In an effort to increase transmission of electronic AWB data in Thailand, Bangkok Flight Services, the largest handler at the country’s main cargo airport BKK and WIN, an e-platform for independent forwarders, have joined forces to overcome barriers.
Some of the main challenges to e-AWB adoption in Thailand arise from the current state of air export processes. Agents deliver cargo to the handler’s warehouse to obtain a paper ‘weight slip’ showing actual ‘pcs’, ‘wgt’ and ‘dims’ which the driver brings this back to the office for the forwarder to update their system, print the AWB/docs and return them to the warehouse. Then the handler manually enters the Master and any House bills into the carrier’s system. The result is that Thai forwarders miss the opportunity to take advantage of lower charges on house bill entry fees, drivers queue in lines and traffic ferrying paperwork multiple times per consignment, and the inefficiency is passed straight up the chain.
Using the new automated process, the forwarder loads a draft AWB into WIN (using simple web-services to transfer the data from their own AWB system - or alternatively it can be entered online) and sends the cargo. BFS transmits the e-Weight Slip to WIN seconds after weighing. The forwarder is alerted that their draft AWB is updated (in WIN and their own system) with actual pcs, wgt and dims for them to quickly review and then send the electronic AWB data to the Airline who in turn copies the handler. All this takes a few minutes electronically so that the final AWB data is loaded into both the airline and the handler’s systems in short order.
Excel, one of the leading agents in Thailand, has used WIN for several hundred British Airways shipments over the past 8 weeks and is pleased with the efficiency gain. Aswin Pansiri, Executive Director, Excel Transport International has said, “We believed in CHANGE. It works! WIN’s tools made our processes faster, more simplified and cost efficient and included higher accuracy and productiveness. We will definitely implement this system with other airlines and hope to streamline the entire operational process in the near time. Thumbs up for the WIN system and BFS”.
British Airways likes the fact that they receive accurate and timely FWBs for Excel’s shipments via WIN as early as possible. “Excel is our key local agent and I wish to extend my thank you to Excel, WIN and BFS in making e–AWB go live so fast and furiously, increasing Thailand’s potential for e- AWB. We are ecstatic to find that we did the trials on the entire process and everything went by smoothly and turned to go live with it in only 2 weeks. I am more than happy to say that we, all in the cargo community, have gained great benefits from the e-weight slip and my goal this year is to eliminate the paper AWB” says Ornuma Matayakun, British Airways Cargo Customer Service Manager, Thailand.
BFS likes the fact that they receive the AWB data from British Airways with exact pcs, wgt, and dims (from their own weigh scale) so they no longer have to manually enter the information and can quickly accept the cargo streamline their entire process.
John DeBenedette, Managing Director, WIN said “WIN’s electronic AWB services are in daily use in almost 20 countries already however as we are based in Thailand we were concerned about the slow uptake here. Partnering with BFS and key forwarders to overcome local barriers fits right into our strategy to make e-AWB easy, especially for independent forwarders.”
GM of BFS, David Ambridge, said “The partnership between BFS and WIN will allow all WCA Members in Thailand easy and cheap access to E-AWB and the associated cost savings that this brings. Not only that but any Freight Forwarder could also use this service and gain similar cost saving and efficiency benefits. With Airlines charging EDI Fees this really is a “no brainer” in my opinion. BFS Cargo has been 100% committed to E-AWB and we will continue to explore every avenue possible to support and promote this in 2015. E-Weight slip will be available to every BFS Customer in 2015 and we will eliminate the Paper Weight Slip completely this year”