BFS, the largest handler at the country's main cargo airport, Suvarnabhumi, and WIN are up against several challenges in their endeavour, owing to complicated current air export processes. Agents must obtain a paper 'weight slip' when they deliver cargo to a handler's warehouse, detailing actual 'pcs', 'wgt' and 'dims', which the driver brings back to the office in order that the forwarder can update their system, print the AWB or relative documents and return them to the warehouse. Then the handler manually enters the master/house bills into the carrier's system. Consequently, Thai forwarders are unable to take advantage of reduced house bill entry charges and drivers ferry paperwork multiple times per consignment, resulting in delay and inefficiency all the way up the chain.
With the new computerised process, the forwarder loads a draft AWB into WIN (having either transferred the data from their own AWB system or entering it online) and sends the cargo. BFS transmits the e-Weight Slip to WIN seconds after weighing and the forwarder is notified that their draft AWB is updated (in WIN and their own system) and then the electronic AWB data is sent to the airline. All this takes place electronically in a matter of moments, and the final AWB data is loaded into both the airline and the handler's systems in short order.
General Manager of BFS, David Ambridge, said: "The partnership between BFS and WIN will allow all WCA Members in Thailand easy and cheap access to e-AWB and the associated cost savings that this brings. Not only that but any Freight Forwarder could also use this service and gain similar cost saving and efficiency benefits. With Airlines charging EDI Fees this really is a "no brainer" in my opinion. E-Weight slips will be available to every BFS Customer in 2015 and we will eliminate the paper Weight Slip completely this year."
Bangkok Flight Services, and WIN, an e-platform for independent forwarders, have collaborated to encourage adoption of electronic data transmission, namely the e-air waybill.
