Tackling staff shortage in Air Cargo with Cargo Community System

“Unique Labour dynamics” in the air cargo industry is turning to be a burning issue for entire supply chain. With unemployment benefit schemes being a disincentive for some staff to return to the workforce, the air cargo sector is at crossroads.  According to industry estimates, staff shortage at the peak of COVID-19 lockdown was 30 percent. Since last year the entire world went on a remote working mode and since then, the need for technology adoption is soaring. However, on the other hand, experts in the industry suggest that staff shortage can be tackled by automating processes. This is because the entire industry believes cargo complexes are to be short staffed at least for the next few months.

According to estimates, only a few are keen on complete digitalization for operations, while the rest are keen on continuing with physical interference or shut their business and continue once normalcy returns. Cloud-based secured solutions are still finding their grounds with most Airports and Cargo Ground Handlers. A lot of staff is necessary to handle many small and loose shipments that are frequently transported in freighter aircraft. In addition, airlines currently operate very flexible schedules, with changes frequently at short notice. The cargo sector has seen a rise in ad-hoc charter services. As a result of these structural changes, traffic tends to be heavily concentrated during several peak times. Resultantly, these peaks are experiencing traffic equivalent to 2019 levels requiring a large quantity of staff to handle these “sudden sharp increases in demand”. To bring order in the ongoing chaos, implementing cargo community systems and technology upgradation can ensure the air cargo industry sail through this challenge. Here are some ways through which cargo community system can help.

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Truck Slot Management easing the work of stakeholders

Truck Slot Management is a primary part of Cargo Community Systems and in several European countries, truck slot management alone is considered as a cargo community system. With this tool, transporters can book a specific slot to drive-in to the airport cargo complex by sending an advance shipment information to the handler. Handlers can allocate enough resources and plan well to handle the incoming cargo. With limited staff, cargo movement can still be handled effectively.

Smart quotation request handling to lower in-person negotiation

The process of submitting Request for Quotation (RFQ’s) in the air cargo in current scenario is either performed manually over the phone or via emails. It is observed that stakeholders’ often loose significant time in these processes delaying overall supply chain schedules. A Cargo Community System primarily brings all the stakeholders involved on the same platform together. It enables the exchange of information digitally on the platform. Shipper and Freight Forwarder can provide the details on the portal and request the quotation from airlines and transport companies from the comfort for their office or home.

Cargo tracking facility to ensure 100% visibility

More than 79 per cent of air cargo stakeholders believe they have limited to zero visibility on cargo movement. A cargo community system encourages communication among stakeholders in the land side and air side. EDI messages, milestone tracking, temperature monitoring (pharma and perishables), clearance status, etc are available to the concerned parties at the tip of their fingers through mobile applications. It also empowers all stakeholders to interact within each other to curtail the complexities involved in manual and legacy systems. Just by eliminating the communication bottleneck, significant number of complexities can be reduced.

Wrap up

A cargo community system is the right tool to track shipment movement, smartly handle quotation requests, overcome truck congestion, and tackle limited to zero cargo visibility. Regulatory authorities like Customs, Chamber of Commerce, OGAs connect on this single window to promote ease of doing business with paperless and contactless trade. While leading airports across the globe have already benefitted out of this, other airports are yet to experience the power of cargo community system.

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