DUBAI: Blending technology to create a sustainable environment for tomorrow’s world, Malaysia is creating a “Rainforest Canopy Pavilion” for Expo 2020 Dubai highlighting how those elements can be harmonized and utilized effectively to benefit communities.
The oil-rich Malaysia is one of 192 countries participating in Expo 2020 Dubai, the first to be held in the Middle East and North Africa region (October 20, 2019 thru April 21, 2020).
Designed by Hijjas Architects + Planners, a Kuala Lumpur-based and award-winning firm, ‘The Rainforest Canopy’ was inspired by Malaysia’s oldest rainforests which include the prehistoric rainforest Taman Negara, in Pahang, believed to be 130 million years old.
With the theme “Energising Sustainability”, Malaysia will highlight at the event how agri-commodities have shaped its socio-economic development and commitment to becoming a high-income nation while reducing carbon emissions as well as how the country’s diverse cultures, traditions and races are working together towards Malaysia’s progress with the help of a unified private and government sectors promoting sustainable development across all industries.
The Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change officially unveiled the Malaysian pavilion at the Expo’s Sustainability District under the guidance of Tun Dr.
Mahathir Mohamad who advocated for a building that will be sustainable in the long term.
Malaysia’s current forest cover is at 55.3 percent, or 18.3 million hectares of its total land area, exceeding Malaysia’s initial commitment to the Rio Earth Summit, which was 50%.
“Malaysia aims to attract USD2.5 billion in potential trade and investments, capturing 1,000 business leads with 20 memorandums of understanding or partnership agreements signed in our six-month long participation at Expo 2020 Dubai,” said said Dr. Mohd Nor Azman Hassan, Deputy Commissioner-General for Malaysia in Expo 2020 Dubai and Deputy Secretary General, Science, Technology & Innovation.
“Malaysia Pavilion provides excellent opportunities for world business communities and calls for business partnerships with our 200 organizations/businesses ranging from Sustainable Agriculture and Agricommodity to energy, STI, environment and climate change, culture, tourism and youth, e-commerce and ICT, trade and 4IR, women and community development,” he added.
Set to be a sustainable architecture, Malaysia’s pavilion will use energy efficient features including heli-fans to enhance airflow, self-shading and green landscaping with vertical gardens, solar panels and water harvesting. Materials used in building the structure will also be reused, once the pavilion is dismantled.
In the global air transport industry, there’s no other figure often quoted in the media and most sought after for interviews, even congressional hearings, other than Frederick W. Smith, the founder and chairman of the $70-billion FedEx air transport and logistics company serving more than 220 countries and territories delivering 3.6 million shipments every day.
Smith, 75, hinted at mulling retirement after decades of overseeing the behemoth startup he built nearly 50 years ago with his $4 million inheritance from his father who died when he was just four, a self-made American millionaire who founded the Dixie Greyhound Bus Lines and a chain of restaurants. Smith raised $91 million more through venture capitalists.
Smith got the idea to build FedEx while helping his stepfather, retired Air Force Gen. Fred Hook, run a struggling company overhauling aircraft engines that he bought in Arkansas.
In interviews, Smith said the difficulty of getting parts for the engines they were fixing ignited the idea of overnight delivery concept he first conceived while studying economics at Yale University and the idea of building something after seeing massive destructions serving two tours in Vietnam as platoon commander.
“I wanted to do something productive after blowing so many things up,” the Entrepreneur quoted Smith in an interview.
And so in April of 1971, FedEx began its operations with 14 Falcon jets servicing 25 cities. It was a rough start with so many challenges but today the firm born in Memphis, Tennessee is looked up to for its pioneering concept and ideas.
FedEx today has more than 680 planes, publicly traded on NYSE with assets in excess of US$70 billion, with 425,000 employees across the world as of 2018.
With lots of sense of humor, Smith appeared as himself in the 2000 movie Cast Away where Tom Hanks played as a FedEx employee stranded on an island.
Smith attributes much of his entrepreneurial success to being a Marine where flexibility and accomplishing a mission are paramount.
“When people ask “What business school did you go to?” I always say, “U-S-M-C.” They think it’s University of Southern California, but the Marine Corps was my graduate school. It was during the Vietnam War, so it was a tough way to make a living at the time. But I’m very grateful to the Marine Corps,” Smith said in an interview with the magazine the Chief Executive.
A doting father and grandfather, Smith says he remains an ardent student of history to this day, claiming he learned more about business from studying history than from contemporary leadership books.
“If you want to play at a high level, you have to absorb the mistakes that have been made before you,” he once told Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam while hosting a technology conference in Nashville in 2017.
Smith once said in a FedEx blog titled “Perspectives on a Connected World” – “Thanks to the power of connectivity, innovation is exploding around the world. Here’s just one example: In 1927, it took Charles Lindbergh 34 hours to fly from New York to Paris. Today, with just a tap on your mobile device, you can ship a FedEx package to many major world markets overnight.”
