Scanway projects
The purpose of the Scanway projects was to study and develop CaaS (corridor as a service) concept and to analyze its impacts, stakeholders, pros, and cons. In addition, the projects provided demos for the CaaS concept. The project was accomplished under close PPP collaboration.
More information can be found on the TrafficLab website: https://www.liikennelabra.fi/hankkeet_ja_kokeilut/corridor_as_a_service
CaaS on Northern Growth Zone
The aim of the project: To pilot CaaS services in the Northern Growth Zone as part of the transport corridor between Europe and Asia. Tested features and applications: ETA, tracking and tracing, and blockchain.
CaaS on Growth Corridor
The project focuses on CaaS last mile research and piloting taking place in Finland’s growth corridor and especially in Tampere’s Urban Area, the aim of which is to enhance distribution and city logistics with the help of digital services in order to streamline traffic in the central area of Tampere and reduce emissions. Concrete answers to the development of both business and optimization technologies are sought with local concrete piloting and the research connected to them. The focus of CaaS research and piloting is the most efficient utilization of transport capacity, integration of different services, and real-time optimization.
About CaaS
CaaS – Corridor as a Service – is a new concept for multimodal logistics, which originates from PPP (public, private, partnership) and intelligent transport systems (ITS) collaboration projects in Finland and internationally. CaaS has enabled interaction between different parties.
Based on the outcomes of border crossing collaboration projects the Finnish coalition started to develop the CaaS concept, which combines ITS systems with intelligent logistics, in order to intensify logistics. The CaaS concept provides a digital and effective model to reform the current logistics system and services. As the concept is centered on new technologies and solutions, it also offers the opportunity to be at the forefront of exploiting new technologies.
Supply chain currently
A consignor or consignee purchases logistics services from a logistics service provider (LSP) or providers based on a B2B agreement. Order consists of demand to transport goods from A to B. Based on this order, the cargo owner provides related information and documents for LSP, which then picks cargo from point A and does the necessary documents.
While transport is in process, information is moving together with cargo in documents that the hauler is carrying. Cargo owners might get information about processes from check points, but transparency is usually weak. At some point, cargo is delivered and the cargo owner receives information that transport is completed. How it is done and how accurate information is, is usually unclear. For cargo owners, this means that they do not have access or opportunity to control their cargo. Usually, this kind of operation model also means that transport is planned based on LSP premises.
Supply chain with CaaS
A consignor or consignee purchases logistics services from a logistics service provider (LSP) or providers based on a B2B agreement or a B2N (business to network). Order consists of demand to transport something from A to B. The cargo owner provides LSP access to the cargo database, from where LSP can collect necessary information and forward that to necessary stakeholders. In this operation model data and information are not moving together with cargo, and vice versa data and information are available at all times.
While transport is on the process, the cargo owner has access to transport process information via a cloud service. The actor receives information from the infrastructure that now your cargo is moving in this vehicle and this vehicle is now crossing this point. In addition to this comes traditional checkpoint information from LSP. The owner has good transparency for transport and the actor knows when and how transport is done. For the cargo owner, this means that they can control and manage their shipments during transport. This also means that the owner has good visibility about the transport process so they can use that information to plan upcoming transports.
The CaaS concept aims at eliminating human errors and opacity in logistics, with reliable data sharing, digital solutions, and ecosystem approach. This all happens in core transport corridors and nodes, which bind corridors to the international transport network. The role of nodes, i.e hubs, is vital for CaaS since those are usually places where data and information are transferred between stakeholders.
International trade is one of the main interests of the concept since border crossing is one well know bottleneck of logistics. However, with reliable data sharing and process information from the very beginning of the supply chain, border crossing can be developed and it can be even a competitive advantage for countries and their transport corridors. One fundament of the CaaS concept is supply chain visibility, which means that shipments and cargo must be visible to those who have permission and need to have to access this information. With only checkpoint status information, this is not possible and thus CaaS approach integrates freight database information into intelligent infrastructure, i.e traffic flow information for example.
CaaS Roles
Companies in general are at the core of CaaS since the development of Corridor as a Service has started on a business-driven basis. For service-creating businesses, CaaS provides an opportunity for new business development and, in the future, a place to develop and streamline your current business and related freight transport.
For consignees and consignors, CaaS provides new ways to organize and manage logistics, and hence cut logistics costs. The CaaS concept enables API-based solutions for reliable data sharing and aims for effective logistics, where logistics demand is connected to logistics supply over the company boundaries if allowed. Data and information will also be shared with supply chain stakeholders based on cargo (data) owner permissions. While transportation is in process all necessary stakeholders have access to process information, which enables consignees and consignors to handle and manage their transportation.
For logistics service providers CaaS provides new digital tools to develop current services. CaaS also enables a digital business environment, where document-driven operation models can be changed to a data-based approach. With digital solutions, human errors can be eliminated. In addition, the information does not need to be fed into the systems several times, which again resources.
For authorities and the public sector, CaaS aims to boost the target of creating international connections and hubs for new logistics services and enhancing freight logistics. The CaaS concept also wants to spread the word that logistics sector has a huge potential to drive employment and innovations. It will improve trade between the west and the east, by saving time and improving the transparency of freight. At the same time, it will respond to emission reductions to save fuel in order to improve the load factor of transport through intelligent technology.