The podcast interview discusses the evolution of collaborative efforts in logistics through the lens of open source principles. It highlights how the logistics sector currently faces challenges like proprietary platforms and data security concerns. The idea of forming the Open Logistics Foundation stemmed from these challenges, aiming to establish de-facto standards and foster a community-driven approach that promotes trust and ensures shared benefits without commercial exploitation. Therefore, uncovering the great potential for open source solutions to thrive in the industry.
In the episode, Markus and Andreas explain in detail what the Foundation has been working on, diving deep into the eCMR project. They expand on what the eCMR is and its role in revolutionising the supply chain, a solution that will allow companies to uniformly create, edit, save, forward and archive shipping documents in a human- and machine-readable format. They go on to explain that the Foundation’s Innovation Community has had positive outcomes with a successful pilot test run of the eCMR between Rhenus Group and Dachser SE, in October 2023.
They emphasise that collaboration mitigates acceptance issues and addresses commercialisation concerns, crucial for engaging small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in logistics. The Foundation not only sets rules but also encourages transparency and consensus-building, essential for sustaining community involvement. Despite initial hurdles, such as data privacy and differing international regulations, the work being done at the Foundation has gained momentum, attracting diverse members and fostering a global dialogue. The ongoing effort aims to standardise processes and build technological frameworks, bridging gaps and promoting digital collaboration across borders, ultimately enhancing efficiency and competitiveness in the logistics sector.
The Foundation’s approach focuses on developing unified solutions that cater to all stakeholders, contrasting with fragmented individual efforts that lack compatibility and efficiency. Addressing the podcast host’s concerns about the different digitalisation processes in companies, the guests explain how the solutions developed by the Foundation aim to harmonise existing systems, as opposed to settling for diverse solutions, aimed at the same problems that are neither compatible nor efficient. For instance, the Electronic Transport Documents group and their eCMR project involve intensive and collaborative work that focuses on not just the IT aspects but also three important aspects, which are the technical part, the organisational aspect and the legal. This is done to ensure that the solution can become the industry standard which companies can use as a basis to build their individual solutions and add value.
To dive deeper into these transformative projects and understand how the Open Logistics Foundation is shaping the future of logistics through collaboration and innovation, we invite you to listen to the full podcast episode (in German language). Visit our website to learn about the progress of our projects, including the eCMR, and learn how you can be part of this movement towards a more efficient and interconnected logistics and supply chain industry. Join us in revolutionising logistics through open source.
