IT
DEVELOPMENTS
fl exibility if you use technology
from the ‘80s and ‘90s.”
Polmans fi nds that the
backward-looking mode is not
confi ned to the technology but
extends to people’s approach
to digitisation. “The mentality
of people is still the biggest
challenge,” he comments.
“People think too much
about how to digitise existing
paper and procedures. You
should create a new procedure
that only can be done because
of digitisation.”
Brussels has eschewed a
great leap forward, preferring
to build up step by step in the
community. “Don’t make it
too big from the beginning!
You create extra hurdles if it’s
too complex. Start small and
get people used to it,” advises
Polmans. “Building up apps
with stakeholders is lengthier,
but it works.”
A good deal of steering
is necessary, notes Webber.
“Cargo communities need to
be well co-ordinated,” he says.
Successful approaches
The stakeholders in BRUcloud
operate with two- and fouryear
roadmaps. The two-year
Brussels airport has made use of
the BRUcloud platform since 2016
framework is mostly for the
development of apps, whereas
the four-year window is more
geared toward the strategic
vision of what to develop and
which apps to bring forward.
The BRUcloud platform has
taken root in other locations.
Both Liege and Vienna airports
have adopted the system for
their local needs. “We’re doing
something at Heathrow,” adds
Polmans.
The idea is not to develop
the platform into a revenue
stream in its own right, “but
it makes future developments
cheaper for us,” he says.
“Trying to be exclusive in
today’s open environment
does not make much sense,”
he adds.
Paige is looking to
Amsterdam Schiphol for
some inspiration from its
experiences with its local
Cargonaut system, but also
beyond it. Under a trade and
investment agreement signed
by the Dutch government
about two years ago, the two
airports intend to build a
trade and logistics corridor.
“They already have a system.
If we have one too, that will
help us,” he says, adding that
the US Customs & Border
Protection service welcomes
the initiative, which promises
it better visibility of what is
carried on incoming fl ights.
Unanswered questions
Inevitably, establishing
platforms raises questions
about data protection and
ownership. This is one aspect
that has to be settled, stresses
Hueske. “If everybody keeps
data to himself, no benefi t will
emerge,” he adds.
In BRUcloud, which
is based on data sharing
technology from Nallian, the
source stays in control of its
data and can defi ne which are
shared with whom and for
what purpose.
Another question is which
systems and technologies
platforms and the various
functionalities they host
should support. This applies
to the whole digitisation
theme. At this point it is
often necessary to enable data
exchange with APIs as well
as with existing formats like
Cargo XML, notes Hueske.
Future focus
Going forward, APIs are what
most are looking to. For
the most part, Lufthansa is
investing in user interfaces,
which are easier and more
convenient, says Hueske.
He points to ‘heyworld’,
Lufthansa Cargo’s recently
launched subsidiary aimed
at e-commerce. This offers
confi gurable transport solutions
to online retailers, digital
marketplaces and forwarders.
It includes simple Customs
clearance, end-to-end tracking
and pricing at package level.
Using APIs to combine
services, it is an illustration
of what connectivity can
mean and what services can
be created for customers, he
says.
We need
pioneers. We need
external drivers
Boris Heuske, Vice President Digital
Transformation, Lufthansa Cargo
You create extra
hurdles if it’s too
complex. Start small
and get people
used to it
Steven Polmans, Head of Cargo and
Logistics, Strategic Development
Brussels Airport Company
28 August 2019 www.airlogisticsinternational.com
/www.airlogisticsinternational.com