International Air Transport Association interest group Cargo iQ will develop and improve its Smart Data programme by partnering with Swiss IT provider iRIX Software Engineering and New York-based data company Information Builders.

According to Cargo iQ, the Smart Data programme is a three-stage project which aims to enable a wider range of measurements, more information on specific milestones and self-service access for members to the group’s reporting platform.

“The Smart Data project will enable members to look at the data in a lot more detail and analyze it more easily so that they can reallocate resources to the areas where it is most needed to improve their processes, and consequently, their quality,” said Ariaen Zimmerman, executive director of Cargo iQ. “We are providing them with enhanced milestone data transparency to drive innovation along the whole door-to-door air freight supply chain, whilst supporting individual and industry quality and process improvement.”

Module One, which will boost airport-to-airport data collection and benchmark processing, is underway and scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2017.

Module Two, which will be fully implemented by iRIX in the autumn, is an online portal which can use Cargo iQ data to provide customized reports on milestones concerning routes, timeframes and partner performance.

“We are looking forward to a long and fruitful working relationship with Cargo iQ, and seeing in practice how our software supports them in bringing further quality to the air cargo industry,” said Thierry Bosshart, managing partner and CEO of iRIX Software Engineering AG.

Cargo iQ is working on the specification of Module Three, which will incorporate door-to-door data from forwarders to generate an overview of the air cargo distribution chain.

iRIX will be implementing the portal with the technology of Information Builders.

“Business intelligence delivers the highest value to organizations when it is provided in an accessible format to operational staff, partners, and customers: enabling people throughout the supply chain to act upon that information,” said David Small, senior vice president of the international division at Information Builders. “Ensuring the quality and accuracy of that data is critical for empowering employees to make informed decisions that drive business value. The combination of Cargo iQ, iRIX Software, and Information Builders’ platform will reassure members that their data is complete, consistent, available and reliable.”