ePic is up and running at WFS Boston station.

“ePic is light years ahead of Swissport”, says Tim Cogswell, the new GM at Boston who left Swissport a month ago. ”

Looking back at the Swissport building one block down, he told me “I worked there 27 years and came to the new company finally seeing you guys making the much needed changes long over due”.

Well said, Tim and welcome to a company that promotes and operates the cargo warehouse of the future. 

ePic is like a video game for cargo people. Designed with thought. ePic is the universal language for cargo people.

Looking at iPads mounted on the post of a forklift, you may wonder:

Is it a piece of hardware, software, wifi network, a portal, or a process ? 

The answer is everything. ePic combines those elements into a cargo handling solution, a powerful disruptor which relentlessly moves the paperwork burdened cargo operation into digital realm. 

To do great, you go the ePic way. 

What significant new technology in the air cargo handling warehouse has the sector and/or your organization benefited from in the last couple of years?

Inspired by IATA e-freight vision and promoting e-Cargo, we’ve implemented ePic since 2010. ePic, made in-house, is an air cargo warehouse management system comprised of five modules: ePic Office Suite, ePic Mobile Warehouse app, ePic Online Forwarder portal, ePic Airline portal, and ePic Camera app.

Our value propositions to our airline customers – Visibility, Real-time Cargo Update and Future-proof Quality

1. ePic gives carriers and their shipping agents 100% visibility of their freight as it comes in and goes out through our warehouse.
2. ePic provides our customers real-time, end-to-end status update from the point of cargo acceptance at the origin station to the point of cargo recovery at the destination
3. ePic allows instant picture taking of every single shipment at every key motion point throughout the warehouse space. Those pictures effectively minimize the future disputes and liabilities and therefore largely assure the service quality.

Our value propositions to operations – Efficiency, Productivity and Cross-the-function Collaboration

1. ePic makes our warehouse paperless
2. The mobile apps through iPads outfit on the forklift constantly connecting cargo with data speed up cargo processing and flight (de)manifestation
3. One unified process for all airlines we handle under one roof gives us greater synergy within our workforce and optimize our processes to the fullest

Our best practice enabled by and centered on ePic is the first time ever in cargo handling sphere. We’re mindful of the legacy and traditions, but bold on setting a new standard and shaping a future that the aviation deserves in the digital age.

How do you see this developing this year? And beyond this year?

We’ll continue to promote eCargo this year. We’ll continually push paperless cargo handling transition not only in the documentation department, but also in the warehouse cargo processing space. Actually we’ll put more emphasis on paperlessness on the warehouse floor. Not just to save the trees by going paperless, we have been enacting a paradigm shift.
We believe an e-freight day will refuse to arrive until the entire warehouse space is free of paper.

Do you plan to introduce any new technology in the air cargo handling warehouse in 2016? What benefits do you expect to gain from these?


Our objective is to transition every cargo facility of ours into eCargo best practice. We have an ePic global rollout plan in place. Our goal is to put ePic at every corner of all our warehouses. When we get close to 100% ePic usage companywide, we’ll be able to come up with something more significant – big data from data capture to business intelligence. A big data driven operation model will change the way of doing business as we know it.

Are there any breakthrough technologies being developed that you are aware of, or that you hope can be developed?


We believe that next big thing for us is the big data – large pools of data that are captured, communicated, aggregated, stored, and analyzed – coupled by immediacy of information sharing across-the board, will definitely unleash a powerful force we can only imagine now. One thing that will happen for sure is that innovation on our operations and productivity in our workforce will be revolutionary.

What effects have process improvements such as e-Freight and/or Cargo 2000 been having on technology, processes and operations in the warehouse? How do you see this developing?


