Digital Control Tower Manages Logistics

NOKERA, a German green-tech firm for serial production using timber, has placed an order with 4PL Central Station AG (4PLCS) to centrally manage its road transport logistics operations. NOKERA uses its fully integrated technology-based platform to combine the planning and production work for building components manufactured using serial timber construction techniques as well assembling them and providing services at the destination within a standard system. The long-term order involves coordinating the procurement logistics for all the raw materials for NOKERA’s production sites and even includes supplying the system components to the relevant assembly site.

With the help of 4PLCS as a neutral fourth-party logistics provider (4PL), NOKERA will in future control all its supply chain partners such as factories, warehouse keepers, suppliers and all the external logistics and transport partners via just one central interface. The core element in the management process is a so-called Digital Control Tower, in which 4PLCS standardises all the administrative processes and models them in automated form. These include, for example, tender procedures for transport services, checks on freight costs and damage management. NOKERA will integrate the Control Tower within its own management systems by the second quarter of 2024 and will completely control it from then on. It will then provide NOKERA managers with status reports that are always up-to-date and will enable them to measure quality and assign costs. The transport management system (TMS), which 4PLCS has developed in-house, is an integral part of the Control Tower and it calculates the CO2 emissions generated by the supply chain and allows predictions to be made about the volume of goods and the transport equipment required by means of artificial intelligence. This will ensure that both NOKERA’s production and assembly sites will obtain the raw materials and finished building components at the right time and fully utilise the capacity of the vehicles in the best possible way to prevent damage being done to the environment.

“As an independent, neutral fourth-party logistics provider, we’re raising transport logistics in the construction industry to a new level. NOKERA will benefit from digitalised, automated processes, permanent transparency and performance measurement using key performance indicators. Thanks to constant checks on each partial stage in the supply chain, NOKERA can adopt countermeasures at an early stage and in a flexible manner to prevent scenarios from developing – and respond quickly to any fluctuations in volumes,” says Alexander Bauer, the Group Chairman, Owner and Founder of 4PLCS, explaining the system.

“Thanks to the support from 4PLCS, NOKERA can reduce the normal discrepancy rates and disruption factors encountered in the construction industry to a minimum. The connection to the Control Tower provided by 4PLCS offers NOKERA a one-stop solution and it will make a major contribution to its market success in the construction sector,” says Olivier Bauer, the Group CEO, Owner and Founder of 4PLCS, adding his comments.

“Our mission at NOKERA is to transform the construction industry and decarbonise the building sector. To achieve this, we’re relying on economies of scale and renewable raw materials. Digitally controlling all the processes and intelligent efficiency management are a fundamental part of the NOKERA system. Given that we have an in-house production ratio of more than 80 percent, logistics plays a crucial role in this process. We’re therefore delighted to have found a partner in 4PLCS, because it can support us here with its state-of-the-art expertise and tools,” says David Stampfli, the Chief Supply Chain Officer at NOKERA.

Digital Control Tower Manages Logistics

NOKERA, a German green-tech firm for serial production using timber, has placed an order with 4PL Central Station AG (4PLCS) to centrally manage its road transport logistics operations. NOKERA uses its fully integrated technology-based platform to combine the planning and production work for building components manufactured using serial timber construction techniques as well assembling them and providing services at the destination within a standard system. The long-term order involves coordinating the procurement logistics for all the raw materials for NOKERA’s production sites and even includes supplying the system components to the relevant assembly site.

With the help of 4PLCS as a neutral fourth-party logistics provider (4PL), NOKERA will in future control all its supply chain partners such as factories, warehouse keepers, suppliers and all the external logistics and transport partners via just one central interface. The core element in the management process is a so-called Digital Control Tower, in which 4PLCS standardises all the administrative processes and models them in automated form. These include, for example, tender procedures for transport services, checks on freight costs and damage management. NOKERA will integrate the Control Tower within its own management systems by the second quarter of 2024 and will completely control it from then on. It will then provide NOKERA managers with status reports that are always up-to-date and will enable them to measure quality and assign costs. The transport management system (TMS), which 4PLCS has developed in-house, is an integral part of the Control Tower and it calculates the CO2 emissions generated by the supply chain and allows predictions to be made about the volume of goods and the transport equipment required by means of artificial intelligence. This will ensure that both NOKERA’s production and assembly sites will obtain the raw materials and finished building components at the right time and fully utilise the capacity of the vehicles in the best possible way to prevent damage being done to the environment.

