Hermes Logistics Technologies (HLT) has reported a remarkable Q3 performance, showcasing the strength of its strategic vision and technological advancements in air cargo management. This milestone quarter is the result of years of meticulous planning, product expansion, and innovative digital solutions that have placed HLT at the forefront of the industry.
HLT’s CEO, Yuval Baruch, shared insights into the factors driving this record-breaking success, highlighting key accomplishments, new capabilities, and a future roadmap that promises continued growth. Baruch pointed to a strategy set in motion over three years ago.
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“About four or five years back, we committed to modernising all our solutions and expanding our product ecosystem. It was a full-scale technology overhaul,” he explained. This included transitioning HLT’s base technology to the latest cloud-compatible architecture, making their systems natively adaptable and resilient to the rapidly changing needs of digital logistics. This strategy went beyond updating infrastructure—it was about expanding HLT’s capabilities to create an interconnected, cloud-ready ecosystem that would meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of clients.
“We wanted to ensure that, by the time our customers were ready to embrace the full digital spectrum, we could provide a complete solution,” Baruch said.
Q3 saw HLT achieve several major milestones that highlight the company’s operational reach and technical capabilities. Among these was a significant upgrade at one of the largest ground handling terminals in the world, located in China, as well as the migration of a major European cargo hub to HLT’s SaaS ecosystem.
“These projects demonstrate our ability to handle high-volume, complex environments while offering reliable, high-performance solutions for our clients,” Baruch noted.
Each of these accomplishments is part of HLT’s broader aim to enhance the adaptability and scalability of its offerings, ensuring clients benefit from seamless and rapid deployment. The company’s recent success with multiple “go-lives” at global locations demonstrates the effectiveness of HLT’s ecosystem approach, which allows for a high degree of flexibility and efficiency, irrespective of client location or operational complexity.
A key aspect of HLT’s success lies in its product expansion strategy, which enables clients to move beyond the core Hermes Cargo Management System (CMS) to a complete ecosystem that includes BI, tracking, and integration tools.
“Our clients are now taking not just Hermes, but the entire ecosystem, which includes tracking and trace, BI, and integrated solutions,” Baruch said.
This shift to an ecosystem model represents a transformative step in air cargo logistics. By offering an end-to-end solution, HLT has positioned itself as a one-stop provider capable of handling the diverse and evolving needs of the air cargo industry. As more clients subscribe to the full ecosystem, HLT’s capacity for high-value delivery becomes increasingly robust, giving it a distinct edge in a competitive market.
One of the main drivers behind HLT’s Q3 success has been its advanced deployment capabilities, enabled by automated tools and cloud-native infrastructure.
“We’ve implemented automated terraforming, which allows us to set up cloud environments quickly and efficiently. This was essential to support the volume and speed of deployments we’re seeing today,” Baruch explained.
The efficiency of HLT’s deployment model has made it possible for clients to go live with the ecosystem in record time, whether they are handling regional operations or managing global hubs. HLT’s Q3 achievements have not only been about technology but also about delivering consistent, high-quality service that instils confidence in clients. A large part of this trust comes from HLT’s commitment to open communication and ongoing support.
“We’re constantly engaging with our clients to ensure our solutions align with their evolving needs,” Baruch emphasised.
In addition to open communication, HLT’s product team consists of industry experts with extensive cargo operations experience, allowing for seamless support and troubleshooting. Baruch is proud of the industry expertise that his team brings to every client interaction, describing it as “a major factor in the reliability and depth of our support.
HLT’s innovative solutions go beyond operational efficiency to empower clients through data analytics and ongoing training. With BI capabilities integrated into the ecosystem, clients can make data-driven decisions that optimise their logistics workflows.
“Data is central to how we’re enhancing client outcomes. We’re not just reporting data but providing predictive insights that help clients anticipate and act on future needs,” Baruch shared.
Moreover, HLT recently introduced a digital Learning Management System (LMS), designed to ensure clients can harness the full power of HLT’s ecosystem.
“Our LMS enables users to stay updated on best practices, giving them a comprehensive understanding of our tools and how to use them most effectively,” Baruch explained.
Following its record Q3 performance, HLT is looking to the future with plans for continued growth and product expansion. As part of its five-year roadmap, HLT is exploring mergers and acquisitions to add new capabilities and expand its team. This approach will not only enhance HLT’s service offering but also allow the company to reach a broader client base with a more diverse suite of solutions.
“We’re actively looking at opportunities to bring in complementary technologies and services through acquisitions,” Baruch said.
HLT is also investigating emerging technologies like AI and data-driven decision-making tools, with a measured approach to their potential application in air cargo. Baruch sees opportunities in AI but remains cautious about its current limitations.
“We already use AI-driven functions, like service recovery recommendations, but we’re careful with generative AI because air cargo demands 100% reliability,” he explained.
Data management also remains a focus for HLT, with plans to improve how data is leveraged for predictive insights. Although big data is widely used in logistics, Baruch believes there is significant room for improvement in how it is applied.
“Utilising data effectively is essential, and we’re working on new solutions to provide our clients with insights that can truly drive their operations forward,” he said.