We’re all for e-freight in concept and in practice. As discussed above, only transition of warehouse management into eCargo best practice is key to sustaining a business such as cargo handling with ever shrinking profit margin. Investment in technology is the only factor in making and keeping “doing more with same” true. Cargo 2000 (now sheepishly shortened as C2K) is being redefined by IATA. We welcome that change of definition and change of attitude. It is time that C2K at the digital age were repurposed. C2K is to answer the real hard pressing question that any customer cares most every day – “Where is my cargo?” rather than to be interested in the outdated notion of offset time, which comes from a set of traditional SOP’s controlled by paper – how quickly you can update the freight status in the system. People need real time information more than ever. Anything less is not acceptable.

Value Propositions to Operations – Efficiency, Productivity and Collaboration

1. ePic will make our warehouse paperless.

2. The iPads speed up our buildup and manifesting processes. 

3. One unified process for all airlines will give us greater synergy within our workforce and speed up our processes.

Value Propositions to Airlines – Visibility, Realtime Cargo Information and Future-proof

1. ePic will also give the airline real time visibility of the flight buildup through our airline portal.

2. ePic will provide the airline and its customers real-time received freight (export) and delivery (import) status through real-time RCS and DLV messages triggered after the trucker signature on the iPad. 

3. ePic will take instant pictures of every ULD and every shipment as they come in and go out. 

“We need effective communication routes for the forwarders, especially small and medium-sized ones, to transmit their FWB & FHL. Many forwarders are reluctant to use multiple airline portals and there is a need for a community system.”

– Michael White, CNS e-freight evangelist

The long-awaited e-AWB community portal offered by Consolidated Aviation Services (CAS) is to go live in USA this fall. By giving the air cargo community a truly simple, single process and a delightful user experience, this web-based e-AWB tool called ePic Easy Export will repeat the success story of CAS’ current ePic Online Customer Service portal which sports over 3000 freight forwarders performing self service for their import cargo online.

PARADIGM SHIFT

We need to transition ourselves from a paper-controlled process to a new environment where people depend less and less on the interchange of paperwork. This digital transformation from paper to no paper is not about how many trees we can save, but a paradigm shift which is so badly needed by our struggling air cargo industry.

OUR CHALLENGES AND HOPE

Why is e-AWB only adopted at 6% in USA? Only six out of 100 shipments uplifted out of the United States are free of AWB in paper format, after fourteen consecutive years of tireless, persistent, cross-the-board effort! The answer boils down to and apparently lies in the hands of the forwarder. We are to blame because we have failed to let those who cut the paper air waybills see the benefits of going paperless.

We must ask hard questions and speak to the hearts of the forwarders: Does e-AWB practice reduce duplicate data entry? Does it simplify the process? Does it provide convenience or an excellent user experience in the digital age? Does it provide visibility into cargo movement, and therefore increase the quality? Does it cause extra cost? If yes, how much and in exchange for what?

We must make sure what we’re delivering has immediate and obvious benefits. People are busy; if they don’t immediately see the benefits of what we’re giving them, they’ll ignore and move on. I get really excited every time when the stuff we do solves a problem, helps people get rid of their pains, and provides value. We almost need a pain-driven design mindset. Only in line of this kind of spirit will we be able to provide a community tool to assist those who cut the AWB in achieving our goal.

OUR GOAL – to provide small to midsize forwarders with an e-AWB tool without having to learn what an FWB or FHL is, or even worse what an FNA is; to provide full visibility of all the export cargo from the point the driver tenders the freight to the wheels-up moment.

OUR APPROACH – separate what is mandatory and optional – basic v. optional data entry; pre-install the frequently repeated information (system defined data) such as TACT, other charges and CASS agent code while keeping the input by the user to the minimum. In other words, you want to maximize the system-defined data but minimize the user input. You want to conceal the complexity and reveal the simplicity.

Perusing FWB message in email is pathetic and so is reading a physical air waybill. Human beings deserve better treatment in choosing what to read and how to read to get information. Information rather than the form.

OUR DESIGN – Let’s waste our life in the beautiful things. Our design mission statement is: Does the stuff that you are doing spark joy?

