IBS celebrates 10-year collaboration with Lufthansa Cargo

This month marks 10 years of Lufthansa Cargo’s switch to software-as-a-specialist (SaaS) IBS Software’s iCargo freight management product.

The partnership began when Lufthansa Cargo made the decision to replace its core IT platform – a mainframe system called Mosaik – in 2012.

Moving away from Mosaik was considered a project of immense complexity and risk and Lufthansa Cargo carried out a search for a replacement during which numerous potential suppliers and partners were evaluated.

IBS Software’s iCargo offering was selected, it said, “based on the strength of the offering, the capability and experience of its teams and the high level of congruence in future strategy”.

The IBS solution represented not only a significantly upgrade to Lufthansa Cargo’s core technology for handling cargo operations but also further consolidated its IT landscape by bringing other, Lufthansa Cargo-built applications, under the iCargo umbrella.

The complex transformation project – known as iCAP – involved more than 300 global locations across the Lufthansa Cargo network as well as across its major hubs in Europe, including its Frankfurt headquarters hub.

But iCAP led to an integrated solution that supports the requirements of the German flag-carrier’s freight business, one that provides enhanced web-enabled features that optimise operations, enhance profitability and provide scalability.

Buoyed by the success of the initial phase of the project, Lufthansa moved to a full SaaS model of software delivery for iCargo in 2020, thereby entrusting ownership of hosting and maintaining Lufthansa Cargo’s iCAP platform to IBS Software.

Dorothea von Boxberg, chairman of the Executive Board at Lufthansa Cargo, declared: “IBS has been a strong partner in guiding us on our digitisation journey over the years.

“From the replacement of legacy IT systems, to the laying of the foundation stone in the area of digital fulfillment, to the development of more far-reaching IT solutions – which have now been the backbone in our IT operations.

“It is our goal to continue to work together to drive the digital transformation of our industry, improving data quality and connectivity with our customers in the process, and making our own processes more efficient as well.

“Together, we are creating considerable added value, especially for our customers,” she said.

Jochen Göttelmann, chief information officer at Lufthansa Cargo, remarked: “We look back on the existing ten-year partnership with IBS in a thoroughly positive light.

“Together, we have further developed iCargo as a product in such a way that it provides us with excellent services on a daily basis at our Global Handling Hub in Frankfurt and in our worldwide operations.

“The intensive cooperation between IBS as a technology market leader and Lufthansa Cargo as an innovation driver makes our collaboration special to this day. The IBS teams convince us every time – with their know-how, but also with their commitment to live up to our claim of implementing innovations in airfreight.”

Ashok Rajan, senior vice president, head of cargo & Logistics at IBS Software, added: “I view our decade strong partnership with Lufthansa Cargo with immense pride. It truly represents what can be accomplished through a partnership that goes above and beyond that of a buyer-supplier relationship.

“Our partnership has created several innovative business practices, many are industry firsts revolutionising and improving quality across cargo operations in a rapidly changing industry.”