1. What is UPLIFT?
UPLIFT stands for -Universal Platform for Logistics & Integrated Freight Transport.
It is a joint initiative between ACAAI - the apex trade association of IATA recognized
Indian air cargo agents and Kale Logistics Solutions Private Limited to develop an
electronic collaboration platform for the Indian Logistics industry. It endeavors
to create a cargo community system platform which will enable 15000+ b Indian
Freight Forwarding (FF) and Custom House Agent (CHA) organizations to electronically
communicate within themselves and with other stakeholders like Shippers, Consignee
Airports, Seaports, Airlines, Transporters, and Customs etc.
UPLIFT will eliminate the manual operations, paperwork, and redundant data entry and
bring in the shipment visibility across the value chain. UPLIFT will act as both
a business to business (B2B) portal and a business to consumer (B2C) portal for trade
community members to conduct electronic transactions.
2. What are the benefits of using UPLIFT?
UPLIFT is a multi-modal electronic collaboration platform that connects the Indian Air cargo community to:
- Facilitate Interactions (Transactions) between cargo stakeholders
- Act as an Information Repository
- Provide Automation for Internal Business processes
3. Which industry stakeholders can connect and transact on UPLIFT?
All service providers critical to the cargo supply chain will be able to connect on UPLIFT viz,
- Airlines
- Forwarders
- Customs House Agents
- Transporters
- Banks
- Custodians
4. As a forwarder what are the benefits available to me?
Most of the forwarders receive information in the form of shipment papers
(Commercial Invoice, Packing List, SLI) which they input in their internal
operation system, if they have one. They then generate the customs files,
waybills, carting receipts for the customs, carriers and airport operators
respectively. With UPLIFT the entire shipment data will come from shipper
electronically to them, this will then be processed by their internal system
to create waybills, customs entries and carting receipts respectively without
any manual intervention and. Most importantly, getting status updates through
EDI messages will give the forwarder complete shipment visibility that he can
share with his customer. This will ensure a reduction in resource costs,
communication costs and costs due to errors. Also the shipment turnaround time
will improve significantly.
5. As a Shipper what are the benefits available to me?
With UPLIFT, shippers will get the data electronically from their vendors,
process it through their ERP systems and then generate and send the shipment
information to the Forwarder and/or CHA. This will save them a lot of data
entry costs, data transfer errors and communication costs.
6. As an Airline what are the benefits available to me?
Airlines can receive the booking AND waybill data electronically thus eliminating
staff time and paper management. Moreover, airlines can also give shipment visibility
information to the forwarders and/or shippers
7. How does UPLIFT work?
UPLIFT is envisaged to be a platform for facilitating the collaboration between
different participants of the supply chain like: Freight Forwarders, Customs House
Agents (CHA), Shippers, Airlines, Custodian, Customs and Banks. Any user can use
UPLIFT. Users are required to fulfill registration requirements at the time of sign
up to UPLIFT. This feature ensures security and authorized access. If the user
identification or password is incorrect, the system will not allow the user to enter
into the application. For more details on how it will work for you, write to us at
info@kalelogistics.in
8. Is UPLIFT ready to connect to all stakeholders?
UPLIFT is built on state of the art technology & b message broking platform
that connects all relevant stakeholders. Validated types of messages support key
Forwarders, Carriers, Custodians, GHAs and Customs. It will provide interface for
connecting to Banks, Shippers & Consignees and Transporters among others.
9. How do I ready myself to be ready for UPLIFT?
UPLIFT is a web based platform. This essentially means that the user needs
to only have a 256KBPS or higher internet connection, a PC with adequate
configuration and which has a modern browser ( as listed in subsequent answers).
10. How can I become a registered member of UPLIFT?
Log on the
www.Upliftindia.com , Click Membership Registration hyperlink
then click on 'SIGN UP'. Once you submit the information and the required fees,
it will be verified by UPLIFT authorized supervisor. Upon successful verification,
you can get connected on UPLIFT.
