All You Need to Know About e-AWB (electronic Air Waybill)
An air waybill (AWB) is a transport contract between the individual/company shipping cargo and the airline that is conveying it. It is one of the most crucial documents in the air freight sector.
AWB: An overview of its history
The Warsaw Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Related to International Air Transportation by Air was convened in 1929, and the Air Waybill was born.
The convention accepts the AWB as a document prepared by or on behalf of the shipper. AWB documents the contract between the shipper and the airline for transporting cargo over carrier routes. Generating an AWB is a paper-intensive, manual process.
The challenges associated with the manual airway bill: The shift to electronic mode
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), paper-based processes account for more than half of all global air traffic. Over 7,800 tonnes of paper are processed each year. A single shipment can contain up to 30 different paper papers.
Additionally, several of the operations still require human involvement. Paper documentation is time-consuming, labor-intensive, mistake-prone, and costly since it necessitates the management, storage, and maintenance of papers for record-keeping.
Some of the key challenges with manual AWBs are:
- Lengthy processes: Transport management systems take time to process manual airway bills. It affects the entire process of the cargo company.
- Data validation issues: A manual airway bill has data validation issues.
- Real-time tracking issues: Manual airway bill does not allow for real-time tracking to shareholders.
- Shipment delays: Manual airway bills can cause shipment delays because of mishandling of paper or illegible data entry.
- Costly: Manual airway bill causes increased costs and more labor utilization for paper processes.
It is in the face of these challenges that an electronic Air Waybill (eAWB) comes into the picture.
What is an eAWB?
A digital equivalent of a paper air waybill is the electronic air waybill (eAWB). For shippers, forwarders, customs offices, and air cargo companies, the eAWB substitutes the paper document and streamlines the air cargo procedure.
The primary purpose of eAWB, thus, is to develop and implement a paperless transportation method for the air cargo business from start to finish.
History of eAWB
The eAWB effort began in 2008 and was approved as a recommended practice by the IATA Cargo Services Conference in March 2009. The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations has also approved eAWB (FIATA).
The eAWB has helped remove the challenges of a manual airway bill.
- It speeds up processing by allowing for one-time data entry.
- It also helps in data validation.
- There is no need to print, handle, or preserve paper documents with eAWB. This helps businesses and regulatory bodies save time and money.
Implementing the eAWB into the existing systems
Here are some ways in which can incorporate eAWB:
- Automate your entire servicing process. This will make it not only faster but also more cost-effective because you won’t have to hire individuals to perform it.
- Implement eAWB in your data validation. Transform the different formats on your transport automation platform if necessary.
- Finally, notify the sender. Request them to assist in rectifying the incorrect or missing information.
Therefore, based on the airline’s rules, eAWB enriches the data.
How LogiNext Mile can help you?
LogiNext Mile is an all-in-one powerful Last-Mile Delivery and Dispatch Management Software solution. LogiNext Mile’s API/website integration feature allows you to incorporate all kinds of manual physical bills into your existing systems. It additionally provides you with the following features:
- Automated delivery route planning and optimization
- Real-time resource allocation
- Payment and delivery management
- Delivery associate management
- Real-time tracking
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