Working Group within Open Logistics for eCMR

A unified standard for the electronic consignment note (eCMR) is one of the greatest opportunities in the transport sector. Therefore, Dutch eCMR experts Aventeon, CargoLedger, and TransFollow rely on teamwork. Together with 17 other companies, they are committed as a Working Group within the Open Logistics Foundation to develop a unified and interoperable open-source solution.

(Dortmund) The Open Logistics Foundation is a neutral and non-profit organization dedicated to establishing open-source solutions in the logistics industry. Within the European foundation, there are four different Working Groups, including the Working Group Electronic Transport Documents led by the German companies Dachser and Rhenus. Among the 20 members of this Working Group, the Dutch developers Aventeon, CargoLedger, and TransFollow are key drivers. The focus is on the topic of eCMR. Although such documents have already been digitized in recent years, a unified standard is still lacking. Therefore, the goal of the Working Group is to develop a unified and interoperable open-source solution for companies.

Open Mindset for Open Industry Solutions

With the eCMR project, the Electronic Transport Documents aim to implement the electronic consignment note for everyone. This means that there is no central authority through which freight documents are mediated – the network and the electronic consignment note are open to all. The international connectivity of the transport sector is demonstrated by the members of the Working Group: In addition to Germany and the Netherlands, companies from Belgium, Lithuania, Poland, Austria, and Switzerland are also represented. The Working Group is open to new members from other countries to further expand international collaboration. Frank Kindt, Managing Director at Aventeon, emphasizes: “It is remarkable that several Dutch providers of eCMR solutions have joined the Open Logistics Foundation as members. Here, we work together on an international level, which is crucial for success. Because in the end, we all benefit from a widely accepted, standardized open-source solution. This reduces interface issues and allows us to invest more time in add-ons.”

from left to right: Frank Kindt (Aventeon), Hjalmar van der Schaaf (CargoLedger), and Hans Lip (TransFollow) © Open Logistics Foundation

Open Collaboration Beyond Company Boundaries

Hans Lip, International Sales and Marketing Manager at TransFollow, highlights the open collaboration beyond company boundaries: “What’s special about the Working Group? It is accessible to everyone who wants to participate and contribute. Since there are different types of electronic documents and consequently many different solution providers, it is particularly important to have an open mindset – everyone must work hand in hand here.” Finally, Hjalmar van der Schaaf, CEO of Cargo Ledger, emphasizes the networking aspect: “The Open Logistics Foundation is a unique initiative in Europe. It brings together some of the largest logistics service providers, providers of eCMR and other digital logistics solutions, as well as a wealth of existing market knowledge about digitization. If we can successfully develop open-source solutions based on open standards that are embraced by the industry, the entire EU will benefit.”

The Working Group focuses on exchanging knowledge and experiences from the industry and raising awareness of current developments in the logistics sector. With these very important steps, digitization in Germany, the Netherlands, and the EU can be taken to the next level. The Working Group has already provided proof of concept: In October last year, the logistics service providers Rhenus and Dachser tested the eCMR platform and automated document processing for around 200 outgoing transports on a real transport route from Berlin – with great success.

Participants of the Working Group

Aventeon, Cargo Sign, CargoLedger, Dachser (Working Group Lead), DB Schenker, DSLV, duisport, Fraunhofer IML, Gebrüder Weiss, GS1 Germany, iteratec, LKW Walter, markant, Pionira NV, Rhenus (Working Group Lead), Sitra, Trade Link, TransFollow, Transporeon, Zufall.

Title photo: © Pixabay_BarneyElo