Hamburg's first start-up for digitalization achieves positive interim results

DAKOSY, Hamburg's original start-up for digitalization, is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Driven by the port industry, DAKOSY was founded in 1982 with the aim of staying ahead of competition from other seaports as a "faster port." With its numerous IT platforms, DAKOSY is now an established digitalizer for neutral logistics solutions far beyond the city limits of the Hanseatic City of Hamburg.

The widespread acceptance in the industry is reflected by the significant number of users. In the port of Hamburg, more than 2,500 enterprises from port operations, logistics, manufacturing and trade as well as many public authorities are connected to DAKOSY’s Port Community System. At Frankfurt Airport, the cargo community platform FAIR@link, which has been in operation since 2015, counts over 700 participants. Another important pillar is contributed by smart solutions in the areas of customs and forwarding, with more than 2,000 freight forwarders, industry and trading companies in Europe who work with these solutions daily.

"All applications are based on the principle of recording transport chain data only once, and then making it available at the earliest possible time – an idea that has been fundamental to us since 1982," explains board member Dieter Spark. This enables the parties involved to optimize the planning of their capacities at transshipment points and for the pre-carriage and onward carriage, as well as process-oriented automation for authorities and customs declarations.

DAKOSY received a boost in the establishment of Hamburg’s Port Community System with the introduction of the IT platform ZAPP (Customs Export Monitoring in the Paperless Port), which was created together with the port industry and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in 1997. "As soon as the main customs office had agreed upon the one-hundred percent electronic provision of export data, all loading forwarders and exporters had to be connected within a very short time," says DAKOSY board member Dieter Spark, citing one of the biggest challenges. Within a few months, the platform was established and soon it seemed that hardly anyone could remember how the port had previously functioned without ZAPP.

Blueprint for Frankfurt Airport
Another milestone for DAKOSY was its entry into air cargo logistics. Following the example of the Port Community System at the Port of Hamburg, the software provider began to build a digital cargo community platform at Frankfurt Airport in 2009. DAKOSY CEO Ulrich Wrage points out the gains in efficiency that have been achieved since then: "For example, when all parties involved use our platform for their imports, air freight shipments can be handled at the airport and delivered to customers up to 50 percent faster than in 2009." The Cargo Community System allows full integration of a wide range of requirements - from slot booking and door control to automation of customs processes.

Chain transparency comes only through networking
Looking ahead to the next several years, Wrage and Spark expect high potential for the networking of IT platforms along transport chains. "Real-time chain transparency is needed to be able to react immediately to any disruptions and thus prevent production stoppages or delays," asserts Wrage. The two board members have identified significant added value for the company in the areas of networking with other ports and the integration of cargo loading and infrastructure data.

About DAKOSY Datenkommunikationssystem AG
As one of the leading software companies for logistics, DAKOSY has been offering digital solutions for international freight forwarding and Customs clearance as well as supply chain management for nearly 40 years. In addition, DAKOSY operates the Port Community System (PCS) for the Port of Hamburg and the Cargo Community System (FAIR@Link) for Frankfurt and Hamburg Airports. All companies and authorities involved in import and export processes can use these digital platforms to handle their transport processes quickly and with maximum automation.