TIACA has developed a new online Cargo Service Quality (CSQ) tool to help improve visibility and facilitate global standards across the air cargo supply chain – a step towards providing shippers with the ability to view the quality of service delivered in the air cargo supply chain.

The initiative was launched at TIACA’s 2017 Executive Summit in Miami today, and comes after a year of research undertaken by TIACA board members – led by chairman Sanjiv Edward, head of cargo business at Delhi International Airport, and Cheemeng Wong, senior vice president of cargo services at SATS.

Other board members backing the CSQ measure include Steven Polmans, head of cargo and logistics at Brussels Airport Company, and Amar More, chief executive officer at Kale Logistics Solutions.

Edward says: “In my interactions with shippers it has been reaffirmed that the lack of visibility and absence of uniform global standards results in air freight business deals being limited by cost considerations, lack of product improvements, and perceived lack of value for money.”

“The CSQ initiative is a logical step for an association like TIACA, that integrates all the players of the air cargo supply chain,” explains TIACA secretary general, Vladimir Zubkov.

“This initiative will play a key role in standardising cargo quality assessment globally, establishing new benchmark parameters, identifying strength and improvement areas, optimizing investments, and sharing best practice in the industry,” says Wong.

Participants will be able to fill out an online ‘Cargo Quality Assessment Form’ either every quarter, or every six months, and will have access to a customised ‘Quality Dashboard’.

Key benefits of taking part include gap analyses in order to identify strength and improvement areas, and best practice sharing.

Polmans says: “It will challenge companies that are underperforming and those that are overperforming.”

The pilot phase of the program includes assessment tools for airports and cargo terminal operators, and the CSQ will eventually be available to measure other segments of the air cargo supply chain.

The program has received backing from players at leading airports including Hong Kong International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport, New Delhi Airport, Brussels Airport, and Beijing Capital Airport.

Over 300 industry leaders from across the globe are attending TIACA’s Executive Summit in partnership with the 14th Annual End-to-End Supply Network Summit.