Page 21 - AAA JUNE - JULY 2022 Online Magazine

the end of the year or the end of 2023?
We are proud to say that there were no company losses during the
pandemic. ECS Group has proven to be a reliable partner for its
customers. Agility has been our watchword, with strategies in place
to preserve the business of airline customers. Our objective as
leading GSA is to strengthen our portfolio but above all to develop
our service offerings, enabling us to respond to any request from
an airline. This is why we have developed the new capabilities and
continue to improve them.

Digitalization has taken root in the aviation
gerial methods based on common sense with industry with the pandemic spawning many digital
the men and women of our company at the innovations. Your digital transformation began before
heart of our projects. the pandemic with Cargo Digital Factory. Looking
The commercial pillar is probably the most back, how much of an advantage was it to start early?
obvious to understand because it is our DNA.
The goal is to have the most successful sales Digitalization is a strategic point that has become essential for sev-
organizations in the markets and for this we eral years and has been reinforced by the pandemic. The process
are lucky to have a vast network around the of digitalization is now an inevitable, even mandatory, turn. ECS
world. With 172 offices and more than 1300 Group wants to become a leader in this area, to offer new tools
employees, ECS Group has a real capacity to that can lead the transformation of our industry. It is part of the
respond to the needs of its customers by being technology pillar of our Augmented GSA concept. The Cargo Digital
close to the field and the local market reality. Factory joining hands with Wiremind Cargo to create CargoTech, an
Our new abilities are single modules that we independent entity that acts as an accelerator of tech companies
have created beyond all standard GSA services, and talents to transform and digitize the cargo industry, is one of
offering a variety of support options - a new our initiatives in this field. For us, the key for success in digital
set of à-la-carte products. These are unique adaptation is to go step by step without being overwhelmed by
products that we have developed in-house to the urgency.
meet the new demands of our customers and
the new realities of the market. Whether it is The cargo industry has traditionally been sluggish,
revenue optimization, accompanying them in compared to other aviation sectors, when it comes
their expansion by finding the right talents and to embracing digitalization. How much have things
many other points, our customers can count changed since the pandemic?
on us. Several announcements are planned in The pandemic was a real accelerator. Technology and data are
this sense. very important and we need to push further the digitalization of
As far as technology is concerned, we have the supply chain to streamline operations and increase productiv-
our own incubator with the Cargo Digital ity through efficiency gains and streamlined communication. ECS
Factory that already offers various tools such Group started its “e-focus” a while back through “e-distribution”,
as Quantum, which supports the ad-hoc pric- “e-booking” “e-procurement” and we are now seeing significant
ing process, Apollo, a BI & reporting system growth. The Group has set a strong target of transitioning 25% of
with real-time full visibility on the results, com- its bookings from manual to digital on CargoAi by the end of the
bining market and performance information, year. We believe that more technology will increase transparency.
and Pathfinder, our in-house shipment tracking This is a key factor: More transparency, visibility, and expansion of
system. sales channels leads to more trust, which is a capital value.
Finally, because people have always been at
the core of our projects and are an integral
part of our raison d’être, sustainability occupies Five years down the road, where do you see ECS
a special place in our future. We believe in the Group?
importance of our employees, their commit- ECS Group will still be the leading GSA, leading the way on import-
ment, demonstrated at the highest level during ant issues such as digitalisation and sustainability with a new
the pandemic, and the importance of rethinking business model. The Group will develop new activities and offer
our relationship with the planet. a completely diversified range of services based on all the skills
already in place for TCM. Perhaps, in a few years, ECS Group will
How many airline customers did you be a one-stop shop for freight expertise and will no longer be
have prior to the pandemic and how considered as a GSA but will have another name.
many do you have now? Is there a
target that you hope to achieve by

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