And Smith himself will be forever on the annals of world history as the man who made FedEx.
Select customers in Europe to pilot a small number of future heavy-duty electric vehicles with more extensive commercialization to follow
How can the environmental and climate impact of heavy Hgoods traffic be reduced while the demand for transport continues to increase?
Volvo Trucks, having recently started sales of electric trucks for urban transport, believes that electrification can become a competitive alternative also for heavier trucks. To explore and demonstrate the possibilities, Volvo Trucks has developed electric concept trucks for construction operations and regional distribution.
“We see great potential for heavy-duty electric trucks for regional transport and construction in the longer term. With our concept trucks, we aim to explore and demonstrate different solutions for the future while evaluating the level of interest in the market and in society. To increase demand for electrified trucks, the charging infrastructure needs to be rapidly expanded, while stronger financial incentives must be created for hauliers who act as pioneers by choosing new vehicles with a lower environmental and climate footprint,” said Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.
Heavy duty electric trucks can help improve the work environment for drivers and construction workers thanks to low noise level and zero exhaust emissions during operation. The latter will have a significant and positive effect on air quality in cities with many ongoing construction projects.
Due to the lack of noise disturbance, these trucks also make it possible to perform transport operations for more hours per day which opens up new possibilities for streamlining operations, for instance in large construction projects and for transports in and around cities.
A reduction of the overall climate impact of the transport sector is possible by using heavy electric vehicles in regional distribution. The majority of goods distribution by truck within the EU is regional.
“In Europe, there is an enormous number of trucks used for regional goods transport that have an average annual mileage of 80,000 km. This means that increased use of electric vehicles for regional distribution would result in significant climate gains, provided the electricity is fossil-free,” said Lars Mårtensson, Director Environment and Innovation, Volvo Trucks.
Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks
We see great potential for heavy-duty electric trucks for regional transport and construction in the longer term. With our concept trucks, we aim to explore and demonstrate different solutions for the future while evaluating the level of interest in the market and in society. To increase demand for electrified trucks, the charging infrastructure needs to be rapidly expanded, while stronger financial incentives must be created for hauliers who act as pioneers by choosing new vehicles with a lower environmental and climate footprint.
Volvo Trucks’ plan for electric heavy-duty trucks for construction and regional distribution is to start by having selected customers in Europe pilot a small number of future electric vehicles. More extensive commercialization will follow at a later point.
“The speed of electrification will depend on a number of factors. On the one hand, an extensive expansion of the charging infrastructure is needed, and on the other hand it’s necessary to ensure that regional power networks can deliver sufficient transfer capacity in the long term.
“Financial incentives are necessary to induce more hauliers to invest in electric vehicles. Transport buyers can also contribute by offering longer contracts and being more willing to pay for sustainable transports. Many haulage operators have very small margins, so every new investment must be profitable,” explains Mårtensson.
In parallel with increased electrification of the transport sector, ongoing improvement of the efficiency of combustion engines will continue to play a key role for long haul truck transport for many years to come.
“Today’s truck engines are efficient energy converters that can run on diesel or various renewable fuels such as liquefied biogas or HVO, and the technology still has potential for further development,” Mårtensson noted.
What role can Machine Learning play in the trucking industry?
Machine Learning is a term that often get thrown around a lot, particularly in an exaggerated and unrealistic futuristic context. The truth though is that the technology is very much part of our lives already today and benefiting many industries including trucking.
Here is a look at what Machine Learning is enabling for logistics and trucking today and what opportunities it could present in the future.
Let’s start by discussing what Machine Learning is. The term was added to our vocabulary in 1959 by Arthur Samuel, a pioneer in computer gaming and artificial intelligence (AI). Machine learning is a branch of AI founded on the premise that systems can learn from data, identify patterns and provide effective and reliable predictions with minimum human intervention.
Machine Learning is often confused with Deep Learning, a subset of Machine Learning that is inspired by the information processing patterns of the human brain. Deep Learning is often thought of as the next step in Machine Learning as it can learn from its own method of computing and be more accurate in things such as image recognition and natural language processing.
Machine Learning has been around for a long time. But it has truly exploded over the last couple of years thanks to
advancements in computer processing and cloud computing which has allowed for the scaling and analysis of massive amounts of data.
Today Machine Learning exists in every corner of our lives; ever listened to a song recommended by Spotify? Used a virtual personal assistance like Alexa? Or planned a trip with a GPS navigation service or transported goods for an e-commerce customer? Then you have made use of Machine Learning.
Machine Learning is everywhere and trucking is no different. Given the massive amount of data the industry generates through connected vehicles, electronic logging devices, sensors and more, it’s likely to be gain even more traction.
Some areas where Machine Learning is already being applied in trucking include back office automation, route optimization, predictive maintenance and driver development. It is also a key component in the development of technologies like platooning and digital load matching platforms.
