BRUcloud, the cargo community cloud based data sharing platform at Brussels Airport went live with its “slot booking app” on the 15th of January with 7 companies. Today, the 27th of March, the number of companies using the app more than doubles with 8 extra companies starting to use the application in their live operations. The “slot booking app” eliminates one of the most compelling problems, the waiting and idle times at the facilities of the ground handlers.
The app coordinates the match between supply and demand of time slots, streamlines the pick-up and delivery of freight at the ground handlers and leads to a better capacity utilization and elimination of peaks and idle-times. The tool makes it possible for the booker (for example forwarder) to request a single or recurrent time slot at a specific facility, via a central web-application for all ground handlers. Concurrently, the supplier (for example ground handler) can make time slots for different cargo types available via the web interface or a system-to-system link with its intern slot management system.
The “slot booking application is made available to the stakeholders at BRUcargo via the open data sharing platform BRUcloud. The application is developed in a flexible way, so it can be used for any other limited resource or any other cargo community facing the same problems, being it an airport or a seaport. After using the application for more than 2 months now, the users from wave 1 are absolutely positive.
“WFS supports this project for 100%. We strongly believe in the positive effects of the use of the Slot Booking App. The first GO LIVE was a success! The involved participants within WFS are more than ever enthusiastic about the further roll out.”, says Eddy Myngheer, General Manager Belgium at WFS. David Bellon, Airfreight Director at DHL Global Forwarding adds: “the Slot Booking App ensures an improved planning of resources and a reduction of waiting times during peak periods in air cargo delivery and pick-up. DHL Global Forwarding is convinced this is a milestone providing transparency and an improved handling process at cargo pick-up and delivery. This is only a first step towards a further digitization of our industry, more in particular at Brussels Airport.”. Jeff Segers from IFA Skyfast says: “During the first days of the GO LIVE, Skyfast could already eliminate a lot of waiting time at the Ground Handler’s facilities. We have been able to deploy our staff more efficiently than before.”
After the launch of the first release of in January, new partners showed interest to get on board. “Over the past months we have had meetings with all interested parties to demonstrate the application and inform them on how to become part of the user group.” Says Sara Van Gelder, Cargo Development Manager and in charge of the digitalization projects at BRUcargo. “This has resulted in 8 additional companies using the application as of this moment, while more parties are lined up to do the same in the weeks and months to come.”
“This application is just a part of the landside management tool we are developing at Brussels. We will not only continue to improve and develop this app based on feedback of our users, later this year additional application will be launched that will interact and share data with the “slot booking app”, says Steven Polmans, Head of Cargo & Logistics at Brussels Airport.
The companies that joined in January are Aviapartner, WFS, DHL GF, Nippon Express, Kuehne+Nagel, Panalpina and IFA Skyfast. The 8 new participants are Saco Group Air, MSE, Bolloré, WFS Forwarding, DB Schenker, CEVA Logistics, Yusen Logistics and DSV.