“As an independent, neutral fourth-party logistics provider, we’re raising transport logistics in the construction industry to a new level. NOKERA will benefit from digitalised, automated processes, permanent transparency and performance measurement using key performance indicators. Thanks to constant checks on each partial stage in the supply chain, NOKERA can adopt countermeasures at an early stage and in a flexible manner to prevent scenarios from developing – and respond quickly to any fluctuations in volumes,” says Alexander Bauer, the Group Chairman, Owner and Founder of 4PLCS, explaining the system.

“Thanks to the support from 4PLCS, NOKERA can reduce the normal discrepancy rates and disruption factors encountered in the construction industry to a minimum. The connection to the Control Tower provided by 4PLCS offers NOKERA a one-stop solution and it will make a major contribution to its market success in the construction sector,” says Olivier Bauer, the Group CEO, Owner and Founder of 4PLCS, adding his comments.

“Our mission at NOKERA is to transform the construction industry and decarbonise the building sector. To achieve this, we’re relying on economies of scale and renewable raw materials. Digitally controlling all the processes and intelligent efficiency management are a fundamental part of the NOKERA system. Given that we have an in-house production ratio of more than 80 percent, logistics plays a crucial role in this process. We’re therefore delighted to have found a partner in 4PLCS, because it can support us here with its state-of-the-art expertise and tools,” says David Stampfli, the Chief Supply Chain Officer at NOKERA.

Range of Logistics Printing Solutions at Parcel+PostEXPO

BIXOLON Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of BIXOLON, the global manufacturer of advanced Receipt, Label and Mobile printers, invites visitors to join them on stand 12.204 at Parcel+Post Expo 2023, where it will be showcasing its competitive range of printing solutions tailored to meet the needs of the Post and Logistics industry.

Key exhibition product highlights will include:

• Mobile Printing Solutions – Named 10x World’s Number One Mobile Receipt Printer Manufacturer, BIXOLON will be demonstrating its top of the range Mobile Receipt, Ticket and Label printing solutions. These include the premium XM7-40 4-inch (112mm) Auto-ID mobile Liner and Linerless Label printer and the best-selling SPP-R200IIIplus 2-inch (58mm) highly adaptive Mobile Receipt and Label printer.
• Industrial and Desktop Label Printers – Showcasing the latest in desktop labelling innovation, BIXOLON will be showcasing the elite of its Desktop Labelling solutions with the XD5-40 4-inch (118 mm) Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer label printer, alongside the XL5-40 4-inch (114mm) dedicated Desktop Linerless Label solution. Additionally, BIXOLON will also be demonstrating the highly powerful, optimum performance XT5-40 4-inch (114 mm) industrial labelling solution, ideal for high volume label printing in a variety of applications including Logistics, Manufacturing and Warehousing.

“BIXOLON has been expanding its Auto-ID labelling portfolio over the past few years, incorporating the latest technologies into its printing solutions and recognising the importance of Linerless technology,” states Jay Kim, Managing Director, BIXOLON Europe GmbH. “Parcel+Post EXPO, is the leading industry event for the global parcel, e-commerce logistics and postal industries, providing an ideal platform for networking and exploring current industry dynamics, as we constantly look at the market to see where we can develop our products according to our customers evolving needs.”

BIXOLON is a leading global manufacturer of innovative, advanced printing technologies including point-of-sale receipt, label, Auto ID and mobile printers for a wide range of environments. Millions of BIXOLON printers are used today in retail, hospitality, healthcare, banking, ticketing, post/parcel, warehousing and other transaction-intensive industries. In 2023, for the tenth consecutive year BIXOLON was named global mobile receipt printer market leader by Japanese research company Chunichisha.

Range of Logistics Printing Solutions at Parcel+PostEXPO

BIXOLON Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of BIXOLON, the global manufacturer of advanced Receipt, Label and Mobile printers, invites visitors to join them on stand 12.204 at Parcel+Post Expo 2023, where it will be showcasing its competitive range of printing solutions tailored to meet the needs of the Post and Logistics industry.