But this is just scratching the surface of what Machine Learning can do for the trucking industry. Looking into the future, the technology will continue to evolve, make better predictions in increasingly complex environments and solve the industry’s biggest challenge. Here is a look at some areas where Machine Learning will generate massive value for transport operators:
Optimized freight routingand bundling:
Empty miles account for 20% of road freight traffic in Europe, a number that can go up to 40% in China. A major cause for this is inefficient dispatching systems where trucks are travelling to a pick-up destination without any load.
Machine Learning can reduce the number of empty miles travelled by for instance predicting the arrival time of different vehicles and freight and clustering deliveries based on geographical location and destination. The outcome is not just the better utilization of assets and fewer vehicles on the road but reduction in delivery costs by up to 25 % andemissions by up to 30%. Uber and Lyft use the principle to move people, and new business models are emerging to extend this to the transport of goods.
Traffic flow forecasting: Today city planners and other decision-makers often plan transportation infrastructure without sufficient information about traffic patterns resulting in problems like congestion. At the same time, there is a growing volume of data sources like from G P S navigation, satellite imagery
and even social media check-ins that can be analyzed by Machine Learning technology to make live traffic predictions and recommendations. Through the use of automated traffic signals that operate on of data gleaned from cameras, sensors and satellite imagery, traffic flows could be re-directed to ease congestion, particularly on city roads. The city of Hangzhou is already testing the grounds with the use of ‘Alibabas City Brain project which coordinates more than 1,000 road signals with the aim of preventing or easing gridlock in the city.
Autonomous vehicles: Autonomous driving has been a central concern of the trucking industry for quite some time. Autonomous vehicles wouldn’t be possible without the help of Machine Learning which, among other things, continuously renders the surrounding environment of the self-driving vehicle and predicts possible changes to those surroundings. Vehicle autonomy is already happening though a timeline for full-scale adoption remains elusive due.
What is clear though is that technology offers the potential to lower costs, improve productivity and address the challenges that come with new modes of consumption like e-commerce.
These are just some of the ways in which Machine Learning is and will impact the trucking industry. There are of course many other ways in which the technology will make the logistics industry more proactive, predictive, automated, and personalized.
As a transport provider it will be crucial for your business to adapt and incorporate digital technologies to your everyday operations. By Jonas Lindholm/Volvo Trucks Global
Sending parcels used to be a daunting task. One must carry the package to the post office, Sfill up necessary documents and wait for days to have it delivered to the receiver.
Before the delivery, the parcel also goes through the lengthy process of being barcode stamped with the tracking code given to the sender by the courier company.
That is the thing of the past. Today’s parcel delivery system has been revolutionized with numerous technology and intelligent solutions mainly to serve the e-commerce market which is on an ascending path.
Using intelligent solutions, the parcel being shipped goes to many easy processes on its journey to the recipient from loading to unloading, singulation and recognition all the way to sorting all in one go. For a fool-proof shopping experience it is essential to deliver the package promptly to the customer and on time.
In an email interview with Michael Reichle, CEO of Siemens Logistics, he tells Air Cargo Update about their intelligent solutions for effective and future-proof parcel logistics.
Parcel logistics
“Parcel volumes are growing – and it doesn’t look like they are going to let up any time soon. For the most part, the dynamic e-commerce market is fueling this trend, a market that is expected to almost triple in volume in the next few years,” shared Reichle.
Cross-border parcel shipping is booming like never before but it does have its quirks. Many parcels are also tagged for next-day delivery, whether on the same continent or to a destination on the other side of the world. Also, the parcels and packages common to e-commerce are typically smaller than the average. Customer expectations for the fastest delivery possible at low prices add to the challenges.
“As the result of these trends, adjustments in processes in and around sorting centers have become necessary. Siemens’ answer is to combine its portfolio of innovative machines and software to provide tailor-made solutions for the most varied requirements. What’s more, Siemens is a proven expert in automation and digitalization, and the partner of choice for innovative and flexible solutions as well as smart software,” said Reichle.
For all steps in the parcel sorting process, from fast truck unloading to reading and coding software backed by over 40 years of technological developments. For all offerings from Siemens, flexibility is built in so that Courier, Express and Parcel (CEP) service providers can react quickly to changing volumes. Maintenance and modernization services complete the offering, because partnering with Siemens means getting the best for today and tomorrow.
“On the software side, Siemens’ recognition, controls, and IT capabilities are proven, sophisticated, and are leveraged across the chain in our offerings. This intelligent approach allows our customers to react quickly to changing volumes and allows operations to be managed holistically,” the Siemens Logistics CEO noted.
Maintenance and modernization services complete the offering. To meet the demand for digitally supported maintenance, Siemens established the Service 4.0 program. Through targeted system data gathering and evaluation, Service 4.0 is the basis for a predictive maintenance strategy.
Fully automated unloading solution
Siemens Logistics has launched a new fully automated unloading solution called RUBUS which helps improve efficiency in sorting centers.
