Leading supply chain visibility provider FourKites has announced the availability of a new Inbound Visibility solution that provides customers with a highly predictive, accurate and seamless way to manage all inbound orders and shipments across all modes, through the entire order lifecycle. By analyzing real-time data throughout the freight journey, the solution enhances a company’s ability to manage all inbound shipments and orders accurately. Moreover, it helps users across an organization identify disruptions and prioritize actions based on those that will have the highest impact on the business.
When it comes to inbound shipment visibility, companies today are hindered by outdated information, delayed shipment updates and manual processes that result in wasted resources, costly expedites and disappointed customers. For updates to their inbound shipments, shippers rely on manual analyses that take over a day to complete; carrier updates that come only in the last leg of a shipment’s journey; and expensive solutions to mitigate any disruptions that may have occurred in transit.
FourKites is changing that paradigm with its Inbound Visibility solution that provides deep inbound shipment- and order-level insights across all modes to all stakeholders in a secure, integrated platform. With tracking that starts before a shipment is even tendered, users can access actionable data across each stage of an order’s lifecycle and can identify if an order is late or short-filled up to four weeks before delivery, allowing ample response time. Moreover, any disruptions detected are assigned a dollar amount to help teams prioritize their actions based on business impact.
“Our Inbound Visibility solution is a high-impact innovation to tackle one of the most complex, enduring challenges in the industry,” says Priya Rajagopalan, Chief Product Officer at FourKites. “As the only real-time visibility provider that offers true order lifecycle visibility, starting before a shipment is even tendered to the carrier, we are uniquely positioned to connect the dots at the order level all the way across the supply chain, giving each stakeholder the information they need to take action, and creating even greater value for our customers.”
As with all FourKites products, customers can access the Inbound Visibility solution via FourKites’ My Workspace. This dashboard displays connected insights from across the FourKites product suite in a single, unified view, allowing users to access critical supply chain insights faster than ever.
Raft co-founder and chief executive James Coombes has been at the Executive Summit of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) in Brussels, Belgium, this week.
He told delegates there that human-centric technology is key to the successful adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across the global logistics industry.
AI creates the space necessary to foster and maintain human relationships – those relationships on which the logistics industry thrives, he said.
If AI is to be successfully adopted by logistics players, solutions will need to be found that enable forwarders and customs brokers to prioritize these human connections, he added, emphasizing that freight forwarding is ultimately a relationships business, and that AI can be valuable in so much as it can free up time for forwarders and customs brokers to focus on the human elements of their work.
“While it’s true that AI holds tremendous potential, trust and human relationships are fundamental elements in logistics, and these emotional aspects are an area where AI has its limitations,” Coombes declared.
“The connections we build with our service providers, customers and partners are invaluable and irreplaceable.
“Our approach is to use AI to automate the more routine, lower-value tasks, allowing freight forwarders and customs brokers to concentrate on nurturing and enhancing these crucial relationships.”
If this approach is used, “Freight forwarders and customs brokers can take small steps to implement AI to address their operational pain points, recognize the immense value of this, and slowly build and scale their use of modern technology from there,” Coombes advised.
Raft’s chief growth officer, Lionel van der Walt, also spoke on the Sustainability panel that was a feature of the TIACA summit. He emphasized the benefits of adopting AI-driven solutions to prepare for upcoming sustainability regulations coming into effect across the EU in January 2024.
Last month (October), Raft’s chief technology officer, Nisarg Mehta, said in a speech that customs brokers would benefit from a shift to AI for data entry and discrepancy identification, according to logistics platform.
Speaking at the US Northern Border Customs Brokers Association (NBCBA) Fall Conference, Mehta outlined how AI can achieve greater levels of operational efficiency, accuracy and transparency.
“Imagine customs brokers shifting from manual data entry to using AI-driven solutions that automate this type of work and help them identify discrepancies in a timely way when every second on the clock counts,” Mehta said.
“Harnessing AI is not just about automation; it’s about elevating our ability to ensure compliance, bolster security and refine customer service.”
Raft is an intelligent logistics platform that embeds AI into workflows and standardizes diverse data inputs – whether email content, EDI or API – to improve performance.
Established in 2017, today Raft serves 60 freight forwarders across more than 30 countries around the world. Its platform is used to execute over 300,000 shipments per month.
Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA) has selected Kale Logistics Solutions (Kale) to provide a cargo community system to help automate communication between stakeholders.
The Airport Kargo Paydaş Platformu (KPP), which will be implemented in collaboration with TroyNet, will provide airlines, cargo agents, handlers, customs and security agencies access to all cargo-related information in a single location.
Kale said this should contribute to a reduction in lead times, speed up processing, reduce costs and improve asset utilization.
