Martin Schulze, Managing Director Digital Transparency and real-time data accessibility, without a shadow of a doubt, are two of the sturdiest pillars supporting the modern-day logistics and supply chain industries. And, with the onset of COVID-19, the emphasis on these two business-critical functions has increased substantially. For instance, airliners began offering less freight capacity as the prices increased for logistics operations, prompting industry leaders to develop better decision-making capabilities in accordance with on-time performance, lead times, and reliable information on the status of shipments. However, though real-time accessibility to shipment information has existed for quite some time with other modes of transportation, visibility of goods over the air was reasonably limited. BlueBox Systems—a spinoff of BusinessCode—noticed these drawbacks early on, owing to its founders’ collective experience in the logistics space, and developed a comprehensive platform that integrates different elements of the supply chain. “Our platform empowers customers to visualize live trends in potential trade lane capacity to provide a convenient way avenue to make smarter decisions,” begins Martin Schulze, Managing Director of BlueBox Systems.
The innovation accelerator of BusinessCode, BlueBox Systems, is built with 20 years of profound experience in the logistics IT space and deep know-how on air freight management. The company enables logistics managers to oversee and manage all shipments simultaneously through its dedicated platform. By allowing clients to track the shipment only via AWB, BlueBox provides the ability to monitor any deviations involving split shipments, unwarranted delays, and missed connections, among many other discrepancies, through its intuitive dashboard.
It also offers shippers and forwarders several performance-measuring tools embedded into its comprehensive platform, thereby empowering clients to make accurate and informed decisions that are purely based on factual data.
A striking functionality offered by BlueBox Systems, unique in the market, is the integration of Logmore’s passive temperature loggers into their platform. This results in supply chain visibility that is revolutionary for the logistics industry, and the basis for seamless supply chain and logistics operations. The reason is that unlike traditional passive temperature loggers, which require significant time and resources to investigate logistical deviations, Logmore trackers ensure that all necessary data is automatically aggregated via QR codes. This data is brought together and combined with that of the tracking within BlueBoxAir. This results in a knowledge base of temperature, humidity, shock, time, location, and duration tracking information that is unique on the market and can be accessed very quickly by the user - saving companies time, effort, and therefore a lot of money.
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Understanding market demands is a key element of entrepreneurial success,” says Schulze.
“Understanding market demands is a key element of entrepreneurial success,” says Schulze. “From the operational manager that handles day-to-day operations to the supply chain expert, requirements are different for each group of users, and supply chain systems need to offer different features and functionalities to empower these groups to execute their jobs faster than before.” BlueBox Systems’ platform provides an innovative and convenient avenue for the much-needed transparency in the air freight supply chain sector in tandem with these discrete requirements. Likewise, the platform enables clients to reposition themselves in alignment with multiple digitalization trends within the industry. It provides these digital solutions and services as an add-on to preexisting products and as distinct products that create new revenue streams for forwarders. Case in point, the company’s BlueBoxAir solution enabled one of its clients—Hellmann Worldwide Logistics—to release a new product, SmartAir, to its customers. The collaboration helped overhaul the client’s SmartVisibility suite of solutions, effectively positioning Hellmann at the forefront of innovation by providing a higher degree of transparency and visibility.
Such successful collaborations validate BlueBox Systems’ credibility as one of the pioneers in the software-driven logistics and supply chain management sector. Its proficiency in IoT technology, combined with an in-depth understanding of airfreight management, helps clients achieve unmatched transparency and real-time data accessibility in their business-critical workflows.
“With BlueBox Systems we want to make the supply chains in air freight and logistics more transparent and thus more efficient at the same time. The support of the experts of the Advisory Board is very important for us. Their expertise and extensive industry knowledge will help BlueBox Systems on its way to continue to develop innovative solutions that focus on customer needs,” says Martin Schulze, CEO of BlueBox Systems.
The individuals comprising the Advisory Board, namely Michael Wallraven, Jochen Frömming, and Christoph Osterbrink, are established authorities in the fields of technology, logistics, and finance. BlueBox Systems deliberately integrates the knowledge and market insights of these esteemed industry experts, each with their distinct professional backgrounds and expertise, into its strategic deliberations.
“I support BlueBox Systems as part of the Advisory Board because I am convinced of the company‘s power of innovation. BlueBox Systems has the potential to transform logistics industry with its advanced solutions and make it more efficient,” says Michael Wallraven. He has earned 30 years of experience in the B2B technology industry, helping several leading supply chain and logistics software companies to expand their presence and to grow fast in Europe. Michael Wallraven is Chief Growth Officer at Logward, one of the new highly scalable supply chain orchestration control tower platforms. Prior to Longward he was Vice President and Managing Director at project44, responsible for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and for all regions in Middle and Eastern Europe. He was responsible for all commercial activities, the go-to-market and growth strategy of the company.
Jochen Frömming boasts over two decades of experience in the logistics industry, positioning him as an unrivaled authority in the field. He joins the Advisory Board with a strong commitment to contributing his extensive knowledge and experience to aid BlueBox Systems in advancing its solutions and navigating the challenges of the logistics sector. Frömming is confident in the promising future of BlueBox Systems. Since April 2023, he has been a valued member of the management team at Logivest Concept GmbH, primarily focusing on expanding process consulting. Prior to this role, he held the position of authorized officer and new business sales manager at SSI Schäfer for more than 20 years.
Christoph Osterbrink brings a wealth of experience from the finance and investment sector and recognizes the considerable potential within BlueBox Systems. He is eager to leverage his financial expertise to support the company's growth and contribute to its continued success. Osterbrink currently serves as a partner at Steinbeis M&A Partners GmbH, a renowned M&A consultancy specializing in medium-sized companies and the planning and execution of corporate transactions. Additionally, he is a founding partner of Steinbeis Consulting for Impact Investing, a consultancy firm dedicated to sustainable and social enterprises in emerging and developing countries. Osterbrink's previous roles include serving as the Executive Director of Corporate Finance & Capital Markets at the investment bank Fortis (now ABN Amro) in Frankfurt and Amsterdam, where he was responsible for M&A and capital market transactions with a focus on healthcare. During his tenure as Director at Ernst & Young Corporate Finance / M&A, his primary focus was on the life sciences sector.