SMe-Plug Software for SME Logistics Operations with e-freight Capability Martin CW Lai LSCM R&D Centre 18 Sep 2014 1
The SMe-Plug Software Software system to connect to common logistics service platforms Base on previous LSCM R&D projects Use of reusable data connector modules Meet the need to e-freight operations for small to medium enterprises (SME) 2
Background 3
Freight related documents Document / Information Invoice Packing List Shipment Order Bill of Lading Air Waybill Shipment Schedule Status Update Delivery Notification Custom Declaration Cargo Manifest Certificate of Origin Dangerous Goods Declaration. Traditional Way: Paper Documents Signed Originals Attachment with Cargo 4
E-freight Information Flow From IATA E-freight handbook v4.0 5
Core e-freight documents (FFM) (WCOCAR) (FWB) (FWB) (FHL) (FZB) (WCODEC) From IATA E-freight handbook v4.0 6
E-document BENEFITS: More accurate data Support data processing by remote users Faster document submission Automates processing of document Validation Risk assessment Document retrieval Reduce cost Manual processing Transportation of document 7
E-document based Systems Standard Document Format Data prepared by one party can be understood by the other e.g. EDI, XML, others Interface for Document Exchange Identify and verify partner Security Concerns Transportation of data through network e.g. FTP, https, AS2, AMQP Logistics Service Platforms Integrate different entities in the logistics chain Support host-to-host data links Value added services Provide web-based portals on Internet Government / Consortium of service providers 8
Logistics Service Platforms Logistics Service Platform Larger organizations more willing to implement host-to-host links Smaller participants or small usage users uses more web-based portal features 9
Problem of Multiple Portals Airline A Airline B Export Declaration My Order System 10
SME Facts in Local Market 1. In Hong Kong, there are about 3,500 registered cargo forwarders. 95% are SME. Only 5% are large enterprises 2. According to HAFFA, 74% of its 340 member forwarders are IATA appointed agents. Faced with keen competition in growing e-freight trend as depicted by IATA roadmap 3. According to forwarders and SI companies, setting up a customized connection to an e-logistics service platform would cost from $20K to $40k. A typical e-logistics IT system would easily cost $120K to $240K just for e-logistics platform connectivity 11
SME s Difficulties in adopting e-freight Services Problem of freight forwarding companies in adopting e-freight practices Enterprise has to connect its internal systems to e-freight services platforms at the effort of one service, one platform at a time, and thus effort is high and the job is expensive Lack of interoperability data/process model among enterprises and platforms for agile and easy connection, and thus technical barrier is high Stakeholders in e-logistics held back by unfavorable issues SME freight forwarding companies find it difficult to practice e-freight involving system connection to multiple logistics e-service platform(s) including customs, terminals, carriers etc. Airfreight and sea-freight e-service platform providers find it difficult to serve SME due to cost issues (lack of scale for each SME company) System Integrators (SI) find it difficult to capture the long-tail SME forwarders market for e-freight IT services as costly technical work to be charged 12
Typical SME Cargo Forwarding IT environment Shipment Management System No dedicated application maintenance support Not easy to add host-to-host links to different logistics platforms Provide bare-bone features only Not well documented Procedures Supplemented by fax and hardcopy based processing steps Uses Excel forms to organize incoming order and print out documents 13
System Approach and Design 14
SMe-Plug Objectives Provide low-cost tool to integrate to logistics platforms Suitable to integrate with existing SME IT environment Work with, but not to replace existing Shipment Management System, if any Maximize reusability to lower maintenance and upgrade cost Promote sharing of components to lower costs Provide user interface for editing e-documents Provide basic feature to allow e-document exchange even if there is no existing application software 15
SMe-Plug and Connectivity Model Service Platforms Air freight Sea freight etc. Platform connectivity made ready for every SME company SME Co. SME Co. SME Co. 16
SMe-Plug Architecture Service Platforms Service Platforms Connectors Connectors Connectors (external) (external) (external) Connector (internal) E-PLUG CORE ENGINE Shipment Management System or other inhouse system Document Document Sets Sets Converters Config Web-based UI 17
E-Plug Core Engine Accept pluggable components: Connectors, Converters and E-document modules Provide a generic platform for document storage and processing Provide access to generic Inbox and Outbox Provide a flow engine that is configurable by system administrator Organize different revisions of a single e-document 18
Connectors Implements communication protocol Handle authentication requirements External Connect to Service Platforms Public or proprietary interface Handle platform specific processing workflows Example Internal FTP to transmit / receive files from partners E-mail based interface Connect to internal systems or data sources Example: DB Get new Shipment Orders from database Example: API Call Shipment Manage System directly using web services to update shipment status 19