“With this system, we will encourage digital trade, facilitate business, and establish a digital infrastructure to ensure that cargo moves faster at the least possible cost,” said Selahattin Bilgen, deputy chief executive, İGA.
“Istanbul is a critical air cargo connection point and we are determined to develop and expand our air cargo network – the implementation of KPP is an important milestone in providing best-in-class services to our customers and stakeholders,”
Vineet Malhotra, director and co-founder of Kale Logistics Solutions, added: “For more than a decade, Kale has been combining its deep industry knowledge and experience of working with more than 100 air cargo stations to help airports transform into smart logistics hubs.”
Unsworth has integrated Pledge’s carbon emissions measurement platform with its freight management app, Pathway, to add an accredited logistics carbon accounting functionality to the UK freight forwarder’s basic service portfolio.
Pledge empowers freight forwarders to enable their customers to understand, report, and reduce their freight emissions.
Pathway is a Cloud-based supply chain management app designed to democratize digital tools typically reserved for enterprise clients.
The newly integrated functionality enables Unsworth and its customers to measure, understand, and report their carbon emissions to allow them to make informed decisions to minimize the carbon footprint of their services.
Pledge also ensures that Pathway supports Unsworth’s clients’ carbon accounting and emissions reporting requirements by providing them with transparent, auditable reporting on freight emissions.
“Unsworth customers can now access Pledge’s industry-leading emissions measurement and reporting platform, helping them with climate disclosure obligations and supporting their emissions reduction journey,” said David de Picciotto, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Pledge.
“Emissions regulations in the EU and the UK require businesses to start reporting on emissions produced from 2024 onwards. To ensure all shippers can comply, forwarders need to provide easy access to emissions measurement and reporting tools for their customers.
“Unsworth recognizes this, and they have chosen to partner with Pledge in order to provide their customers with the necessary tools to meet these evolving demands.”
Pledge’s Clarity™ feature helps promote additional transparency in the supply chain by creating a clear and detailed breakdown of how emissions are calculated at each leg of the shipment journey based on the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC) methodology.
Unsworth customers can now benefit from traceable emissions calculations that provide assurance and trust throughout the supply chain.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Pledge, having thoroughly analyzed the marketplace,” said James Coombs, Head of Innovation, Unsworth.
“This strategic partnership enables us to leverage Pledge’s experience and expertise to better support our clients in their sustainability journey by pushing this new functionality to market quickly through Pathway, our self-designed and developed freight management app.
“By harnessing Pledge’s API solutions, we will empower our clients to set and achieve their environmental goals while driving positive change in the freight industry.”
Pledge’s partnership with Unsworth demonstrates the freight forwarder’s commitment to environmentally responsible business practices and will support existing customers’ climate-positive goals while attracting new like-minded clients.
Ahead of the 10th year of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGSS) slated for January 2024, DP World, a global leader in smart end-to-end supply chain logistics actively participated in the Vibrant Gujarat – Vibrant Kutch event held on 10th and 11th October 2023, at the Ambedkar Convention Centre in Gandhidham, Gujarat, India.
Kutch, Gujarat’s largest district, today handles 23% of India’s total port traffic and that is expected to increase to 30% in the next five years. Moreover, under Gati Shakti National Master Plan, the Centre has plans to quadruple the Samakhiali to Gandhidham highway in Kutch, thereby increasing its connectivity with neighboring states.
Particularly considering the remarkable infrastructure changes transpiring in the region and pro-business policies being put into place, Kutch is a significant area of importance for DP World. With the establishment of state-of-the-art trade and logistics hubs near the Kandla and Mundra ports, the company is strategically positioned to harness the potential of these developments.
Rizwan Soomar, CEO and MD, Middle East, North Africa and India Subcontinent, DP World, expressed his optimism about the region’s potential, stating, “The Government’s policy-led approach, strong infrastructure push and District as Export Hub initiative (DEH) has provided Kutch with several opportunities for overall development. This coupled with the region’s connectivity, both via sea routes and multimodal logistics networks via road and rail, positions Kutch as one of the key markets for DP World. Our state-of-the-art mega-container terminal at Tuna Tekra near Kandla, planned with an investment of ₹4,243.64 crore, will bear testament to our dedication towards making India a global trade hub. We are confident that our sustained investments in port infrastructure as well as in enhancing multimodal capacity in the country will further enable the flow of trade from and to India.”
During the event, Devang Mankodi, Senior Vice President of Global Shared Services at DP World Subcontinent, spoke on the potential of unlocking the benefits of trade finance for businesses who need access to affordable and innovative financing options to grow their business. He underscored Gujarat’s pivotal role as India’s gateway to global trade, emphasizing Kutch’s unparalleled connectivity to markets like the Middle East and the greater gulf region.