The solution was developed in response to growing parcel numbers worldwide and the need to handle these faster. According to Siemens, thanks to RUBUS, parcel service providers can unload trailers at unprecedented speeds and therefore operations become more efficient.
“Siemens’ fully automatic solution for parcels and packages drives productivity to unprecedented levels. Parcel service providers are able to unload trailers at unprecedented speeds, namely up to 20 times faster than manual processes. This rate is controllable and can be throttled dynamically to match available system capacity,” said Reichle.
To enable compatibility with RUBUS, an inexpensive stationary belt kit is installed into the trailer or container. This covers the floor, parcels and packages are loaded normally on the belting, and the RUBUS draws itself along the belting to the end of the trailer or container in the process of unloading it.
Michael Reichle, CEO of Siemens Logistics
Siemens engineers drew on over two decades of in-depth application and engineering experience to come up with VarioSort EXB, Siemens’ electrical cross-belt sorter platform. This sturdy, straightforward, reliable and competitively priced solution, has already been installed in many parcel centers all over the world. It provides all essential features necessary to fulfill various sorting requirements.
“For VarioSort, we offer a number of optional features: One example is a module that records the size and weight of a parcel and uses this information to optimize parcel unloading. That means that large, heavy parcels are treated differently from small, light ones. Here, too, the advantage lies in the enhanced exploitation of the space available: Unloading is more precise and the distance between outlets can be optimized to keep the highest level of sorting accuracy,” said Reichle.
Every single step in the parcel handling chain contributes to system throughput. One core issue at parcel hubs is to quickly discharge trucks, which are arriving at higher and higher frequencies. This demand stretches manual unloading processes to their limits, so optimizing the operation is crucial.
RUBUS uses a unique method where parcels are unloaded fully automatically and at high speed with the aid of belts. The system allows a throughput of up to 25,000 items per hour. This rate is controllable, and it can be throttled dynamically at a central control station to match available system capacity. RUBUS can be configured for bulk flow as well as stream flow. In addition, it is easily adjustable to any facility without structural modifications.
Moreover, Siemens telescopic conveyors are widely used. With both belted and gravity models as well as a wide variety of options, the telescopic conveyors are a perfect solution for loading and unloading. The latest models, in particular, set new standards in regard to strength, longevity and total cost of ownership.
With both belted and gravity models as well as a wide variety of options, the telescopic conveyors are a perfect solution for heavy-duty loading and unloading. Furthermore, Siemens has in-house engineering capability to customize the conveyors as required.
Transportation and Singulation
As soon as parcels have been unloaded, they need to be transported within the sorting center quickly and effortlessly. Siemens’ conveyors can be flexibly adapted to just about any layout.
The rugged, modular, conveyor system is designed to reduce total cost of ownership by simplifying maintenance, reducing energy usage, and providing flexibility through bolt-up reconfiguration when the operation needs to change. It can be tailored in length and inclination to meet specific requirements.
“Siemens’ singulator Visicon boasts high singulation rates and a high throughput with the ability to process up to 8,250 standard parcels per hour, or 12,000 small items on a small footprint.”
Two different models of Visicon singulator are available: Visicon Polaris for larger and heavier parcels, and Visicon Capella, which is optimized for smaller and lighter parcels. But whatever the type of parcel, the job is the same: Convert a bulk stream where parcels may lie side by side into a stream of singulated parcels with a gap in between.
The Visicon’s bulk-stream control regulates parcel volume to optimize the flow from unloading all the way to the sorter. This keeps the entire parcel processing chain running at the rate of the sorter, regardless of the trends in parcel size that occur within an operation.
Enhanced technology for small items
Siemens has optimized its automatic reading technology especially for small parcels. The key success factors are the reliable detection of the receiver address block based on pretrained label types; correct address interpretation, even if the address is syntactically incorrect or elements are missing; and the accurate segmentation of single characters, especially for small fonts that tend to blend together.
“Usually barcode reading takes place inside the camera system. Additionally, our advanced barcode algorithm can be integrated as a secondary recognition engine to boost read rates even further. Thanks to sophisticated image processing and advanced recognition algorithms, even poor-quality printed contrast barcodes can be read. Furthermore, our software can interpret 2D barcodes or customer barcodes that comprise additional parcel data,” explained Reichle.
With bulk-processed parcels, the address label can be positioned on one of the parcels’ sides. Therefore, these are scanned from all six sides. Furthermore, their dimensions and weight are established, and addresses are resolved with recognition software. For parcels where the address labels are facing upward, a top scanner is used. This for example applies for semi-automatically inducted parcels.
Sorting
Siemens engineers drew on over two decades of in-depth application and engineering experience to come up with VarioSort EXB, Siemens’ electrical cross-belt sorter platform.
This sturdy, straightforward, reliable and competitively priced solution, has already been installed in many parcel centers all over the world. It provides all essential features necessary to fulfill various sorting requirements.