Converter Convert between different document formats Handles binary attachments as well Need to refer to standard reference data Use commercially available tools to generate execution code Minimal programming effort depending on source and destination format 20
E-document modules One per document type and format (PO, SO, AWB) Allow formatted views and editing using web browser interface Encapsulate document level logics, such as input validation Handle document inheritance (e.g. copying from Purchase Order to Shipping Order) Not relying on single standard 21
Layered Approach Custom Code Connector (internal) Config System/company specific needs by in-house IT or System Integrator Connectors Connectors (external) Connectors (external) (external) Document Document Sets Sets Converters Converters Converters Highly reusable components by LSCM and third party providers E-PLUG CORE ENGINE Core Engine by LSCM 22
Configuration of plug-in components Components require none to minimal configuration to plug in to the system. For example, converters are used whenever they are needed. Simply download converters to the designated folder enables them. Some components, such as connectors, may need additional information to function, such as supply of username and password. Which component to act on which document is selected by the system automatically, with the direction from the configuration file. 23
Modes of Operation GATEWAY OPERATION Platfrom A Platfrom A Legacy System Platfrom B SMe- Plug Shipment Management System Platfrom B SMe- Plug Other Data Platfrom B Platfrom B OA software SMe-Plug as communication gateway - Document are only translated in SMe-Plug - SMe-Plug makes necessary conversion and handle protocol and process differences - Dedicated software system handles business logics SMe-Plug as part of data processing - SM e-plug UI used to review, modify and create e-documents - SMe-Plug works with different level of data sources - Dedicated software system not available or cannot be modified to fit latest workflow 24
Access rights by channel 25
Access Right by workflow stage 26
Other Features API for extension Customer specific logic Replace standard user interface Tight integration with in-house systems Hook to trigger user defined programs for handling events More flexible system integration Notifications E-mail Mobile message 27
Examples 28
Co-loader (key co-load mode) Portal website Co-load AK e- mail from Portal Copy Activation Key from E- mail Follow link Obtain personal access key Co-load PAK e- mail from Portal Get Personal Access Key from E-mail Follow link Portal Login Input Air Waybill Fill in FWB form Input House Waybill Fill in CUSEXP/FHL form User actions Upload e-pouch upload AP form Web Forms Check Status e-awb status 29
Co-loader (using SMEplug) Portal System Internal Management Software Create House Waybill SME-Plug Convert to Portal Request format Send B2B Interface Review Status Document Inheritance Create Air Waybill Send E-pouch handling Send Status Update Send User actions System Features 30
Co-loader (using SMEplug) Benefits Reduce double manual entry of data Auto translation of data format reduces manual error No need to access web portal to input data and receive status Copy part of document to create a new document type (document inheritance) 31
Sample Shipping Order in Excel format 32
Example XLS to XML 33
MapForce Mapping Example 1 (Address) Map 4 address cells to one address field 34
MapForce Mapping Example 1 (Address) cont. Combining 4 address cells as one, using MapForce built-in functions 35
Generate code Generate code in MapForce Generated code used as code based of Converter Plug-in 36
Sample Screen Editing Document 37
E-document converted to the required format Service Platforms Air freight Sea freight Others SMePlug 38
Document Flows in System Config 39
1. Poll proprietary XLS Connector Poll Incoming directory to_lscm 40
Digest and pass to flow 41
Conversion 1. Accept document from glsconnector 2. Convert XLS to LSCM AWB standard 3. Store to Box aceprotrans.so 42
Finalize and Post Convert to GLS format before posting 43
Posted In remote FTP directory 44
Connections in progress Global Logistics System (HK) Co Ltd. CargoSmart Limited Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) OnePort Limited AfterShip 45
Component Market Component Market Cloud A SMe-Plug Installation Custom Code Connector (internal) Config Connectors Connectors (external) (external) Document Document Sets Sets Converters Converters Converters Download E-PLUG CORE ENGINE one click install 46
Benefits to All e-freight Stakeholders Deliverables offering all-win benefits to different stakeholders SME are able to connect easily to multiple e-freight platforms E-freight platform provider can serve more SME business once platform connectivity is resolved System Integrator uses SMe-Plug and saves effort when programming SME-to-platform connections. Thus, they can capture more SME business in e- freight IT services SMe-Plug effects SME s competitiveness in e- freight capability 47
Collaboration with HKPC (Hong Kong Productivity Council) Funding by LOGSCOUNCIL Further trial use of SMe-Plug Recruit 5 System Integrator Funding to subsidize 100 SME users to adopt the technology Details to be available around Nov 2014 48
Further Development More collaboration with solution providers and end users More reusable components More service platforms Core Engine enhancement Promotion 49
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