Participation in the European market and integration into its systems are key tasks for logistics companies, both within and outside the EU. Closer cooperation between all industry stakeholders is essential to ensure continued economic growth in Europe and maintain its attractiveness to businesses.
Europe stands at a crossroads. The continent’s digital sovereignty is no longer a theoretical debate but a geopolitical necessity. Now is the time for decisive action – a plea for 100% open source by Sebastian Raible (APELL) and Lothar Becker
(OSBA).
Crucial for the success of software for commodities is that it takes into account the requirements of multiple stakeholders.
With the OLF-eCMR, the Open Logistics Foundation has published the first building block for 100% digital logistics. It is now up to companies to make use of the potential of the software – to increase the efficiency of their processes for new business models and applications.
The use of open source software has reached small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – but true digital sovereignty first comes through active involvement. For SMEs, active contribution to open source projects is a lever to achieve sustainable benefits with manageable resources, strengthen their digital independence, and drive innovation.
In the open source world, it is self-evident that many people contribute to a project, code is openly documented, and discussions are conducted transparently. Companies can also use these principles internally, explains Clare Dillon, an expert on open source and InnerSource issues, in an interview.
The software for the eCMR, developed by member companies within the Open Logistics Foundation, provides the long-demanded basis for the digital and efficient organisation of international goods transport. The key to success for this new open source standard is collaboration – and the logistics sector is now ready to accelerate its efforts with the eCMR.
What the European Union‘s new regulation means for logistics – and the role of the Open Logistics Foundation.
The diversity and sheer number of players in the air cargo industry make the digitalisation of the industry more difficult. Together with IATA, the Open Logistics Foundation now aims to improve access to new standards and solutions while building an open source community.