“For VarioSort, we offer a number of optional features: One example is a module that records the size and weight of a parcel and uses this information to optimize parcel unloading. That means that large, heavy parcels are treated differently from small, light ones. Here, too, the advantage lies in the enhanced exploitation of the space available: Unloading is more precise and the distance between outlets can be optimized to keep the highest level of sorting accuracy,” said Reichle.
Today’s sorting centers often have to deal with many smaller items, which is why Siemens engineers came up with VarioSort Twin. Instead of one cross belt, the VarioSort Twin has two cross belts on one carrier. This makes it ideal for transporting two smaller parcels, which results in optimum utilization of valuable space in sorting centers.
“Parcels with a maximum length of 50 cm, a width of up to 40 cm and a weight between 0.01 kg and 30 kg can be sorted on each cross belt – with a throughput of over 18,000 items per hour. The maximum speed of 2.6 meters per second can be reduced for reliably sorting lighter items.”
With convincing sorting performance figures of over 13,000 parcels per hour, the VarioSort Single is virtually maintenance free, and its energy-efficient motors make for low life-cycle costs.
It is designed to handle parcels measuring between 10 cm and 125 cm in length, between 10 cm and 60 cm in width, and weights between 0.1 kg and 60 kg. Additional benefits include short installation times as well as globally available after-sales parts and services.
Networks, hubs and the last mile delivery
Growing volumes require new distribution centers and flexibility in volume distribution. These developments have an impact on and challenge existing network structures. With the Network Booster, Siemens provides full network transparency, forecasting and optimization.
For example, the Supply Chain Suite (SCS) optimizes network structures on a strategic or tactical level with benefits for both transport structures and operational hub loads.
Moreover, the Hub Booster software employs advanced analytics to effectively improve performance. Real-time visibility along the hub process assists in pushing a hub to optimal performance. Automatically generated forecasts guide operators and ensure the timeliest intervention possible.
Siemens Planning, Prediction & Control (PPC) closes the gap between the process chain within a hub and the surrounding processes. It plans, controls and monitors operative processes at the hub, from the arrival of transporters through to unloading, sorting, loading and departure.
Furthermore, over 40 percent of operational costs are typically allocated to last mile distribution. In this area, Siemens software products provide real-time transparency and address two basic tasks to improve operational efficiency: The first is to determine the optimal location for delivery depots and to define delivery zones. The second is dynamic workload balancing – which is adjusted daily in real time – and tailoring delivery zones.
The air cargo industry, which accounts for about a third of global trade transported annually valued at over US$6 trillion, continues to struggle to fully embrace digitalization but major companies in different continents have long initiated steps to transition their operations from traditional way to digital, eliminating in the process much of the paperwork.
New technologies are redefining the way we live, work Nand how business is done. The transformation has been rapid in recent years with varying industries, including air freight, forced to adopt to digitalization by reshaping their business and operating models or be left out in a highly competitive digital world.
The digital transformation’s impact on air cargo industry is noticeable. Less paper work. Fast transaction. Transparent tracking system and so on. Undoubtedly, it has immense potential to create added value for businesses, benefit consumers and communities in general even in remotest parts of the planet.
According to World Economic Forum’s Digital Transformation Initiative (DTI), companies are investing in new technologies mainly to accelerate growth and productivity. Their total investment spend is projected to increase to US$2.4 trillion in 2020, focused on seven key technologies—Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and connected devices, Robots & Drones, Custom Manufacturing and 3D Printing, Autonomous Vehicles, Big Data Analytics & Clouds and Social Media & Platforms.
This year, more companies are seen to change their business models to adopt to the changing times, noticeably the air transport sector.
The air cargo industry, which accounts for about a third of global trade transported annually valued at over US$6 trillion, continues to struggle to fully embrace digitalization but major companies in different continents have long initiated steps to transition their operations from traditional way to digital, eliminating in the process much of the paperwork.
Any digitalization project costs a fortune to initiate and maintain. The disruption entails creating specific systems tailored for that particular company’s needs and nature of business, having the new digital systems tested by a certified software testing firm, embedding it with adequate protection against malware and invasions, training employees to efficiently use the new systems, among other things.
Unless the digital systems (software) are licensed perpetually, digitalization means costs for upgrades and continued use. Utilizing new technologies is a tedious process that requires resources, skills and knowledge but companies are convinced this is an efficient way to do business in today’s digital world and the future.
The rise of e-booking platforms
Germany’s national cargo carrier, Lufthansa Cargo, considered a leader in eAWB (electronic AirWay Bill) and electronic bookings, launched in November of 2019 its smartBooking, a new digital interface (application programming interface or API), providing customers and partners a binding offer that can be booked online immediately.
“It contains the available routings, capacities and prices and automatically executes all relevant checks. This means that the offer can be booked in real time and confirmed straightaway. With smartBooking, Lufthansa Cargo has completely digitalized the offer and booking process,” explained Jacqueline Casini, Senior Director Communications, Marketing & Corporate Responsibility at Lufthansa Cargo.
