D2D - Demonstration of an integrated management and communication system for door-to-door intermodal freight transport operations
Overview
Background & policy context:
This project, called "D2D" ("Demonstration of an integrated management and communication system for door-to-door intermodal freight transport operations"), is a response to Task: 2.3.1/13 in the 3rd Call for proposals of "Promoting Competitive and Sustainable Growth", Key Action: Sustainable Mobility and Intermodality. The market for logistics management systems is developing rapidly. Globalization, lead-time reduction, customer orientation and outsourcing are some major changes contributing to the focus and interest into logistics management. Integration of the supply chain has become an important way for the industry to gain competitive advantages (Bowerson, Daugherty, Dröge, Rogers, Wardlaw, 1989, CLM, 1995). As a result, the role of logistics providers is changing both with respect to contents and complexity. New firms from different fields are entering the market competing with the traditional transport and warehousing companies. Assessing the market for logistics IT systems is a major challenge, since the terminology and descriptions of the functionality of the applications have not yet reached global standardization.
Objectives:
The major objective of D2D was to demonstrate how to efficiently organise and manage intermodal door-to-door transport chains, in which shipping plays a major role, by using logistics management and communication systems. Such systems would support and automate business transactions and information exchange between the different actors in the transport chains. The technology development and subsequent demonstrations of the technology and its real-life performances, has created a foundation for commercialization of the project results. The project results will support the European transport policy and inspire the European industry to make greater use of intermodal transports with more emphasis on waterborne transport. The focus of the project was the use of information and communication technology with the introduction new elements in the Intelligent Transport System. Some of the main results D2D aimed to produce were:
(a) A generic business model for transport chain management
(b) An open data model covering all aspects of intermodal transport
(c) A technical solution for a commercial Freight Transport Monitoring Services
(d) A technical solution for a commercial Transport Chain Management System
(e) Samples of “smart” transport equipment and software illustrating the potential for smart technologies to improve the competitiveness of intermodal transport
Methodology:
The project is structured to accommodate the requirements of the task description where the overall objective is the demonstration of an integrated and global management system for door-to-door intermodal transport operations.
Two subtasks are defined:
- Establishment of an integrated European door-to-door intermodal freight transport monitoring system for loading units, goods and transport equipment;
- Future solutions and 'smart' intermodal transport equipment for the automation of processes in door-to-door intermodal transport operations.
Hence, the research and development activities will be organised into three main activities:
- Development of a Transport Chain Management System (TCMS);
- Development of the Freight Transport Monitoring System (FTMS);
- Application of 'smart' technologies to improve the efficiency of multimodal transport operations.
The intention is to make as much use of earlier project results as possible, both National and EU-funded.
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