The project KV 4.0 has made the complex logistics process more transparent and clearer, overcoming the critical issues of the intermodal supply chains and missing or incomplete end-to-end information chain. Fincons realized the project as technical partner of a big consortium of European railway operators, among which Hupac, Swiss leader company in the transportation sector, aiming at optimizing the intermodal transport, increasing the attractiveness of rail compared to end-to-end road freight transport.
The challenge
The high complexity of intermodal supply chains and a missing or incomplete end-to-end information chain are some of the biggest competitive disadvantages for combined transport compared to end-to-end road freight transport.
The goal of the "KV 4.0" project was to make this complex logistics process more transparent and clear. With the help of a common, integrated and integrated developed, shared and fully integrated data hub and via standardized interfaces, all participants now have direct access to transport-relevant parameters from combined transport (e.g. order and schedule data, arrival forecasts and information accompanying transport).
The solution
A consortium of 11 participants in the multimodal sector, among which Hupac, Swiss leader company, commissioned Fincons with the realisation of the project.
For the technical implementation, the prototype of a data hub was developed during the project. Specifically, the basis for a smooth data exchange relies on the agreement of the project partners on a uniform data standard, the EDIGES4.0 format.
This enables the electronic exchange of all transport information, from timetables and as well as bookings to terminal and train status messages as well as ETAs. In addition to this, the available data can be used to calculate an ETP (Estimated Time of Pickup) - the expected pickup time for the LSP. This is a central milestone for the optimization of the intermodal transport chain and for the associated increase in customer satisfaction.
Very high availability and stability is ensured. The hub runs 365 days, 24 hours a day, without any degradation of system performance. In the future, all players in combined transport will be able to access to standardized transport data across the entire transport chain over a single interface.
The benefits
This project makes an important contribution to further increasing the competitiveness of intermodal supply chains. Electronic order data are not only required for capacity planning by the operator, but also for the preparation of wagon lists and loading lists in the terminal and for the creation of waybills by the rail transport company.
Information forecasts relating to physical transport enable significantly better production and resource deployment planning by all parties involved.
Finally, consistent and electronically available data is essential for terminal processing and is ultimately also required for precise billing of all transport-related services. By further optimizing the intermodal transport chain, the attractiveness of rail as an environmentally friendly transport alternative will be strengthened and a positive impact on the environment will be achieved.