The Open Logistics Report v1.0 reflects the community approach followed by the Open Logistics Foundation. The report provides logisticians with an introduction to the world of open source. The document provides a detailed overview of 19 open source projects currently running worldwide in the fields of transport logistics, customs clearance, warehouse management systems and digital consignment notes (eCMR).
Standardisation thanks to open source
The logistics industry consists of many partners with different but essentially similar solutions. If you want to exchange data in logistics, you need a standardised understanding of the process. This is where the Open Logistics Foundation and its members come in. The non-profit and commonbenefit organisation acts as a neutral mediator for industry-wide open source projects that attempt to solve challenges in logistics and supply chain management. The prerequisite is that the projects are not market-differentiating. At this commodity level, even direct market competitors work together within the Foundation. The result is open source solutions that are openly available to everyone, including non-members of the Foundation. The joint development approach offers logistics companies several advantages. On the one hand, the open source software reduces operating costs and thus enables a more efficient use of resources; on the other hand, open interfaces are created that facilitate seamless collaboration along the logistics chain.
“Open source can pave the way for cross-company digitalisation of logistics chains, but so far it has only been implemented in a few areas. The report shows that a lot of work has already been done. However, there is still considerable potential for further projects,” explains Andreas Nettsträter, CEO of the Open Logistics Foundation. “The new report is emblematic of the Foundation’s ‘get involved’ mentality. Anyone who would like to contribute their projects, including global projects, to the report can submit them to us at any time.”