Avnash Iyer, CEO of DP World Mundra, shared insightful perspectives on ‘How Kutch can unlock its potential through ports and multimodal networking infrastructure connecting neighboring states’. He emphasized that Gujarat’s ports are not just gateways; they are engines of economic growth, driving the region and the country forward. He mentioned that at Mundra, DP World already handles a substantial portion of India’s port traffic and is expected to play an even more significant role in the coming years. With seamless connectivity through a multimodal network of private freight terminals, warehousing, cold chain, express, rail, and state-of-the-art free trade and warehousing zones, DP World is well-positioned to provide seamless trade offerings from Gujarat to the Middle East, Western Europe and African markets.
As part of its commitment to the region’s development, the company is actively collaborating with local stakeholders and government bodies to foster local sustainable growth through social responsibility and capability-building efforts.
DP World currently operates five container terminals in India – two in Nhava Sheva, one each in Mundra, Cochin and Chennai – with a combined capacity of approximately 6 million TEUs, which will rise to 8.19 million TEUs, with the terminal at Tuna Tekra commencing operations.
CEVA Logistics recently opened its 135,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art transload facility. Robots from Boston Dynamics will be used to serve CEVA’s customers at the strategically located site within miles of both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles—two pivotal gateways for global trade and the U.S. economy.
The new transload site is the only transload facility in North America to offer a cross-belt sortation device, enabling 10,000 parcels to be sorted every hour based on preselected variables such as size, color or preferred carrier. The facility caters to automotive, consumer retail and technology companies and was constructed with efficiency and velocity in mind.
CEVA will be one of the first logistics companies in the country to leverage Boston Dynamics’ state-of-the-art Stretch robots to unload hundreds of boxes per hour. The autonomous robots can operate continuously, improving efficiency and preventing safety concerns associated with using manual labor for the same process. Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot is also being used for security, patrolling the site. CEVA is also using One Network’s yard and warehouse management systems to ensure end-to-end visibility for its customers.
CEVA expects to process a total of 26,000 floor-loaded containers during the facility’s first year in operation and to double its capacity within three years. Beyond its impressive capacity, technology and automation, the site was designed to minimize its carbon footprint. Environmental initiatives, including rooftop solar panels and EV trucks powered by renewable energy sources, will be in service by January 2024.
In addition to leveraging the Los Angeles transload warehouse, supply chain customers will also have access to CEVA’s drayage fleet and dedicated container chassis when moving product from port to warehouse. These offerings can alleviate transportation delays and avoid commonly experienced resource bottlenecks. The site features 50 dock doors and parking for 205 trailers.
Ashfaque Chowdhury, managing director for North America, CEVA Logistics, said: “The addition of our Los Angeles transload facility demonstrates CEVA’s ongoing commitment to expanding our services in North America. The new site builds on our robust network of warehouses across the continent, giving our customers more control and flexibility over their supply chains.”
Kevin Blankespoor, senior vice president and general manager of warehouse robotics, Boston Dynamics, said: “We’re excited to deploy our robots at CEVA’s new facility. Stretch is designed to unload containers safely and rapidly, which can be a difficult task to perform manually based on the height and weight of boxes, as well as the often-high temperatures found inside containers. Stretch can reach boxes up to 50 pounds in weight, its vision system enables it to adapt to different stacking configurations, and it does not require any pre-programming. The robots are ready to go to work as soon as they arrive.”
Joshua Bowen, global head of ocean freight, CEVA Logistics, said: “We are proud to offer a new state-of-the-art transload facility near two of the busiest ports in the United States. CEVA’s ocean freight capabilities combine with our ground freight expertise to provide a fully optimized transload solution that offers our global customers more supply chain efficiency, thus improving their opportunity to capitalize on the North American market.”
UPS and transport technology provider Aurrigo have announced a collaborative project to deploy an autonomous electric vehicle designed to move heavy cargo loads to and from aircraft at the UPS hub within East Midlands Airport.
The “Auto-Cargo” vehicle can transport a standard full-size cargo pallet or two half-size aviation industry standard containers or Unit Load Devices (ULD) up to a total load of 7.5 tonnes and is designed to tow a further fully loaded cargo trailer behind it.
Autonomous technology built into the vehicle will enable the limited numbers of security-cleared drivers to be freed-up to perform other roles around the airport, while also producing zero tail pipe emissions.
Development of the vehicle, including the pilot phase, is expected to take 14 months and is supported by matched funding of almost £500,000 from Innovate UK, the UK Government’s innovation agency, and government unit, The Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.
Aurrigo chief executive David Keene said: “This vehicle allows an airfreight operator to help decarbonise and automate its ground operations for lower emissions and greater efficiency. By combining the tractor and trailer into one unit, we save space, which in a busy cargo hub like East Midlands Airport is vital to efficient loading and unloading of aircraft.’’