Moving forward, Lufthansa mulls offering air freight forwarders the option of directly connecting their own systems via an API.
This year, more companies are seen to change their business models to adopt to the changing times, noticeably the air transport sector.
B2B transactions are increasingly being driven by technologies to create convenient and fast services and Lufthansa is highly cognizant of this.
The TIACA Chairman said digitalization will continue to be on top of their agenda for many months.
As the freight division of Emirates, Emirates SkyCargo has access to the airline’s fleet of over 265 modern wide-body aircraft. The carrier operates to 13 destinations in the US, offering cargo capacity on over 100 weekly flights including scheduled freighter services to destinations including Columbus, Chicago, Houston and New York.
“Perspectively, external sales platforms will also be successively connected,” Casini told Air Cargo Update noting that, “Aside from Lufthansa Cargo’s direct customers, partners such as significantly growing cargo.one can also use the smartBooking API to make their platforms even more informative and customer-oriented with immediate access to available capacities and prices.”
B2B transactions are increasingly being driven by technologies to create convenient and fast services and Lufthansa is highly cognizant of this.
“B2B transactions are increasingly driven by customer experience and customer experience is driven by the experience of consumers in a digital world, convenient and fast services
supported by technology. This experience is a driver for change in the B2B world where customers increasingly demand the same as a consumer, e.g. instant information on shipment status, real time prices, instant confirmation of bookings, paperless transactions, provision of data, integration of services in apps, convenient and fast user interfaces, connectivity. All of that is driven by technology,” said Casini.
In December of 2019, Lu hansa Cargo began using Rapid Rate Response on all of its own booking channels generating spot price offers for all customers based in the following pilot markets: Thailand, Vietnam, North and Northeast India, Beijing, Middle East, Iran, Turkey, USA (California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska), Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Cologne and Stuttgart. It plans to extend the system worldwide by the end of 2020.
Digitalization has also paved the way for startups like cargo.one, a multi-booking airline e-booking platform which counts as among its clients Etihad Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, All Nippon Airways (ANA), AirBridge Cargo, AirCargo Logic, etc.
“cargo.one gives forwarders the ability to search, compare and book air cargo capacity across multiple airlines with live spot rates in less than 2 minutes,” the company pointed out on its website.
Digitalization Drive
The powerful global trade body, The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), says pushing for more digitalization in the air cargo industry remains a top agenda.
Steven Polmans, TIACA Chairman, said many of their members are well aware of digitalization’s importance and had since taken the initiative to introduce newer technologies in their operations. But he agreed much needs to be done.
“Digital is everywhere today. The world is becoming more and more digital and so is the air cargo industry. So, obviously, digital is no longer an option for air cargo stakeholders and most of them have already understood the fact, if we take a look at what has been already developed within the industry. Many initiatives have already been implemented and are something particularly appreciated by TIACA since it contributes to air cargo development,” Polmans said.
“But the form that digitalization takes within the individual companies is a strategic choice for each of them, whether it concerns e-booking platforms, or any other digital tools aimed at improving efficiency, for instance. TIACA’s role is to promote the best practices or best initiatives in this area but in no way to offer strategic guidance on it,” he added.
The TIACA Chairman said digitalization will continue to be on top of their agenda for many months and years to come and vowed to support existing programs or initiatives harnessing the benefits of digital innovation in the industry.
“TIACA will also continue to motivate change to a digital environment, organizing both digital workshop and training events, and giving digital a prominent place in our summit meetings, for instance during the next Air Cargo Forum which will be held in Miami in November,” he said.
The global trade association representing 290 airlines in 117 countries, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is also pushing for an end-to-end paperless transportation for air cargo through regulatory framework, modern electronic messages and high data quality.
On January 1, 2019, IATA successfully adopted an industry-wide policy that e-AWB is the new default contract of carriage for all air cargo shipments on enabled trade lanes. It took nine years to implement it after the policy was first introduced in 2010 but IATA said it’s a major milestone for their quest to digitalize the air cargo industry.
e-AWB essentially eliminates paper-based processes, improved efficiency and reliability of overall cargo handling process by decreasing handling errors.
Adrien Thominet, ECS Group CEO
“The major orientations that we will develop in 2020 are in the continuation of the transformation efforts undertaken this year. In terms of digit alization, we are working on new solutions that will reduce the process costs of the airlines we represent. These solutions already exist within the frame work of TCM contracts (messaging solutions, fuel cost management, etc.)”
Innovative Solution
In the Middle East, Emirates SkyCargo launched in October 2019 Emirates Delivers, a new e-commerce delivery platform allowing customers to shop from multiple online retailers in the US and have it consolidated for shipment to the UAE, saving them money and time.
Designed for individuals and small businesses in the UAE, Emirates Delivers is a fast, reliable and cost-effective e-commerce shipping solution that can also be used by other e-commerce businesses and logistics integrators.