• Useful – does it do things people need done?
• Learnable – can people figure out how to use it?
• Memorable – do people have to relearn it each time they use it?
• Effective – does it get the job done?
• Efficient – does it do it with a minimal amount time of time and effort?
• Desirable – do people want it and will love to use it?
• Delightful – is using it enjoyable or even fun?

You don’t talk about FWB FHL to forwarders. They will get confused. One day, a forwarder friend of mine asked me this question “How does a small forwarder handle an FNA?” I replied, “ Your question is wrong, so wrong. Forwarders do not need to deal with FNA. They don’t even need to know what FNA is. Guess what, they don’t even have to know what an FWB is.”

Just imagine, when a small business forwarder has to hire an expert so as to do e-AWB. If this is not our collective failure, what is it?

Here comes our long-awaited ePic Easy Export

Say a prayer, kiss your loved ones because from today you’re entering into a new world. A world where creating an air waybill is a pleasure.

OUR ROLLOUT PLAN – leverage the current user install base of ePic which boasts 3000 forwarders in USA; to pilot with a few forwarders, to co-sponsor events with IATA / CNS, eCargo awareness campaign through local trade associations.

e-Freight is our vision. e-Cargo is our practice. e-AWB is our strategy, a vital entrance point that will start everything.

To Increase quality through operation visibility that will lead to customer satisfaction with new ways to engage with customers and sustain those relationships.

The goal is to generate more revenue and increase growth

ePic provides a platform of enterprise innovation program that combines digital /paperless strategy, processes and solutions.

ePic enables forward thinking airlines to further enhance the overall organizational mindset and culture for more cross-functional collaboration and integration.

Let me let the attached picture speak my mind first. Then I’ll revert with detail when I go back to the States.

This picture was taken this afternoon while the innovation award ceremony was going on. I purposely avoided it as you know why. I feel my excursion turned out to be more worth the while. I used this “protest” to observe my beloved hometown called Shanghai.

To my surprise it turned out to be really worth the while – a little movie 😄

Hopefully the movie can compensate those cargo devotees who missed out during your short stay in Shanghai.

For many, it’s an art not only to keep up with times, but to stay ahead of them. For enthusiasts like us, it’s in our blood.

With conspicuous lack of cynicism and skepticism, and a total willingness to try the fragile ideas, we live for innovation. Always in search for a better solution, full of fun and revolutionary!

E-freight is our vision
E-cargo is our practice
E-awb is our strategy, a vital entrance point that starts everything.

We finally got this giant K&N in Iah going the ePic way.

While in Houston weeks ago, we kept a high status mindset believing ePic is the way to go. We visited several freight forwarders there, which inarguably no other cargo handlers ever do. Each time before we walked in to see the customers, we reminded ourselves that ePic is what they need and it is the only way that entails a win-win game.

Yes we will stay humble in crafting and perfecting our system, but we must always maintain an empire state of mind on our ePic journey. Going paperless is the only way to change this industry. Anything less is not an option.

Change is upon us!

Here is the email I received from my e-Freight evangelist, Mr. Michael White:

Dear Mick, Chuck, Jim, Alan and Jim,
Your recent support of our meeting with China Customs and CAAC in Los Angeles was very well received by the senior officials in attendance.
These efforts are quite challenging and sometimes take some time to ascertain results.
We have been advised by our office in Geneva that Shanghai Customs will begin allowing the use of the e-Air Waybill in and out of that airport in the next few days. We are also waiting to hear about other major China ports will also be allowing the use of eAWB.
I do not believe that the decision to allow the implementation in one of the largest air cargo locations would have happened without your assistance during the meeting. It was evident that your participation helped our industry in spreading the efforts of moving toward full eCargo.

Best regards,
Michael R. White
Director Cargo Facilitation & Standards
IATA, Americas Region, Cargo Department