01
March
2014
|
09:30
Europe/Amsterdam

Calogi discusses e-freight challenges at the World Cargo Symposium

While many were disappointed that target for rollout of e-Air Way Bills (e-AWBs) has been revised downwards from an initial goal of 70% for this year to 22%, key figures in the industry emphasized areas where the air cargo industry can make significant improvements and win business through innovation.

Patrick Murray, Head of Calogi, is widely recognised as cargo industry champion for the adoption of technology to simplify the air cargo supply chain. Despite support for the initiative, take up now makes up just 3.4% of potential e-freight shipments and 1.3% against the total air waybill volume. Patrick said: "It's worth remembering that in 2004, IATA was mandated by its board to lead an industry-wide project aimed at taking paper out of the air supply chain. The idea was to create the conditions to replace the existing processes with new processes, where the industry and governments rely on the electronic exchange of information between the parties to facilitate the movement of freight."

Although progress across the industry has been somewhat slower than expected, Calogi's success in Dubai has been held up as an example for an end-to-end online trading platform. "Our e-Airway Bill (AWB) and e-delivery order for the dnata terminals in Dubai has saved the company nearly US$1million, with over 250,000 air waybills automatically updated in the GHA system upon air waybill execution, 500,000 delivery orders generated by the forwarder online, and 750,000 invoices for ground handling charges automatically generated through the system," said Patrick.