One step closer to digital cargo

The vision for ONE Record is an end-to-end digital logistics and transport supply chain where data is easily and transparently exchanged in a digital ecosystem of air cargo stakeholders, communities and data platforms.

 

Background

The e-freight program has set the foundation for the digitalization of the Air Cargo industry and the e-AWB is now used for more than 2 out of 3 shipments. This is a signal that the industry is ready to take digitalization to the next level and go beyond EDI and messaging technologies.

Data sharing standard

ONE Record is a standard for data sharing and creates a single record view of the shipment. This standard defines a common data model for the data that is shared via standardized and secured web API.

The standard is based on mature but progressive data sharing technologies that are well aligned with the best practices used by leading airlines. This makes it directly accessible to IT teams and service providers.

The standard specifies

  • Data model specification: provides the air cargo industry with a standard data structure for data exchange using JSON-LD that facilitates data integration with existing and new data services;
  • API specification: specifies the interface and interaction of the web API or Application Programming Interface that allows airlines and their partners to connect their system directly using best in class web technologies;
  • Security specification: uses an industrywide and federated trust network to manage identification and authentication of data sharing systems and ensures data privacy and confidentiality for all parties.

Industry benefits

The objective of ONE Record is to address the main challenges of e-freight and unlock the possibilities of a full digital air cargo industry and create opportunities for new value-added services and business models.

It brings the following benefits to the industry:

  • Data quality and control: Data is shared by a data owner who is in full control of data quality. Data stays at the source and the owner determines who may or may not access their data;
  • Visibility and transparency: ONE Record aims to cover the end-to-end transportation chain, from the shipper to the consignee. Each party is able to share data of the shipment with relevant parties, ensuring enhanced visibility and transparency;
  • Plug & Play connectivity: ONE Record facilitates the direct connectivity between all the industry stakeholders through the use of web API. This will lead to new cooperative IT solutions and innovation;
  • Future of digital cargo: ONE Record creates the foundation for true digital air cargo where airlines, their partners and service providers will be able to develop collaborative and automated digital services;
  • Welcome a new generation: ONE Record provides a technology platform that is ready for a new generation of digital natives who will be leading the logistics and transport industry within a decade.

ONE Record is an openly accessible standard and the following documentation and resources are available.
 

ONE Record Documentation

 

# title description
1

ONE Record: one step closer to digital cargo (pdf)

 A high-level introduction to ONE Record: why ONE Record, what is ONE Record, what has ONE Record achieved so far, and what's next?
2 Data Model, API  and Security specification
(link)		 Official repository of the standard specifications
3 ONE Record Implementation Playbook (pdf) The purpose of the ONE Record Implementation Playbook is to provide a step by step guide to implement the ONE Record standard. The document has been designed as a pointer to the various resources made available by IATA, either the standard components or additional pieces of information/guidance materials.
ONE Record White Papers
 
# title description
1 Catch the Wave of Linked Data with ONE Record (pdf)  This white paper explores a different way of looking at the Semantic Web from the air cargo ecosystem perspective
2 Bridging the Internet of Logistics with the ONE Record API (pdf) This white paper introduces the ONE Record API and arguments how Linked Data based APIs can be beneficial by connecting disparate supply chain entities into the Internet of Logistics.

ONE Record Insights

These are series of insights into the many topics related to ONE Record, including technical, data, pilot and project subjects.
 

If you missed our online events don’t worry. Catch up with our presentations and video recording.

ONE Record Insights – Series of six webinars

The ONE Record Insights webinar is a series of six episodes, diving into the components of the standard that make ONE Record work. Each episode is a standalone topic.

 

# Episode Materials
1 ONE Record introduction
One step closer to digital cargo

Youtube Recording
Youku Recording
Presentation (pdf)
2 The data model
A digital twin of the air cargo industry 

Youtube Recording
Youku Recording
Presentation (pdf)
3 Crafting ontologies
From physical freight to machine-readable data		 Youtube Recording
Youku Recording
Presentation (pdf)
4 The API
An overview of the key features

Youtube Recording
Youku Recording
Presentation (pdf)
5 Data security
Securing the internet of logistics		 Youtube Recording
Youku Recording
Presentation (pdf)
6 Pilot testing
Engaging with the cargo community		 Youtube Recording
Youku Recording
Presentation (pdf)

ONE Record hackathon: real-time disruptive innovation

Disruptive innovation is an indicator of the future performance of the air cargo industry and the ability transform legacy processes into a digital air cargo ecosystem.
 
The ONE Record data sharing standard helps build new capabilities in the industry participate in this digital transformation.
 
Hackathons are a great incubator for disruptive innovation and demonstrate speed and agility in the deployment of the ONE Record technology. This is where creative and disruptive talent meets and push the boundaries of a very traditional industry.
 
These hackathons are round-the-clock (28hrs of non-stop coding!) experiences gathering developers from across the globe to work on innovative solutions enhancing the air cargo supply chain.
 

IATA is currently working on the next editions in 2022 and 2023. We have exiting news to announce the next location to be Amsterdam (May 2022), working in collaboration with DCSA and the maritime community once again.

In fact, the level of development and implementation has reached a faster pace, that IATA is also excited to announce that moving on we will be hosting 2 Hackathons a year, one in Spring and another in Autumn. In 2022 these will be in hybrid format due to the pandemic and hopefully in 2023 we can move back to fully face-to-face! Stay tuned for more information and locations.

The hackathon giveaway: your own ONE Record server!

ONE Record as a data sharing standard is built on a simple premise: implement your own ONE Record server and connect to the Internet of Logistics, i.e. all the other ONE Record servers out there. To prime the pump, IATA developed a basic but fully functional ONE Record server that has been uploaded to GitHub for anyone to clone and deploy.
 
