Change management and highlighting the benefits of ONE Record will be key to ensuring the data-sharing standard is adopted across the air cargo supply chain, according to speakers at the IATA World Cargo Symposium (WCS).
IATA airline members set an implementation date for ONE Record of 1 January 2026 and with that deadline fast approaching the industry faces the challenge of convincing supply chain players of the benefits of the standard over the existing XML standard.
The technical standard is composed of a common data model that facilitates data integration; API specification to enable companies to connect systems; and security specification that ensures data privacy.
Speaking at the event, Janet Wallace, managing director of cargo operations and transformation at Air Canada said that the technical capabilities of ONE Record had been tested and demonstrated through various programmes – the challenge now faced was one of change management.
“This is going to be the hard part,” Wallace said. “We need to partner with the industry and make sure our customers are onside with what we are trying to do.
“That is the next step - we need to spend the remaining months getting close to the customer and help lead them through how this is going to work because it is going to make many things much better.”
She added that there were huge benefits to utilising ONE Record in terms of speeding up air cargo processing and creating transparency.
Charles Marrale, chief executive of digital freight forwarder Exfreight, added that the industry needed to “sell the benefits” of ONE Record to the customer.
Marrale said that removing documents would improve speed and that is the main selling point from a customer’s perspective.
He added that airlines also needed to provide some more guidance on what they need to make the new process work.
“We need to sell it to the customer and everyone in the supply chain, explaining what’s required and then setting out guidelines of who is transferring what data where and when.
“I don’t think we have done a great job of that yet. The deadline is fast approaching and hopefully, the airlines will give us some guidance with what they are going to expect.”
Jettainer chief executive Jan-Wilhelm Breithaupt said that to encourage adoption, the industry needed to explain what ONE Record can achieve that the current system cannot.
He highlighted ONE Record’s ability to manage data at piece and parcel level.
“Shippers can easily add the data to the system and it can be linked to the piece level, the house air waybill level and the air waybill level,” he said.
“This could be one of the key use cases for ONE Record because then you can show the whole chain the benefits, how every member of the supply chain can share data in a completely different manner than today.”
