The mobile app eServices provides Lufthansa Cargo’s customers with access to their consignments and consignment histories anytime, anywhere. This app is part of a comprehensive mobile strategy that the cargo airline is pursuing in order to invest in new services and digital products.
The customer
With a transport volume of around 1.6 million tonnes in cargo and postal consignments as well as 8.4 billion freight tonne-kilometers in 2015, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world’s leading air cargo transport companies. It currently employs roughly 4,600 members of staff worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo’s emphasis is on airport-airport business. Its route network comprises around 300 destinations in over 100 countries and it utilizes both cargo airplanes and the cargo capacities of passenger aircraft owned by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings, as well as trucks. The majority of its cargo business is handled via Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
The challenge
This company is facing up to the future challenges of the air cargo market with its strategy program Lufthansa Cargo 2020. This investment in the future includes new airplanes and collaborations as well as a new IT platform, new services and a comprehensive digitalization program. With eCargo, the cargo airline aims to completely digitalize the exchange of data and information with all participants in the transport chain, from booking to delivery.
The project eMobile was set up in order to harness optimization potentials by introducing mobile apps. These provide customers with the flexibility to access information on the go, around the clock and as quickly as possible, and to reclaim consignments in the case of irregularities.
The solution
From May to September 2015, Lufthansa Cargo developed a mobile strategy and roadmap together with its partner Lufthansa Industry Solutions. In addition to this, the company also received support during the conceptualization, development and operation of eServices, the first mobile application from the roadmap.
Alongside Lufthansa Cargo’s large number of stakeholders, another challenge was carrying out the complex testing of various mobile operating systems and devices, which also had to be adapted to work with several infrastructure providers and efficiently connected to pre-existing systems. The mobile eServices app was developed step by step and has been available for use with the operating systems iOS, Android and Windows since November 2015.
The customer benefit
Customers can utilize this easy-to-use, free-of-charge app to check the status of their consignments anywhere, at any time. They can use eServices to view their booking and delivery information and their consignment history at a glance. Those who want to can keep tabs of their deliveries with the help of individually customized push notifications. If there is a problem, they can use the app to enter basic claim information quickly and conveniently and to upload documents and photos.
The mobile app provides customers worldwide with access to their consignments around the clock, providing them with maximum flexibility and a high level of convenience. The project team is already working on functional extensions to eServices as well as other mobile applications for a range of groups, including sales staff.