Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is increasing trust and transparency in the supply chain by linking flower shipment data to air waybill numbers at the source as part of its Smart Cargo Mainport Program.

Flower shipment data, such as the number of boxes, flower type and number of flowers and stems in each box, is linked to air waybill numbers by the portal, which then generates a unique GLN code that gives all users access to all the data in a single place.

In successful pilots on journeys from Nairobi to the flower auction in Aalsmeer in the Netherlands, shipments of flowers remained traceable, in real time and on the shipment level, throughout the journey, including both product and shipment information.

“Through close collaboration between the floriculture and air cargo sectors, we are now able to link two critical sets of data and increase trust between parties by making that data available to everyone at all times,” said Jonas van Stekelenburg, head of cargo at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. “The new portal uses a unique ‘global standard 1’ code combined with an order number. This way the system excludes duplications of either order numbers or air waybill numbers.”

The unique GLN code consists of a shipment reference and an order code, creating a universally recognized format which cannot be duplicated. This provides end-to-end visibility that each supply chain partner can access through their own internal systems. Each party has more information earlier in the chain so that they can track and trace shipments in real time along the whole journey.

Holland Flower Alliance partners are now working with Kuehne + Nagel and Panalpina towards user-friendly ways of presenting the data to the end customer. 

“This unique collaboration by means of SCMP and the Holland Flower Alliance is of great value for the precious supply chain of floriculture cargo,” said Marcel de Nooijer, EVP of Air France-KLM Cargo and managing director of Martinair. “By joining hands, we are really working hard to increase efficiency and quality and to lower costs throughout the whole supply chain. The development and launch of this data sharing platform is a real example that we are doing ‘new stuff’ benefiting all stakeholders in the floriculture chain.”

The portal was developed after consultation with the Schiphol cargo community identified priorities for the perishable cool chain, with the ability to track and trace on the box level from farm to auction being a unanimous priority for all parties, according to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.