Unilode has signed an expanded deal with supply chain management solutions provider Nexxiot that will play a key role in the ULD firm’s aim of digitising its fleet of containers.
The company is aiming to digitise its ULD fleet in the next 18 months by equipping units with Bluetooth sensors.
Data provided by the sensors will be processed, analysed and made available to customers by Nexxiot.
This will allow Unilode customers to track their ULDs throughout the supply chain, both on the ground and in the air.
“The strategic partnership with Unilode is an important step for us in scaling our business model. For the first time, we are now developing solutions to digitise the airfreight market and make the handling of ULDs transparent worldwide. We achieve this by combining freight and movement data. Our extensive experience in the rail segment has helped us to master the problems in the air freight industry,” said Nexxiot chief executive Helmut Kaspers.
Benoît Dumont, chief executive, Unilode Aviation Solutions, added: “We are very diligent in selecting our partners and have high standards for the companies we cooperate with. After a long review, it turned out that Nexxiot is currently the only supplier worldwide with whom we can implement this kind of project in such a short time. That’s why we’ve brought Nexxiot on board as a strategic partner and benefit from the company’s vast expertise in the digitization of large fleets.”
The first joint trials between the two companies have been running since September 2018. By the beginning of 2021, all 125,000 ULDs supported by Unilode will be fitted with a “digital twin”.
Currently, around 10,000 ULDs are already equipped with the corresponding Bluetooth technology and can be activated digitally by Nexxiot.
For the first time, Nexxiot is now working independently of its own sensors and will thus integrate external data on its platform.
In addition, Nexxiot has developed a neutral user interface for Unilode where customers can view the data of their ULDs and use various services such as ULD location, temperature, shock, light and humidity measurement as well as inflight tracking.
Based on the new partnership, the company will be able to offer spot leasing for load carriers in the future, while it said pooling of ULDs will also be simplified.
