UK Launches ERTOC Project to Improve Transport Efficiency and Sustainability; Tracking the Carbon Costs of Transport at the Consignment Level
25 August 2010
The Efficient and Reliable Transportation of Consignments (ERTOC) project, part funded by the UK government-backed Technology Strategy Board, has been launched by GS1 UK, Ricardo, Unipart Logistics, IRIS Technology and Coventry University to drive business improvement and sustainability throughout the supply chain from factory to point of sale.
The collaborative 2-year project aims to develop a standards-based open architecture data hub to deliver accurate information for transport operators and their customers to use and improve business efficiency and effectiveness. The focus of the project is to demonstrate how a standardized data hub can track the carbon costs of transport at the consignment level.
By understanding the true environmental costs involved, users will be able to compare and assess different transport options to make better informed choices.
The project will develop a demonstration application using information required for carbon tracking. The data hub will integrate driver behavior monitoring and coaching, consignment tracking and vehicle tracking and fleet management using telematics-based services.
Information from each of these functions will be provided via a platform-independent, open application program interface (API). Data fusion and analysis will provide a substantial opportunity for partners to develop significant new applications that enable customers to improve the efficiency of their business.
ERTOC aims to provide information that will drive the following benefits to transport operators, retailers, manufacturers and regulators:
- Transport optimization through the comparison of the true environmental costs of different modes of surface transport.
- Improved process efficiency through the simplified and standardized flow of information between transport users and providers.
- Reduction in energy consumption and emissions by providing standardized access to driver behaviour data.
- Improved supply chain visibility by providing timely information on the status and location of consignments.
Existing tracking systems are not integrated, expensive, closed and provide limited, vehicle centric information. ERTOC’s open standards approach to the delivery of timely information on carbon emissions and costs related to transport are intended to deliver benefits to the wider community through reduction in energy consumption, congestion and emissions.
The key element of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) is data and how this is used to improve systems. The increasing availability of data from telematics, infrastructure and web based systems warrants a new approach in data management, provision and sharing that supports the development and supply of new systems and services.
—Tom Robinson, Project Director at Ricardo
An accurate oil/carbon transportation cost assessment, including full pollution, military, and health care would be illuminating.
Posted by: kelly | 25 August 2010 at 11:36 AM