11. How will the Airline booking system interface with UPLIFT system?
UPLIFT will generate FFR Cargo-IMP messages to airline system and will update
the status of the booking based on the FFA message received.
12. Will UPLIFT be made available to the trade community members of different cities across India?
Yes, in fact in future UPLIFT will also interact with community systems of other
countries. However, this is planned for future release.
13. How will UPLIFT members be trained?
An online training module will be available on the UPLIFT website for subscribers.
Classroom training will be available while the online training module is being developed.
The Freight Forwarder (FF) is a critical link in Export – Import process by virtue
of his being a facilitator for movement of cargo from one location to another. Here
is a list of FAQs on UPLIFT for users from Forwarder community.
1. How does UPLIFT work?
Any user can use UPLIFT. Users are required to fulfill registration requirements
at the time of sign up to UPLIFT. This feature ensures security and authorized access.
If the user identification or password is incorrect, the system will not allow the user
to enter into the application. For more details on how it will work for you, write to
us at
info@kalelogistics.in
2. How will UPLIFT help in improving efficiency?
UPLIFT will reduce dependency on manual modes of communication and enable instant
transmission of data to the intended service provider. UPLIFT will function as a
Single Stop Shop wherein all entities in the cargo supply chain interact and exchange
information in near real-time basis. Resources engaged in manual follow-ups will be
freed to execute more productive activities. Real-time status updates including
pro-active alerts are built-in to proactively inform the Forwarder of a failure likely
to happen at any stage of the shipment
3. Can I access UPLIFT from locations other than my office?
UPLIFT is a web portal and is thus machine independent. It requires only an internet
connection to connect to the website and is thus accessible from anywhere. However,
access rights would depend on the plan selected by the Freight forwarder.
4. Can I upload shipment documents on UPLIFT for transmission to other entities?
UPLIFT does have facility for uploading documents in pdf, doc, xls, image formats which
can be transmitted to the intended stakeholders namely, Airline, CHA, Transporter and
Overseas Agent. These uploaded files, attached to a particular job, will be available
for retrieval against the said job by related entities
5. Are there any file size restrictions for uploading documents?
File size has a direct bearing on the space occupied in the servers and thus has a cost
attached to it. File size restrictions will be in place with options to book larger hard
disk space on payment of additional charges as decided from time to time
6. Will I be able to create AWB on UPLIFT?
Yes. A Forwarder will be able to create AWB (Master and House) on UPLIFT itself using the
existing data available on UPLIFT
7. Is it possible to transmit AWB data to airlines using UPLIFT?
Yes UPLIFT enables real-time E-AWB transmission to the airlines system and is also compliant
as per the European Customs Regulations. Freight forwarders/shippers can send the FWB message
for MAWB and FHL messgae for HAWB data electronically to cargo carrier’s system.
8. Will I be able to re-use my existing Customer and Vendor Masters in UPLIFT?
UPLIFT is capable of extracting Customer and Vendor Masters information prepared in pre-defined
excel sheet and porting the Forwarder’ Masters to UPLIFT. Forwarder also has the option to
manually create Masters in UPLIFT. It will also provide back-end operations support to export
your masters to UPLIFT subject to some nominal charges
9. What are the communication points with Airlines?
As a Forwarder, you will be able to access Airline Schedules, Send Booking Requests
including Enquiries and Status Updates electronically.
10. What are the other data transmission modes supported by UPLIFT?
Forwarder can configure UPLIFT to trigger an email while sending enquiry and/or
booking and additionally send a SMS notification to the intended enquiry/booking
recipients. For instance, while sending booking requests, Shipper can select
“E mail” as additional transmission mode so that the intended Forwarder receives
the Booking request as Email in addition to viewing the same on UPLIFT
11. How can I track and trace shipments?
Once the shipment is entered into the system, all updates received from multiple
service providers during the cargo movement will be available to the Forwarder.
