CHAMP reveals details of project to monitor animal health during transport

Animal transportation is not the first thing you associate with air cargo software firm CHAMP Cargo Systems.

However, in September of this year, the company joined the Animal Transport Association.

At the Air Cargo Americas event, Fred Werginz, head of commercial operations – Americas, explained that the membership is part of an internet of things (IoT) project that will utilise monitors to track the health of animals while they are being transported.

He explained that if an animal has an elevated heart rate or temperature, for example, the handlers accompanying the animal can view the sensor data and can then investigate what is causing the situation.

Werginz said: “Our innovation lab looks at challenges in the industry and looks at technology to see how we can apply that.

“And as we did not have too much knowledge about animal transportation, we joined the ATA.

“It means we can provide our expertise to the association and they can provide some expertise back to us and we can develop something that will be useful for shippers or anyone transporting animals by air.”

Werginz pointed out that the project centres on data, and that this is what a software company needs to make its systems work.

“We concentrate on application systems, but the end-result is always data. That data has a place, whether it is coming off a sensor or being transmitted by a freight forwarder as an air waybill.”

Another area that the software firm has pushed recently is the environmental front – earlier this year CHAMP teamed up with TIACA to launch a sustainability programme.

Werginz said that there is also a need for data when it comes to environmental performance.

He pointed out that the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme (CORSIA), supported by IATA, will require all airlines to offset carbon emitted from all international flights from 2027.

CHAMP has developed a carbon calculator for CO2, NOx, SOx and PM that can produce detailed reports to help airlines monitor their environmental performance.

“It is an area that needs some attention and like the live animals, it is similar in nature, it is about data and how we, as an IT company, facilitate our customers to meet those kinds of requirements,” Werginz said.

He added that despite the current market conditions CHAMP has been busy and will soon be launching a “significant development”.

“Although 2019 hasn’t been the greatest year for air cargo, there is still a lot of demand for IT as there are lots of legacy processes out there,” he said.

“The most significant development for us recently is to open up CargoSpot through an API, which creates a lot of new possibilities for our customers. That was a giant step in going from where we were to the next generation of cargo automation.

“We have been working on it for the last couple of years, but we are now formalising it and will make it available in the near future.”