Cargo iQ has been gaining momentum with the addition of new members and the development of innovative industry standards.
Among the latest additions to Cargo iQ’s membership are Avianca Cargo, LOT Polish Airlines, and Hitit. While Avianca Cargo had previously been a member of Cargo iQ, it has now recommitted itself to implementing Cargo iQ’s requirements with commendable determination.
LOT Polish Airlines, another recent entrant, is responding to the call from the forwarder community to actively participate in quality networks. Additionally, LOT sees significant opportunities to enhance its own operations through Cargo iQ’s standards.
Hitit, an IT developer of airline systems based in Turkey, aims to play a crucial role in the development of Cargo iQ’s data management platform. By becoming a certified CDMP provider, Hitit aspires to contribute to the success of Cargo iQ’s global community.
“We are inviting our new members to join our various working groups so that they can take advantage of the combined intelligence of the entire Cargo iQ community,” Lothar Moehle, Executive Director of Cargo iQ, explained. “After all, learning from each other leads to the overall understanding of the issues to be tackled and that is very important in the process of quality improvement, which is so important within our community.”
Pursuing high standards
Cargo iQ’s continuous pursuit of improved quality management standards is evident through its ongoing projects. Moehle highlighted the “Care Protocol” initiative, which, at present, focuses on pharmaceutical shipments. The Care Protocol empowers all involved parties to collaboratively plan product-related requirements and operational routes.
“This will ensure that all stakeholders in the transportation chain are informed about the product requirements, such as re-icing in a transit airport, and have combined the data for route map planning and specific care elements for quality measurement,” Moehle said.
Another project aims to establish time-specific route plans, next to the existing flight-specific information. Through agreements on acceptance times and availability for shipments, airlines gain flexibility in optimising their capacity while adhering to agreed-upon delivery timelines.
Shipment transparency
Cargo iQ’s Cargo Data Management Platform (CDMP) has emerged as a key tool for boosting shipment visibility and transparency. This platform calculates route maps for each shipment, enabling real-time visibility into shipment statuses.
This visibility empowers airlines and forwarders to provide customers with accurate, up-to-date information about their shipments. Regular quality reports further enable data-driven insights and informed decision-making.
“We and our members are receiving the reports from the CDMP portal and can review successful implementation at shipment level. Within our membership meetings and working group sessions, these reports are used to identify shortcomings in a collaborative fashion and determine what can we do together to prevent these failures in future,” Moehle added.
Benefits for industry players
Improved shipment visibility and transparency offer tangible benefits to the industry. Moehle illustrates this through an aircraft departure scenario. If a departure is delayed beyond the planned time, alerts are triggered, enabling corrective and proactive measures.
Airlines can optimise operations based on real-time information, leading to efficient decisions and minimised delays. Forwarders and customers are also informed promptly, enabling them to adjust plans accordingly. This scenario underscores the practical advantages of enhanced visibility in mitigating disruptions and streamlining operations.
“All new standard milestones that we have created or will be creating in the future will be integrated, planned, and measured as milestones in the transportation chain for airfreight shipments,” Moehle highlighted.
“As our members are planning and measuring these milestones in the route map for all their shipments, these new standards become automatically a part of the planning/measurement process and therefore our members and we as an organisation can measure the success.”
Evolving approach
Cargo iQ’s collaborations extend to industry organisations such as IATA Cargo, FIATA, ASA, and more. These partnerships facilitate aligned efforts and address evolving industry needs.
“As Cargo iQ we have always been, and will continue to be in future, agnostic to the technologies or digital solutions. Cargo iQ is not a technology developer but an enabler,” Moehle explained.
Certain basics are mandatory for all so ensure the members can work together based on the agreed standards and milestones, while selected other milestones and features can be applied by the members based on their business model.
“Cargo iQ is a membership organisation. When members approach us with their new ideas or requirements, such as new developments for Pharma product movements in the global air cargo industry, our members then decide whether it is a project Cargo iQ is to be involved in,” Moehle continued.
“With a clear mandate from our members – who are very close to the shippers and to the day-to-day activities – the Cargo iQ management team is setting up a new project. In cooperation with the subject matter experts within our membership we then develop a solution for our members.”
