Cainiao shares RFID success in One Record trial

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Cainiao Network has added a remarkable milestone on IATA’s One Record standard as it successfully tested the full-chain cargo data exchange on the air route between China’s Hangzhou and Liege airport.

IATA confirmed that the Alibaba logistics unit’s Cainiao Liege eHub is the first air cargo hub in Belgium to have successfully applied the standard. Cainiao said it achieved several breakthroughs, including the first application and integration of radio frequency identification technology (RFID) technology on One Record.

In April Cainiao said it sold over 100 million RFID tags in a span of less than 2 years. Cainiao described it as the third generation of identification technology after barcodes and QR codes, which can facilitate the transmission of data stored in a microchip through radiofrequency signals. Data derived from these customized tags can be used for decision making and inventory management.

One Record, a global data exchange standard initiated by the International Air Transport Association or IATA, aims to establish an end-to-end digital supply chain for air logistics, allowing all relevant parties in the air cargo industry to easily and transparently interact with data.

Cainiao said it has simultaneously implemented the trial at both ends of the air route and is the first to be able to transmit key node data for individual pieces of cargo. RFID technology can automatically and in real time push the cargo status of four transportation nodes to One Record.

What this allows is it eliminates the reliance on traditional phone and email communication, allowing information exchange between IoT data and industry data. This means that what used to be a 3-day store inventory check can now be completed within half an hour using a RFID handheld device.

“Cainiao strives to be a pioneer in implementing global air cargo industry standards and integrating RFID into One Record trials can further enhance the end-to-end visualization and transparency of air cargo transportation,” said Thomas Yu, Director of global hub operations and product development at Cainiao Network.

“Cainiao will continue focusing on the research and development of digital tools to enhance the operational efficiency as well as customer experience of our eHub.”