And that was the first challenge: implement a few ONE Record servers and join the movement.
 

Fueling the future

Although these events are clearly powered by tech savvy innovators who compete to win on the strength of their solutions, these events are also about the community and the collaboration that is fostered there. The community of people that not only dare to innovate and introduce new and disruptive ideas, but who can't live without doing so. They invest their time, energy and budget to hang out with like-minded souls to move the needle forward a few notches. For some these hackathons are a privilege and unquestionably the best days in the year.
 

Previous editions of our hackathons

Online September 2021
For the 2021 edition it was necessary to still keep the virtual aspect for the hackathon. Hopefully the last time! This 4th edition was different whereby we teamed up with the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) to work hand in hand with the maritime community. Want to learn more about the outcomes? See our project gallery site.
 
Online September 2020
Check out the video below about IATA’s first online Hackathon with over 170 participants from around the world. Want to learn more about the outcomes? See our project gallery site.
 
 
Madrid June 2019
Find out more about the winning corporate team (IBS Compass) addressing the problems in the airfreight industry related to scattered information, lack of timely feed of data and streamlined access to information.
See the hackathon in action through the lens of the camera
 

 

Geneva September 2018
Find out more about the winning team (Tata Consulting Services) which created a voice and Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution to automate the logistics of operation exceptions.
See the first cargo hackathon in action through the lens of the camera

Thank you to our sponsors who made the hackathons possible!

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Standardization: driving air cargo digitalization

Standards are a powerful approach to bringing stakeholders and systems together and lead digitalization of air cargo. ONE Record pursues a vision of the Internet of Logistics, i.e. a digital global network of logistics and transport providers.
 

Development of the standard

The development of ONE Record started in November 2017 in Amsterdam where IATA invited 40 participants from around the world to lay the foundation for a data sharing concept for air cargo. During this transformational event, the participants sketched out the key elements of ONE Record.
 
Following this meeting and the ONE Record development was formally established through the Cargo Services Conference (CSC) and the Cargo Operations and Technology Board (COTB) who established the ONE Record Task Force (ORTF) in June 2018.
 
This ONE Record Task Force was mandated to develop the specifications of the ONE Record standard which was formally issued as a Recommended Practice for the air cargo industry in March 2019 by the Cargo Services Conference at its annual meeting in Singapore, March 2019.
 

The standard

The ONE Record standard includes:
  • Data model specification: provides the air cargo industry with a standard data structure for data exchange using JSON-LD that facilitates data integration with existing and new data services;
  • API specification: specifies the interface and interaction of the web API or Application Programming Interface that allows airlines and their partners to connect their system directly using best in class web technologies;
  • Security specification: uses an industrywide and federated trust network to manage identification and authentication of data sharing systems and ensures data privacy and confidentiality for all parties.
The current specifications are available on GitHub.
 

Multimodality in data sharing

Following cooperation with the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum of the European Union, IATA has co-founded a consortium named “FEDeRATED” with the transport ministries of EU member states Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Italy and Luxemburg to develop ONE Record compatible multimodal data sharing recommendations. This is support for the EU Connecting Europe facility.

 

ONE Record is primarily a technology focused standard and where possible, we will provide tools to support the development and implementation of ONE Record. This includes the core technology such as a ONE Record server but also supporting tools for data model development and useful software modules.
 
ONE Record Developer Portal
IATA developed a ONE Developer Portal with the objective to be a one stop shop for anyone who wants to implement the ONE Record standard in his/her organization.
 
Making the link between the Industry MOP and the ONE Record Data Model is essential to show the intended usage of the data model with regards to cargo operations. This tool has been designed to briefly identify the impacts on the data model for each task described in the Industry MOP.
 
This was developed for the purpose of a ONE Record hackathon and is maintained to be aligned with the latest API. This is a great tool for testing the API directly.
 
The source code for the reference implementation is available for open use. It includes deployment instructions and can be normally deployed in a couple of hour by an IT developer. 
 
 

Use case development in ONE Record

Building on the experience and tests during 2019, the original ONE Record hubs (6 groups, 26 companies) set out in early 2020 to map out the use cases for the coming year. The aim in 2020 is to expand the data model (including special cargo, cargo distribution, cargo operations, etc ), connect the different participants together to enhance the interconnectivity, and generally increase the number of participants as the project specifications mature.

This year there will initially be 10 use cases (more information can be found in the relevant links below). More use cases will come online as the current environment and world events settle down.

Onboarding new participants bring new opportunities as the project continues, as a united logistics industry, to improve the data flow. This is done by testing ONE Record in various environments with different logistics partners. In parallel IATA along with a group of experts continue to refine and develop the ONE Record API and security specifications.

Should you have questions or interested in joining one of these use cases, don’t hesitate to contact us

Please click below for more information on the Use cases:

2021 Pilots

These companies have become the founding nodes of the Internet of Logistics

 

 

 

How to Join

The IATA Multilateral Data Agreement (MDA) (pdf) provides a single non-disclosure agreement standard whereby stakeholders sign once with IATA and start exchanging through ONE Record with all other signatory parties to the Agreement. By signing the Agreement with IATA, stakeholders effectively enter into Data Agreements with each other, i.e. enabling them to share data through the ONE Record API.
 
Joining is free of charge. Follow the steps below:
 
  1. Complete and submit the Online Joining Form (appx.10-15 minutes)
  2. Receive your agreement for e-signature
  3. Review and e-sign the agreement
 
After you e-sign, the agreement will be automatically routed to IATA for counter-signature. Once completed, the Final signed PDF Agreement will be sent to all signatories by e-mail. Thereafter, your company will be listed as party to the Multilateral Data Agreement.