Showing posts with label EDI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EDI. Show all posts

19 Feb 2011

Cargo 2000 iQ

Cargo 2000 (C2K) --> now relaunched as Cargo iQ
Cargo 2000 (or: C2K, now relaunched as Cargo iQ, see below) is a self-funded, IATA sponsored interest group of major airlines and freight forwarders.  Cargo 2000 is an industry initiative aiming at implementing a new quality management system for the worldwide air cargo industry.  The objective is simple: to implement processes, backed by quality standards, which are measurable to improve the efficiency of air cargo.

Cargo 2000 re-engineers the air cargo transportation scheme from shipper to consignee. Individual processes in the door-to-door air cargo supply chain are reduced from 40 to just 19, cutting down on operational costs and enhancing customer service: export forwarding is divided in 7 steps, air transport and handling also in 7 steps, and import forwarding in 5 steps.  By means of electronic data interchange (EDI) between the parties, each step is kept track of.  These steps are called milestones.  A milestone is reached if a number of conditions (depending per step) is fulfilled.

For example, for air transport the seven milestones are:

  • FWB =  the shipment is booked at the airline, next an electronic air waybill is generated by agent (forwarder) ; this creates the so-called route map in C2K in which all the steps are followed
  • RCS =  cargo and documents are received 'Ready For Carriage' and accepted by airline (handler)
  • DEP = cargo and documents departed at airport of origin
  • ARR = cargo and documents arrived at airport of destination
  • RCF =  cargo has arrived in the cargo bay at final destination ; cargo and air waybill are administratively received in the system
  • NFD = cargo and documents ready for pick-up at airline (handler), the customer (forwarder) is notified
  • DLV = cargo and documents delivered to customer (forwarder)

In each of these steps something may go wrong, which has it's consequences for the following steps and / or the planned throughput time of the shipment ; these occurrences are logged.

Here C2K uses two key performance indicators (KPI's) to determine whether the air transport process is going as planned:
  • FAP = Flown As Planned (the complete shipment has flown at or before the last planned flight with a maximum 12 hour delay)
  • DAP = Delivered As Promised (NFD in full and on time statuses are achieved)


Kerry Logistics data centre



Measuring all these steps make it possible to track & trace shipments, and provide quality performance reports to all parties involved.  Evaluation of the performance will then lead to process improvements where necessary.

Look for a detailed explanation about Cargo 2000 in this presentation on IATA's site and here in SkyTeam's introduction on e-freight.  Read about the Cargo 2000 Master Operating Plan in this presentation on IATA's site.  Read more about the background and read the latest Cargo 2000 newsletters here on IATA's site.

More and more customers now choose Cargo 2000 companies among their preferred suppliers as it provides quality performance backed by reliable data.

Read more about Cargo 2000 and the value for airfreight shippers here on The Shipper's Voice.
Read more about the Cargo 2000 process here in Kuehne + Nagel's "Cargo 2000 in Practice" brochure.

Cargo 2000 is rapidly becoming more relevant and accessible for all parties involved - read about it here in Air Cargo News.




The official Cargo 2000 logo




In 2016 Cargo 2000 is relaunched as Cargo iQ.  

18 Feb 2011

e-Freight

e-Freight





e-Freight aims to take the paper out of the air cargo supply chain and -processes and replace it with cheaper, more accurate and more reliable electronic messaging. Facilitated by IATA, the project is an industry-wide initiative involving carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, shippers and customs authorities.

According to IATA, each air cargo shipment carries with it as many as 30 paper documents – enough to fill 80 Boeing 747 freighters every year!  These air cargo shipment documents consist of the following categories:


  • Trade documents
    • Invoice
    • Packing-list
    • Certificate of Origin
  • Transport Documents
    • Flight Manifest
    • Air Waybill
    • House Manifest
    • House Waybill
  • Customs Documents
    • Import & Export Cargo Declaration & Release
    • Import & Export Goodss Declaration & Release


e-Awb keyboard (source: Air Cargo News)

    A good presentation on how the paperless e-freight process works, step by step with all the related EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) / FSU (Freight Status Update) message flows, can be found here on IATA's website, here in a powerpoint presentation of CCS Hungary or here on the site of CCS Hungary ( > downloads > AWB presentation). 

    Find out more about e-freight and how to get started here on IATA's e-freight site,  IATA created a self-assessment tool and provides a capability matrix of air cargo IT providers, an e-freight savings calculator and  several matchmaker tools.

    Further information here on Air Cargo News or here on Air Cargo Netherlands site. 



     The official IATA e-freight logo






    Photo source: SDV



    I invite all of you in the industry to contact me for corrections or additions, 
    and who are new in the business to question me 
    in order to improve the information on this site! 


    [last updated apr 27th, 2016]

     

    The Air Mail Chain

    The Air Mail Chain

    How does Air Mail work? What does the Air Mail chain look like?

    Airmail is probably the oldest air cargo service. Generally there is one postal organisation per country. In the old days tariffs with the airlines were negotiated by the government as owner. The home carriers were and are often best positioned for the local postal organisation airmail flows. They transport the airmail to other countries, where the mail is exchanged against internationally established protocols and tariffs (see the site of UPU also).


    A typical airmail chain consists of the following steps:






    And in some more detail:




    There are five basic differences between the airmail chain and the normal air cargo chain: