Logistics.cloud
Vendor-Neutral Platform for Logistics Services

In 2017, eminent German manufacturing and logistics companies such as Schaeffler and Lufthansa were looking for solutions to optimise their logistics and data exchange capabilities. Logistics was an extremely complex process due to the bilateral 1-1 connections at each stage of the supply chain. The industry lacked a solution that could facilitate seamless communication across the complete supply chain via a single platform. Additionally, there was stark need for optimum tracking, visibility, and transparency tools. Since then, contrary to widespread expectations that technological development would ease operations, the industry’s complexity has only increased.

With the market being highly fragmented, and available solutions remaining vendor-specific and expensive, organisations were on the lookout for an answer to their woes. Logistics.cloud--a vendor-neutral data platform—has been established to provide a solution that facilitates order and status tracking and a platform to platform communication for real-time while enabling users to digitalise and visualise their global supply chain. The platform is open to shippers, forwarders, carriers, customs, and third parties and enables seamless data exchange.

Logistics.cloud offers a dynamic, global and multimodal platform, aiding the exchange of transport data between all participants in real-time to maximise the supply chain’s efficiency. The exchange of data is cloud-based, which ensures data quality, traceability, and accessibility. In addition to that, the platform offers transport insurance, predictive analysis, risk analysis, and regulatory compliance checks. Logistics.cloud offers these by integrating different planning, tracking, telematics, and delivery solutions into one platform. Niko Hossain, CEO of Logistics.cloud says, “We integrate different solutions into one platform and connect static planning data with real-time data.”

Logistics.cloud focuses on providing supply chain visibility to shippers with a user-friendly interface, designed using APIs and no-code technologies.

Clients upload all the necessary information to the platform and logistics.cloud passes this information to the specific forwarders, based on lanes and destinations, and gives them access to the data. Logistics.

cloud also brings additional information to the palette, such as ground-handling data and shipment statuses. It significantly reduces costs, enhances tracking, and increases customer satisfaction. The company is also a participant in several digital logistics hubs and accelerators in Europe, such as Hamburg, Dortmund, and Frankfurt. It has created a digital ecosystem that thrives on partnerships between various logistics industry players. Recently, logistics.cloud signed an alliance with Lufthansa Innovation Hub for sustainable logistics. Courtesy to the several partnerships it has with brands such as global courier expresses and parcel integrators, its reach extends into the global market. The company has also partnered with What3Words. It offers a system to identify any location with a resolution of 3 meters. This partnership will enable logistics.cloud to precisely mark drop locations to improve deliveries at diverse locations such as airports and industrial areas. It is also partnering with green-tech companies to design a carbon calculating solution that enables customers to track their carbon footprint.

Having a high-profile clientele consisting of major brands such as Lufthansa, Schaeffler AG, Hellmann, Fraunhofer, and Liebherr Logistics.cloud is a trustworthy name in logistics industry. Using the platform, Lufthansa TechnikLogistik Services received 12 per cent more tracking information for its incoming shipments and reduced manual tracking efforts by more than 5000 transactions. Lufthansa Cargo AG utilised the platform’s real-time telematics data with ETA calculations and map visualisations to deliver temperature-sensitive perishable products. Lufthansa was able to detect possible irregularities and controlled the process more efficiently. Fraunhofer AISEC utilisedlogistics.cloud to apply a blockchain solution in order to transparently recording and storing confidential research information.

Logistics.cloud already houses around 70 per cent of the biggest logistics companies on its platform. It aims to raise that coverage to 95 per cent to cater to an even broader spectrum of demands. It is extensively focused on the air cargo business and intends to expand its operations on sea freights. As Hossain concludes, "Our plan for the future is to make it possible for service providers to utilise a one-stop service-based digital platform by entering logistics.cloud. We also aim at enabling a marketplace where other players can easily launch their service and make it consumable to logistics users."