Cargolux Airlines International has signed a contract with CHAMP Cargosystems, the global IT solutions provider for the air cargo industry, extending their 30-year long relationship to create the “next generation” Cargo platform. With the CHAMP system, Cargolux acknowledges the values and benefits that come with a customized Cargo system.

Cargolux, the global and Luxembourg-based cargo carrier, will replace its customized legacy cargo management system with a new tailor-made core cargo system. This will be developed in line with the carrier’s requirements and rolled-out across their entire international network in an evolutionary manner in the coming years. The “next generation” cargo platform of Cargolux will be operated, maintained and evolved by CHAMP. The IT company will also provide customization, implementation, business process engineering and training services.

Cargolux will take a big leap forward in terms of business process support tools and event driven management by deploying the latest technology which is contained in the new underlying Open Cargo Platform of CHAMP on which the specific Cargolux version is built. The new platform fuses lowered operational costs with heightened productivity. From sales and reservations, pricing, capacity management and cargo operations, to tracking and supply chain management, Cargolux can comprehensively manage every aspect of its operations with CHAMP’s tailored solutions, enabling Cargolux to provide even smarter, faster and better services to its customers.

e-Cargo ready to take off

The new IT system will help Cargolux accelerate its e-Cargo initiatives. It will make eBookings easier, enhance allotment, capacity and rate management, and raise the cost-efficiency of operations and handling. The new platform will also provide improved integration with Road Feeder Services (RFS) as well as enable Cargolux to manage shipments down to piece level whether for security, customs or operational traceability needs.

Although CHAMP also supplies Cargolux’s current Cargo IT platform it was not a foregone conclusion that Cargolux would opt for CHAMP’s new generation offering.

Following a thorough vendor selection process, CHAMP and the company’s offering convinced through its sole cargo focus, the company’s enormous knowledge in airfreight matters and its understanding of the Cargolux business model. Competitive operating costs of the proposed solution further contributed to the positive outcome.

A single-source provider for Cargolux

The advantages that certainly come with a single-source provider particularly with the anticipated gradual deployment plan are clearly regarded as an additional benefit by both parties.

“Having reviewed all market options we found that the benefits of staying with a solution tailored to our business model outweighed the extra cost, Henrik Ambak, Vice President at Cargolux Airlines International (in main picture) explained. We expect this next generation of CHAMP to deliver substantial advantages in terms of enhanced efficiency and increased functionality. This platform is clearly a good fit for Cargolux’ other internal and external IT systems currently in place.”

“We are delighted to continue and build on our strong relationship with Cargolux in future. We are liaising closely with our customer to get this exciting project underway and we look forward to seeing Cargolux benefit from new and enhanced functionality over the next years,” says John Johnston, CEO at CHAMP Cargosystems.