding and its extensive network across the African continent.” Prior to November’s Africa


announcement, in October Saloodo! added new capabilities to the service including allowing shippers to offer freight tenders. The new function was initially tested


with simple one-way


traffic and, following “consistently positive reactions”, it decided to formally add the new option. Now it is possible for users to


place multi-stop and round-trip tenders. Transportation service providers can then bid on these tenders.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24