News from our virtual Working Group

Cargo iQ recently hosted over 100 participants at our virtual Working Group, where new Board members from Hellmann and AirBridgeCargo were welcomed following their election at our AGM earlier in the year, and sub Working Group (sWG) focuses for the next few months were discussed.

There were also strategic and membership updates during the Working Group, along with the announcement of results from recent membership votes, a ‘Specifications, Master Operating Plan, Audit, Messaging and data exchange, Systems’ (SMAMS) re-cap and status update, along with a review of the Cargo iQ roll-out plan.

For this year the overall key objectives have been agreed as:

• Achieve 100% reporting

• Make active efforts to reach out and engage the small and medium size forwarders not yet enjoying the benefits of Cargo iQ

• Ensure we truly implement our Quality Management System by enhancing the service delivery support functionality in addition to post-event reporting

sWG Focus

Many new participants took part in the Working Group to represent Cargo iQ members in several sub-Working Groups (sWG).

Each sWG was provided with a Terms of Reference (ToR) as a brief, which detailed issues to be tackled over a period of time.

sWGs are typically formed of two airlines, two forwarders, one to two Ground Handling Agents (GHA), one to two Cargo Data Management Platform (CDMP) providers, and additional members as observers.

Cargo iQ’s sWGs are split into eight focus areas. Each focus group then has individual tasks based on the ToR provided:

Cargo Messaging Working Group (CMWG) sWG (as part of the IATA messaging Working Group):

• Freight Into Warehouse (FIW) and Freight Out of Warehouse (FOW): defining a messaging standard for new events

• Exception Handling Code Procedure (EHCP): defining a messaging standard for EHCP, so that airlines, GHAs, and forwarders can exchange codes

• Service Parameters: defining a messaging standard

Care Protocols sWG:

• Defining details for care protocol, process steps, and messaging requirements

Audit sWG:

• Identifying how roll-out items will be incorporated into the Audit

ENCORE sWG

• Updating and simplifying the ENCORE platform. This is the platform that maintains the offset agreements between carrier and forwarder members

EHCP sWG

• Reviewing feedback received from membership pilots

• Reviewing draft XML message

Master Operating Plan sWG

• Further clarifying definitions and process steps

• Aligning with IATA standards and addressing issues which are to be documented as result of previous Working Group meetings

• Issuing a glossary with clear definitions

Smart Data sWG

• Investigating what information is being provided and can be provided based on current reporting structures

• Investigating what kind of reports members wish for in the future based on new specifications

Package Road Feeder Service sWG

• Providing complete processes and supporting set of data exchange standards for on-line, as well as off-line, trucking, for example for off-line pick-ups directly from a manufacturers site or forwarders facility to use Freight On Hand followed by cargo acceptance (RCS) at first airline acceptance point. This being one critical element in getting to 100% reporting

Individual User Group sessions ran in parallel to the sWGs. These groups included airlines, forwarders, CDMPs, technology and GHAs.

On the last day of the Working Group sessions, all sWG chairpersons reported back on the schedules and subjects of discussion to the entire Working Group.

Individual sWGs have set their own schedule for additional meetings between now and the next Working Group meeting and will continue to work on all aspects of their respective ToR.

We plan to hold the next Working Group meeting in November 2021.

Subject to the continuous improvement on the global pandemic situation, we hope that a personal meeting can be held.

The options of virtual meetings or possible hybrid meetings are open at this stage as well.

Story edited by meantime.global