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First standards for smart container data exchange published

Marseille-based smart container developer Traxens has created the first standards for smart container data exchange published by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) business requirements specifications (BRS).

Although many smart containers are already in use, there are no global standards in place to capture and communicate consistently and multimodally the array of data they generate. Initiated in October 2017 under the leadership of Hanane Becha, innovation and standards senior manager at Traxens, the Smart Containers BRS project aims to provide clear global standards for the exchange of data to ensure interoperability and easy integration within different systems. Data will be generated once and shared between multiple stakeholders, platforms and systems; improving data exchange, automated workflow and alert generation.

These new standards will be the basis for API development, bringing technology into every aspect of the supply chain and providing powerful and innovative tools.

“This technology can be combined with other innovations such as blockchain, big data or data pipelines to provide even more uses in the trading community. In all of these cases, though, we see that creating clear, unambiguous message exchange standards will unlock the further potential of enhanced data,” said Jacques Delort, managing director of Traxens.

“Thanks to smart containers standardised messages, the computer representation of the supply chain will become synchronised with the physical world, increasing the speed and accuracy of decision-making, the automation as part of transport and logistics execution and the seamless collaboration between stakeholders. Enhanced data will improve visibility and predictability for stakeholders as well as for regulatory agencies that need detailed information on consignments before they arrive at the border,” said the project’s leader, Becha.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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