Emirates says customers have to go through a free registration process at www.emiratesdelivers.com. On completion of registration, members are allocated a unique and free Emirates Delivers mailing address in the USA. Customers can have their online purchases from US e-commerce retailers delivered to this address where the goods can be stored free of charge for up to 30 days.
Customers have the flexibility to create a shipping request anytime within these 30 days and have their purchases consolidated into one parcel and have this delivered to their designated UAE address. The packages will be transported to Dubai on Emirates SkyCargo’s flights from the US and will then be delivered to the shopper’s doorstep within 3-5 days of the creation of the shipping request.
As the freight division of Emirates, Emirates SkyCargo has access to the airline’s fleet of over 265 modern wide-body aircraft including 12 freighters- 11 Boeing 777-Fs and one B747F. The carrier operates to 13 destinations in the US, offering cargo capacity on over 100 weekly flights including scheduled freighter services to destinations including Columbus, Chicago, Houston and New York.
Tech investments
ECS Group, a global leader in the GSA industry, dealing with dozens of airlines around the world said digitalization makes things faster, transparent and more efficient.
The Group, the largest integrated GSSA worldwide with more than 69 subsidiaries and 137 offices spanning across 47 countries, said it will continue investing on technologies.
“The major orientations that we will develop in 2020 are in the continuation of the transformation efforts undertaken this year. In terms of digitalization, we are working on new solutions that will reduce the process costs of the airlines we represent. These solutions already exist within the framework of TCM contracts (messaging solutions, fuel cost management, etc.),” shared Adrien Thominet, ECS Group CEO.
“In addition, we are also working on the design of webportal solutions for e-booking as well as e-quotes solutions, always with the aim of simplifying and facilitating the exchange of information in order to improve efficiency and performance,” he added.
Last year, the Group intensified its digital transformation through introduction of various innovative systems.
“In 2019, we have intensified the digital transformation of our group to serve the business, in order to strengthen the level of services offered to our customers and to improve performance,” shared Thominet. “First of all, Apollo (our business intelligence tool), which provides us with real-time data analysis and visualization on our markets. This data allows us to perform highly professional and personalized sales planning, sales steering, performance management and income optimization.”
“Our teams have also created Pathfinder, an internal Track & Trace system developed for the airlines we represent under a TCM contract. This provides our clients with a real-time view of their shipment status via a user interface, which is also available on mobile phones and allows them to sign up to receive email notifications. This application also provides a real-time map view of the position of the aircraft containing the cargo,” he noted.
Cargo Flash, one of the leading IT and business consulting solution provider has successfully implemented its Next Generation Systems in a record time of just 2 months for Raya Airways which is a Cargo Airline having its head office in Malaysia. The state-of-the-art systems by Cargo Flash will efficiently manage their entire Cargo Operations.
The nGen Suite of products by Cargo Flash implemented for Raya Airways will support their end-to-end Cargo business by providing solution to establish an effective Reservation, Handling and Revenue Accounting system.
The state-of-the-art cloud based systems will not only streamline and manage each logistics task from initial booking up till final delivery but also seamlessly and effectively control all functions regarding pricing, allotment, reservation, operation, flight capacity & schedule, customer relationship management, export invoicing & interline invoicing among all other modules including finance.
Through our technology we aim to provide our client with an efficient user experience and enabling them to seamlessly manage entire cargo lifecycle and enhance the overall productivity for airline’s users.
Francis Antony – Commercial Director, Raya Airways says, “We are extremely pleased with the successful implementation of our Next Generation System (nGen) by Cargo Flash. I am confident that nGen system will enable Raya Airways to cater to its customer’s needs for a faster and more reliable booking platform, which will position the airline as a reputable and expert cargo airline carrier with network across Southeast Asia. This web-based program offers efficient and effective booking software that enables customers to manage their booking with faster respond time. Among many other features, nGen system is able to provide accurate track and trace of each shipment to ensure customers are always updated on the status of their shipments.”
Gautam Mandal, Director – Products, Cargo Flash says, “I am honoured to welcome Raya Airways into Cargo Flash Family. The successful implementation of our nGen suite of products, which boasts state of the art technology and comprehensive business functionalities, will significantly contribute towards their growth and help achieve their goal. We are looking forward to a smooth and long term association with Raya Airways.”
The Next Generation System by Cargo Flash is the most innovative and feature packed solution for the entire spectrum of cargo aviation business. For more information visit www.cargoflash.com
EKA Solutions, Inc., provider of cloud-based freight integration ecosystem platform announced recently that Wilson Logistics has chosen EKA Omni-TMS as its next-gen logistics and private marketplace solution.
EKA provides a transformational digital freight integration ecosystem platform to manage all the customer’s freight businesses. EKA serves as the system of record across multiple applications and seamlessly ties into other freight solutions (TMS, driver apps, etc.). A single digital end-to-end hub delivers a seamlessly unified, consistent, efficient and effective experience across all freight management systems for customer’s entire business with trusted entities.