Matt Nicholson, UPS international director of automotive engineering, commented: “Our business is all about delivering parcels efficiently through our global, integrated network. This collaboration will help us do that with increased safety and zero tailpipe emissions, making our airside operation more efficient with a purpose-designed vehicle.’’
Qatar Airways Cargo has relaunched its Mail product to include 100% electronic data interchange (EDI) functionality.
The cargo carrier said that EDI is rolled out at over 110 of its stations, with all stations equipped with handheld android scanners.
“Traditionally serving one customer per origin based on their unique post office identification (IMPC) code, the carrier’s Mail product can now cater to the requirements of targeted agents across the network,” said Qatar Airways Cargo.
“This allows Qatar Airways Cargo to accept mail shipments from multiple customers from the same origin, regardless of the IMPC code used.”
The carrier’s customers are also able to carry out real-time tracking of their consignment’s throughput the shipment process.
The technology in use enables Qatar Airways Cargo to share Response to Documents International Transport advice (RESDITs) for critical milestones during a mailbag’s journey.
As part of the relaunch, the product offers a suite of customizable services designed for both traditional and hybrid postal modes – Express Mail, Priority Mail, Standard Mail and Empty Mail Receptacles.
The Mail product meets the regulatory standards set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU).
Freightos – owners of WebCargo – reported a loss in the second quarter of the year as revenues narrowed slightly.
The digital software company saw its second quarter revenues decline 1.2% year on year to $5.1m, its operating loss worsened by 0.7% to $5.9m and its loss improved by 5% to $5.7m.
Transactions on the platform increased by 59% year on year to 239,000 and the number of airlines offering their capacity is up 19% year on year at 37 airlines, although no further airlines were added in the second quarter compared with the first.
The company said that while overall revenues had declined, there was an improvement on the booking side of the business.
“The Freightos Platform facilitated record Transaction numbers, and earned slightly increased Platform Revenue during the second quarter of 2023, with our growth successfully overcoming depressed international freight rates and reduced industry volumes,” said Zvi Schreiber, founder and chief executive of Freightos.
“Growth and innovation on the carrier supply side, as well as a 10% year over year growth in Unique Buyer Users, has fueled an increase in our market share that emphasizes the continued adoption of digital bookings.”
He added that he was encouraged by improving freight rates, especially in transpacific ocean shipping, and expected improvements generated by its operational efficiency plan which was implemented in July.
Schreiber said this would help improve profit performance and enable the company to reach profitability with existing funds.
Ran Shalev, chief financial officer of Freightos, added: “Despite difficult industry conditions, the company remains on track to improve Adjusted ebitda in Q3 and after.
“The results of the operational efficiency plan implemented in early Q3 are anticipated to be reflected in the Company’s financials as early as this quarter and are not expected to compromise underlying growth.”
The company is predicting an adjusted ebitda loss of between $21.5m and $19.8m for the full year.
Emirates SkyCargo is now live on CargoAi’s CargoMART marketplace solution to offer freight forwarders real-time pricing and capacity information during the booking process.
The partnership launched in the Netherlands, Spain and France, and will open up to customers in select countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Far East and Australasia in the coming months.
Through the CargoMART solution, customers will be able to access Emirates SkyCargo schedules, tariff and contract rates, along with real-time access to available capacity, enabling immediate bookings 24/7.
On the backend, the partnership is anticipated to drive greater efficiency and accuracy. Once the system is fully operational, over 10,000 freight forwarders on CargoAi’s database will have access.
Nabil Sultan, divisional senior vice president, Emirates SkyCargo, said: “As we increase our digital connectivity, we are able to offer more choice for our customers to connect with Emirates SkyCargo’s market-leading capabilities and extensive global network.
“CargoAi’s digital touchpoint enables both our existing and new customers from across the world to book with Emirates SkyCargo at their convenience, providing an additional channel that further strengthens our world class customer experience.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Emirates SkyCargo to enhance their digital customer experience through our marketplace solution, CargoMART. By providing real-time pricing and capacity information, we empower our mutual customers with greater choice and convenience, enabling them to make immediate bookings 24/7,” said Matt Petot, chief executive of CargoAi.
“This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to driving efficiency and accuracy in airfreight, and we look forward to further strengthening the world-class customer experience provided by Emirates SkyCargo.”
Emirates SkyCargo’s five core products are listed on CargoMART, including Emirates Fresh and Emirates Fresh Breathe, an integrated and responsive cool chain designed for perishables; Emirates AOG for time-critical aircraft parts; Emirates Airfreight Priority for urgent shipments that depend on speed and reliability; and Emirates Airfreight for the quick and careful transport of general cargo.
Technology has made the world smaller and faster.Real time communication with people from all over the world at different time zones through phones and gadgets
