14


Issue 1 2021 - FBJNA


///IT


These benefits can of course


Import and export customers of dnata are now benefiting from the Appointment and Dock Management (ADM) system on Siemens’ AX4 logistics platform. The digital solution enables freight forwarders to book an appointment


with one


of dnata’s cargo terminals for the delivery or pick up consignments. ADM


parameters such as shipment characteristics, flight details, vehicle


types and


an average of just 30 minutes, confirms the handler. It also allows terminal operators to see demand in real time, enabling them to plan resources and serve customers in a timely manner, while ADM also co-ordinates with Dubai Customs to schedule inspection. As vice president consulting


considers other


business-relevant factors to determine an optimal slot for the delivery or acceptance of freight. According to Siemens, a unique feature of the platform is its capability to ‘intelligently predict’ appropriate slot time and duration based on the historical behaviour of the forwarder concerned and the relevant flight schedule. ADM has reduced the


average freight handling time at dnata’s Dubai cargo terminals by more than 60%, to


of Siemens’ Digital Logistics software and consulting arm, Jürgen Schulz was directly involved in the dnata project. As noted above, ADM is based on the logistics collaboration platform


AX4 offered by


Siemens Digital Logistics, a platform that supports various supply chain execution processes, Schulz tells FBJ. Some of these processes


involve slot management, and ADM represents one such example, where it has been


specially adopted for


requirements and business processes relating to air cargo handling. The AX4 platform was


Clear on expectations


been running at both locations for import cargo since December 2019. The export cargo handling aspect of the system went into operation late last year and the platform has been in operational use in Dubai 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he says.


Aligning business and cargo handling processes helps to


reduce handling times


for users such as dnata; it also enables optimised resource utilisation, reduces waiting times at warehouses and improves customer satisfaction, he asserts.


Nallian expands its reach into the US


Dallas/Fort Worth International has become the first US airport to start using Nallian’s Cloud-based data sharing platform for cargo customers. Within its Cargo Cloud


offering, Nallian provides a range of apps underpinned by a data-sharing platform for logistics hubs that are designed to allow collaborative transactions


across the supply chain. In time, the aim is for DFW’s


cargo community, united by Nallian, to take in freight forwarders, shippers, ground handling agents (GHAs), third-party logistics providers (3PLs), airlines, Customs and Border Protection and trucking companies. The technology will


reduce the amount of time and paperwork required for


cargo passing through DFW. A dedicated


slot booking


application allows truckers and freight forwarders to request and reserve dock door slot times,


capabilities. Its introduction at DFW is said to represent one part of the airport’s wider digital transformation strategy. DFW handled 971,000


eliminating wait


times while reducing roadway congestion and harmful emissions. Future enhancements are


expected to include real-time pharmaceutical shipment tracking and monitoring


tons of cargo in the 2019 financial year, and it is an important freight hub for the surrounding region, as well as a link between the US and Latin America. According to its executive vice president of global strategy and


Bernd Struck, senior vice president, UAE cargo and DWC airline services for dnata, tells FBJ that development of the ADM system was a collaborative process. He recalls: “Although dnata was clear on its expectations for such a system, we worked hand in hand with Siemens for over two years in a mutual


development, John Ackerman: “DFW Airport continues to focus and invest in our cargo business. This new platform makes processing cargo through DFW more efficient by providing accurate and timely information to our cargo community.” Nallian chief executive, Jean


Verheyen, enthuses, “With Nallian’s mission in mind – ‘to make the world operate as one’ – we are thrilled to see how our infrastructure also empowers forward-thinking airports such as DFW and their


fully developed and is still maintained and operated by Siemens Digital Logistics. In operation with dnata at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and


Dubai World (DWC), the ADM solution has ADM offers significant Central


potential for digitalisation, collaboration and optimisation of cargo handling with particular strengths in cross- enterprise processes and collaboration, Schulz declares.


be leveraged at other cargo gateways as well as those in Dubai. In fact, says Schulz, “Siemens Digital Logistics is known for providing tailored customer solutions. We are already providing various solutions for small, medium and large enterprise industry customers. Providing solutions similar to ADM to other customers and gateways is our core business.” It


offers especially


noteworthy solutions in these days of pandemic, he believes, asserting: “Siemens Logistics applies IoT [Internet of Things] technology and analytics to track and monitor high special care shipments, such as pharmaceuticals” – extremely important in these Covid- ravaged times.


learning process to develop such a tool on the base of the existing Siemens AX4 platform. “The biggest challenge has


been the integration of dozens of other existing systems, ensuring an orchestrated process of all steps of cargo handling and customer requirements. “The now fully operational


ADM solution from Siemens is a crucial element in our overall digital transformation program,” Struck asserts. “The tool seamlessly integrates into our existing air cargo supply chain community trading platform, connecting over 800 supply chain partners with 2,000 users.” As we


saw from Schulz,


systems like ADM might very well be a feature of the future, but there are obstacles to be overcome, Struck considers. “The implementation of such systems requires significant investment,” he points out.


“I


see airports with community systems (like Calogi in Dubai), which provide the main interface to their customers land and airside, in the lead for this. “I don’t think that these


systems can be developed in time for the anticipated Covid shipments, however.”


partners to leverage the power of digitisation on a global level.” Alex Driesen, his co-


entrepreneur at Nallian, tells FBJ that Nallian’s Cargo Cloud is “perfectly geared” to empower large hubs such as DFW to streamline their cross-company operations. But it can also, he says, offer significant benefits for smaller airports that bring together a limited number of actors, ones that are typically looking for process visib ili t y ,


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