“Creating a strategic relationship with a state-of-the-art end-end cloud-based logistics software solution provider like EKA who, similar to Wilson Logistics, is focused on enabling transformation of logistics and private marketplace business for rapid growth is extremely important to us,” said Darrel Wilson, Owner and CEO of Wilson Logistics. “With increased pressure to provide superior customer service and the shipper’s need for real-time seamless integration and freight visibility, EKA’s innovative software tools provide us with increased flexibility to manage all our freight businesses more dynamically and, significantly improve operations and business risk management.”
“EKA is excited and privileged to work with Wilson Logistics. The collaboration between Wilson and EKA will be an important demonstration of how a freight management company and a software solutions provider can strategically collaborate to create strategic end-end operational leverage for Wilson Logistics in the new freight economy,” said JJ Singh, founder, investor & CEO of EKA Solutions, Inc.
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has announced up to $55 million in funding will be awarded to two programs to support the development of low-cost electric aviation engine technology and powertrain systems.
Awardees will be subject to a rigorous performance metrics review over the course of their funding cycles.
The programs are undertaking research on Aviation-class Synergistically Cooled Electric-motors with iNtegrated Drives (ASCEND) and Range Extenders for Electric Aviation with Low Carbon and High Efficiency (REEACH), seeking to develop commercial-class electric aviation energy technology solutions with the goal of mitigating the emissions caused by passenger aircraft.
Air travel accounts for nearly 175 million metric tons of CO2 emissions in the US per year, approximately 2.6 per cent of domestic GHG emissions. The programs represent ARPA-E’s first focused efforts on the development of more energy-efficient, electric motor and powertrain systems for commercial aircraft.
Dan Brouillette, US Secretary of Energy, said, “Every American should have reliable, affordable and efficient transportation, and the electrification of aviation systems has the potential to transform the way aircraft consume and use energy. These programs will focus on innovative research and development for flight systems that increase the overall efficiency of aircraft and have the potential to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.”
Funding will be split between the two programs – up to $35 million will be available through ASCEND, and up to $20 million available in the REEACH program. A portion of each program’s funding will be designated to qualifying small business applicants under ARPA-E’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
Gentex has expanded its aerospace customer base and revealed that Airbus is offering its latest generation of electronically dimmable windows (EDWs) on its aircraft, though it did not provide details about on which Airbus types the technology would appear. Gentex supplies its electrochromic windows as standard on the Boeing 787 and will offer its latest generation of EDWs as optional content on the new Boeing 777X.
In response to a query from AIN, an Airbus spokesperson declined to reveal details and indicated the OEM plans to release information on which aircraft types it will offer the Gentex EDWs—most likely as an option—at the Passenger Experience Expo in Hamburg, scheduled for March 31 to April 2.
Gentex called the Airbus EDWs “uniquely designed to be one, single line-replaceable unit in order to make installation and maintenance easier.” They also feature a longer-lasting, scratch-resistant dust cover. “We worked together with Airbus to integrate the latest dimmable windows technology while further enhancing it with an additional specialty coating,” noted Gentex president and CEO Steve Downing.
According to the Zeeland, Michigan-based company, its latest EDWs darken twice as fast and become 100 times darker compared to previous designs, effectively eliminating more than 99.999 percent of visible light. The EDWs feature “high-speed transition between clear and dark and a new ultra-dark low-end transmission,” Gentex said.
DHL Express has appointed Chee Choong Ng as Managing Director of DHL Express Hong Kong and Macau.
With more than 20 years of experience in the logistics industry, Chee Choong will be in charge of spearheading the strategic growth and managing overall operations in Hong Kong and Macau. He succeeds Herbert Vongpusanachai, who is now Country Manager of DHL Express Thailand and Head of Indochina.
In his preceding role as Vice President of Operations, Chee Choong has been an integral part of DHL Express’ success in Hong Kong. He was instrumental in the expansion of the On-Demand Delivery service and recently managed the successful move of the Hong Kong Service Centre and the Kowloon West Service Centre, which are both among the top three DHL Express service centers worldwide in terms of volume handled.
Ken Lee, CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific, said, “With Chee Choong at the helm, I am confident that DHL Express will further strengthen its status as the leader in express delivery in Hong Kong and Macau. His vast experience in the industry and knowledge of the competitive and strategically significant local market will contribute exponentially to the company’s growth.”
Regarding his new role, Chee Choong remarked: “I truly look forward to taking on the responsibility of further reinforcing DHL Express as the leading logistics provider of choice in Hong Kong and Macau. I am honored to be able to lead such an amazing team, as we continue to improve our services while adapting to the evolving nature of our business.”
Chee Choong joined DHL Express in 2004 as Transportation Manager, eventually taking up managerial responsibilities in the company’s Singapore Hub airport operations before being appointed as Vice President of Operations in Hong Kong in 2017.
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