Key exhibition product highlights will include:

• Mobile Printing Solutions – Named 10x World’s Number One Mobile Receipt Printer Manufacturer, BIXOLON will be demonstrating its top of the range Mobile Receipt, Ticket and Label printing solutions. These include the premium XM7-40 4-inch (112mm) Auto-ID mobile Liner and Linerless Label printer and the best-selling SPP-R200IIIplus 2-inch (58mm) highly adaptive Mobile Receipt and Label printer.
• Industrial and Desktop Label Printers – Showcasing the latest in desktop labelling innovation, BIXOLON will be showcasing the elite of its Desktop Labelling solutions with the XD5-40 4-inch (118 mm) Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer label printer, alongside the XL5-40 4-inch (114mm) dedicated Desktop Linerless Label solution. Additionally, BIXOLON will also be demonstrating the highly powerful, optimum performance XT5-40 4-inch (114 mm) industrial labelling solution, ideal for high volume label printing in a variety of applications including Logistics, Manufacturing and Warehousing.

“BIXOLON has been expanding its Auto-ID labelling portfolio over the past few years, incorporating the latest technologies into its printing solutions and recognising the importance of Linerless technology,” states Jay Kim, Managing Director, BIXOLON Europe GmbH. “Parcel+Post EXPO, is the leading industry event for the global parcel, e-commerce logistics and postal industries, providing an ideal platform for networking and exploring current industry dynamics, as we constantly look at the market to see where we can develop our products according to our customers evolving needs.”

BIXOLON is a leading global manufacturer of innovative, advanced printing technologies including point-of-sale receipt, label, Auto ID and mobile printers for a wide range of environments. Millions of BIXOLON printers are used today in retail, hospitality, healthcare, banking, ticketing, post/parcel, warehousing and other transaction-intensive industries. In 2023, for the tenth consecutive year BIXOLON was named global mobile receipt printer market leader by Japanese research company Chunichisha.

Shipping Industry Remains Easy Cyber Target

New research has found that the maritime industry remains an “easy target” for cybercriminals, and that the cost of attacks and demand for ransom payments across the sector have skyrocketed over the past 12 months.

The report, which was produced by global, sector-focused law firm HFW and maritime cyber security company CyberOwl, reveals that the average cyberattack in the maritime industry now ends up costing the target organisation US$550,000 – up from US$182,000 in 2022. It also shows that demands for ransom have increased by more than 350%, with the average ransom payment now US$3.2m – up from US$3.1m last year.

The report is based on a survey of more than 150 industry professionals – including C-suite leaders, cyber security experts, seafarers, shoreside managers, and suppliers – and reveals significant gaps in cyber risk management that exist across shipping organisations and the wider supply chain, despite progress made by IMO 2021.

The research was carried out by the maritime technology research agency Thetius.

Key findings include:

– The financial cost of a maritime cyberattack can be extreme: they now end up costing the target organisation US$550,000 on average (an increase of 200% from 2022). Ransom demands have increased by more than 350% over the past 12 months, with the average ransom payment now US$3.2 million (up from US$3.1m in 2022). 24% of the victims of cyberattacks were tricked into transferring funds to criminal organisations
– Despite these eye-watering costs, most shipping organisations significantly under-invest in cyber security management: a third spend less than US$100,000 per year. 25% of survey respondents said their organisation does not have insurance to cover cyber risk
– Although overall levels of preparedness seem to be improving: 80% of survey respondents understand what actions would be required of them in the event of a cyber security incident (up from 74% in 2022). 64% said their organisation has cyber risk management procedures for dealing with suppliers (up from 55% in 2022)

Tom Walters, Partner at HFW, said: “Our findings show that while maritime cyber security has improved, the industry remains an easy target. Shipping organisations are being subject to more cyberattacks than ever before, and the cost of attacks and demand for ransom payments have skyrocketed. And as the use of technology continues to increase across all aspects of shipping – from ship networks to offshore installations and shoreside control centres – so does the potential for cybersecurity breaches.

“Maritime operational technology and fleet operations management are now almost entirely digital, meaning that a cyberattack could compromise anything from vessel communication systems and navigation suites to the systems managing ballast water, cargo management, and engine monitoring and control. Failure of any of those systems could result in a vessel being stranded and potentially grounded, and we saw from the Ever Given the impact that can have on global supply chains. This is a critical issue for all parties involved in the shipping sector, and it’s clear that the industry has to do more to protect itself against cyberattacks.”

