Indian company IBS Software is digitalising critical handling processes for Lufthansa Cargo’s special products and services such as dangerous goods, pharmaceuticals and fresh produce.

The deployment represents progress for Lufthansa Cargo’s Mobile Digital Handling initiative, created to eliminate paper-based processes across its operations by digitalising tasks and process checks carried out by its ground handling agents (GHAs).

“Driving the digital transformation of our industry has always been an ongoing priority for us at Lufthansa Cargo,” said Jan-Wilhelm Breithaupt, vice president at Lufthansa Cargo. “Aside from directly improving the data quality and thus making processes more efficient, the Mobile Digital Handling initiative also opens up tremendous opportunities for us for further innovating and improving how we work with our partners along the whole supply chain.”

The initiative leverages IBS Software’s iPartner Handling offering to extend Lufthansa’s special checks and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to its global GHA network. It seamlessly integrates with airlines running IBS’s iCargo cloud platform for air cargo management to provide a single-access set of mobile and web tools that GHAs can use to carry out specialised workflows and tasks. Through iPartner Handling, information captured by GHAs is made available to Lufthansa in real time, enhancing the quality and service levels of all of its cargo products. The platform also offers digital connectivity options for GHAs via APIs and has been architected keeping future industry initiatives such as One Record in mind.

The roll out has been planned in two phases, the first of which will see more than 30 Lufthansa Cargo stations across Europe, Asia and the Americas going live, followed by additional stations and several new use-cases and enhancements being added. The first wave of five stations has already gone live.

“There is significant impetus in the industry to foster digitalisation initiatives that enhance partnerships and collaboration in the supply chain,” said Ashok Rajan, senior vice president at IBS Software. “IPartner Handling takes us one step further towards our over-arching goal of building a digital ecosystem for our iCargo customers that can help generate positive business outcomes for them quickly and effectively.”

IBS Software is a SaaS provider to the travel industry globally, managing mission-critical operations for those in the aviation, tour and cruise, and hospitality industries. Its software for the aviation industry covers flight and crew operations, aircraft maintenance, passenger services, loyalty programmes, staff travel, and air-cargo management. It also runs a real time B2B and B2C distribution platform providing hotel room inventory, rates and availability to a global network of hospitality companies and channels. For the tour and cruise industry, it provides a digital platform that covers onshore, online and on-board. IBS Software is a Blackstone portfolio company and operates from 15 offices across the world.

“We are glad to develop our long-term partnership with IBS Software even further,” said Jochen Göttelmann, CIO at Lufthansa Cargo. “Mobile Digital Handling is the next success story for how the combination of IBS Software’s technology leadership and Lufthansa Cargo’s innovation capabilities contributes to shaping our industry. It was a pleasure to see how the realisation of our vision went hand in hand with the development of iPartner Handling. Being the launching customer, we hope that other cargo airlines will join soon this new community. In joining forces we will drive the digitalisation of the industry.”

With a turnover of €2.8bn and a transport performance of 6.5 billion freight ton kilometres in 2020, Lufthansa Cargo employs around 4400 people worldwide. Its focus is on the airport-to-airport business. The route network covers around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries, using freighter aircraft and cargo capacity from passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover and Sun Express, as well as lorries. Most of the cargo business is handled via Frankfurt Airport.