Descartes Renames Cargo 2000™ Air Cargo Data Quality Solution to Descartes Cargo iQ™

Today marks a landmark in the air cargo industry as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Cargo 2000 (C2K) initiative adopts the name Cargo iQ. The switch reflects the nature of the program as a standard to improve air cargo data quality and increase business intelligence throughout the air freight industry.

Cargo iQ, formerly Cargo 2000, provides benchmarks for airlines and forwarders to increase the accuracy of information moving through the air cargo supply chain. The system was created to compare the standards of shipment planning to execution. Fundamental to the program are unified operational practices through the definition and measurement of actual “milestones” to “route maps”, or the expected transportation plan.

Descartes is helping the airline cargo industry move to better data standards and more electronic processes for over 20 years. We have been a supporter of Cargo 2000 since its inception in 1997 as an IATA ‘interest group’, and maintain full certification in the initiative. Our goal is to work closely with the air cargo industry to enable companies to measure performance, improve processes and ultimately better compete. Descartes shares the same values of innovation, trust, collaboration reliability and quality with Cargo iQ. We encourage and support businesses that endeavor to identify objective measures and metrics to drive meaningful quality improvements.

Building upon the success of Cargo 2000, Cargo iQ aims to develop new benchmarks as well as an improved data management initiative called the Smart Data Project. With the Cargo 2000 name change, Cargo iQ is also seeking to expand and diversify its global member base. The program already includes:

• 10 million yearly airport-to-airport shipments with 900,000 monthly shipments
• 5.5 million year door-to-door shipments with 500,000 monthly shipments
• 82 members

In addition to the above, the Smart Data Project is anticipated to add 110 million lines of new milestone information in 2016. Cargo iQ features a new certification and audit program and a framework to more effectively collaborate and share development-related information.Descartes Cargo iQ™

As part of our commitment to support data quality improvements in air freight, the Descartes Cargo 2000 solution has been renamed to Descartes Cargo iQ™. Descartes is known for its strength in the logistics technology space, and the change reflects our continued commitment to provide added quality measurements, insight, and intelligent visibility options for our air cargo customers. By making accurate information more readily accessible, businesses are more prepared to make better decisions, fulfill customer expectations and standardize processes for improved levels of service.

Descartes is helping airlines and forwarders across the globe achieve certification with the initiative.  Some of the key highlights of the Descartes Cargo iQ solution include the ability to:   

• Monitor shipments – Customers can track shipments and partial shipments from origin airport to destination airport.  
• Review events – Our advanced technology reviews messages following defined events to comply with Cargo iQ requirements. With route map milestones automatically matched against actual event timing, customers have a clearer understanding of success or failure rates and can apply corrective action.
• Enable quality assurance – Consolidated status data from multiple route maps can be used to obtain Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on a company’s overall air transportation quality. Our solution can also evaluate the status of selected shipments and participants to provide a snapshot on-demand.
• Leverage route maps with milestones – Descartes Cargo iQ creates a route map for each airway bill based on the times provided in booking messages and combines this data with necessary handling times.

By unifying multiple features and requirements in one platform, carriers and forwarders can gain improved insight into the real performance of their air cargo supply chain through a certified methodology. With better information, carriers, forwarders and Ground Handling Agents (GHAs) can better move to electronic communication protocols such as the electronic airway bill (eAWB).

Descartes is looking forward to the further process improvements that the Cargo iQ program offers.  We are pleased to join IATA as we continue to enhance operational execution in the air freight industry. We also encourage you to review our complimentary eBook on the eAWB, as well as view information on the Descartes Cargo iQ solution.