Daniel Ng, CEO of CyberOwl, said: “The good news is that the conversation on vessel cyber risk management has clearly shifted away from the ‘why’ towards the ‘how’. There is less scepticism about the need to manage the risk, more thoughtfulness on how best to spend each dollar in shoring up defences. “The challenge for the change agents in shipping is that they are dealing with new risks in a new domain under sector-specific constraints. All of this in an environment where shipping companies are still too secretive to share benchmarks and best practice widely. The sector must make the most of the specialist expertise available. And those with specialist maritime cyber security knowledge must do more to share knowledge of risks and best practice. “What works in other sectors may not work in shipping. And applying a generic approach could lead to expensive wastage.”

Nick Chubb, Managing Director of Thetius, said: “Our research shows that the industry has improved dramatically in a short space of time. But it also shows that cybercriminals are evolving faster. The costs of cyber-attacks are growing. The impact that can be created in the global supply chain by exploiting a single easy target means the entire maritime industry needs to raise the bar.”

Shipping Industry Remains Easy Cyber Target

New research has found that the maritime industry remains an “easy target” for cybercriminals, and that the cost of attacks and demand for ransom payments across the sector have skyrocketed over the past 12 months.

The report, which was produced by global, sector-focused law firm HFW and maritime cyber security company CyberOwl, reveals that the average cyberattack in the maritime industry now ends up costing the target organisation US$550,000 – up from US$182,000 in 2022. It also shows that demands for ransom have increased by more than 350%, with the average ransom payment now US$3.2m – up from US$3.1m last year.

The report is based on a survey of more than 150 industry professionals – including C-suite leaders, cyber security experts, seafarers, shoreside managers, and suppliers – and reveals significant gaps in cyber risk management that exist across shipping organisations and the wider supply chain, despite progress made by IMO 2021.

The research was carried out by the maritime technology research agency Thetius.

Key findings include:

– The financial cost of a maritime cyberattack can be extreme: they now end up costing the target organisation US$550,000 on average (an increase of 200% from 2022). Ransom demands have increased by more than 350% over the past 12 months, with the average ransom payment now US$3.2 million (up from US$3.1m in 2022). 24% of the victims of cyberattacks were tricked into transferring funds to criminal organisations
– Despite these eye-watering costs, most shipping organisations significantly under-invest in cyber security management: a third spend less than US$100,000 per year. 25% of survey respondents said their organisation does not have insurance to cover cyber risk
– Although overall levels of preparedness seem to be improving: 80% of survey respondents understand what actions would be required of them in the event of a cyber security incident (up from 74% in 2022). 64% said their organisation has cyber risk management procedures for dealing with suppliers (up from 55% in 2022)

Tom Walters, Partner at HFW, said: “Our findings show that while maritime cyber security has improved, the industry remains an easy target. Shipping organisations are being subject to more cyberattacks than ever before, and the cost of attacks and demand for ransom payments have skyrocketed. And as the use of technology continues to increase across all aspects of shipping – from ship networks to offshore installations and shoreside control centres – so does the potential for cybersecurity breaches.

“Maritime operational technology and fleet operations management are now almost entirely digital, meaning that a cyberattack could compromise anything from vessel communication systems and navigation suites to the systems managing ballast water, cargo management, and engine monitoring and control. Failure of any of those systems could result in a vessel being stranded and potentially grounded, and we saw from the Ever Given the impact that can have on global supply chains. This is a critical issue for all parties involved in the shipping sector, and it’s clear that the industry has to do more to protect itself against cyberattacks.”

Daniel Ng, CEO of CyberOwl, said: “The good news is that the conversation on vessel cyber risk management has clearly shifted away from the ‘why’ towards the ‘how’. There is less scepticism about the need to manage the risk, more thoughtfulness on how best to spend each dollar in shoring up defences. “The challenge for the change agents in shipping is that they are dealing with new risks in a new domain under sector-specific constraints. All of this in an environment where shipping companies are still too secretive to share benchmarks and best practice widely. The sector must make the most of the specialist expertise available. And those with specialist maritime cyber security knowledge must do more to share knowledge of risks and best practice. “What works in other sectors may not work in shipping. And applying a generic approach could lead to expensive wastage.”

Nick Chubb, Managing Director of Thetius, said: “Our research shows that the industry has improved dramatically in a short space of time. But it also shows that cybercriminals are evolving faster. The costs of cyber-attacks are growing. The impact that can be created in the global supply chain by exploiting a single easy target means the entire maritime industry needs to raise the bar.”

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