An option to view comprehensive track and trace history will also be available to
Forwarder to identify bottlenecks in cargo supply chain. Notification SMS will be
sent for each milestone achieved
12. Is UPLIFT compliant to any international initiatives?
UPLIFT will be in compliance to the e-Freight and Cargo 2000 initiatives
(first Phase which is Airport to Airport). E-Freight initiative by IATA involves
electronic transmission of 16 documents identified for this purpose and UPLIFT is
ready to enable the stakeholders to execute transactions in accordance with e-Freight
initiative
13. As an agent can I request AWB stocks from different airlines online?
Yes, Forwarder will be able to send stock request through the stock management
module to all airlines participating in UPLIFT
14. As the Requesting Agent, how do I know if the stocks is been approved by the airline?
The number of stocks issued by the airlines gets reflected in the column against the
number of stocks requested from the airline. In case of electronic transfer of stock from
the airline, the stock inventory will be updated automatically. A notification e-mail will
also be sent across to the requesting branch admin as confirmation of stock replenished.
15. Will Air Waybill Stock Management support auto triggers for minimum thresholds set for each airline?
Forwarder’ Administrator will be able to define and configure the minimum thresholds required
against each Airline which will trigger auto-requesting functionalities after due intimation to
the user/Admin concerned
16. Will UPLIFT support neutral Air Waybills?
Yes. UPLIFT is ready to support neutral Air Waybills as and when it is adopted in India
17. Will UPLIFT support mobile devices?
UPLIFT will provide status updates and alerts on mobile devices. Usage of mobile as an
input device will be implemented in future so that user can carry out transactions using his mobile handset
18. Will I keep receiving alerts even during the night?
Alerts and status updates through SMS are configurable by the Forwarder. Forwarder can
specify the time range to receive alerts through SMS including the Time-Out periods during
which no SMS notifications will be triggered
19. Will I be able to generate documents on UPLIFT?
Forwarder can create and generate important shipment documents on UPLIFT itself.
The documents once generated will also be shared with the other related entity
(for e.g. MAWB, HAWB will be shared with Airlines). The following major documents
are currently supported by UPLIFT:
- Master Air Waybill
- House Air Waybill
- Consol General Manifest
20. Will I be able to re-use historical data?
UPLIFT will provide Forwarder the facility to create templates for a given shipment.
The cargo details in these templates can be re-used or modified before sending it across
to Airlines, Transporters and other 3PL Service Providers. Forwarder also has the option
to copy previously executed Enquiries / Booking Requests.
21. Can I customize the document templates?
Forwarder will have the flexibility to customize the documents that can be created
on UPLIFT. He can add his company logo, address, contact details etc. on the desired
document to give it a more customized look. This way the documents can be similar to
the documents being generated at present.
22. Do I always have to be online to send Booking Requests / Enquiries to my vendors?
Forwarder will have provision to schedule triggering of Booking Requests / Enquiries
to Airlines and other vendors. UPLIFT will auto-trigger the activity at the pre-selected
date and time set by the Forwarder which automates the process and releases the Forwarder
to manually trigger the event in UPLIFT by being online
23. What will be the unique reference used for tracking a shipment?
UPLIFT will generate a unique RFQ/Job ID which will be attached to an
Enquiry / Booking Request. This unique ID will be used throughout the shipment
cycle to identify and track statuses
24. Will UPLIFT provide me Reports?
Forwarder will be able to generate MIS Reports (operational and sales) specific to his industry
25. What other value added functionalities will UPLIFT provide?
In addition to the functionalities core to Cargo Supply, UPLIFT will provide additional
utilities such as Metric Converters, Currency Converters, HS Codes, updates on notifications
and circulars.
26. Will I be able to send AWB to Airlines electronically?
Yes. On completion of AWB, UPLIFT will send the AWB to Airlines after processing and
converting the AWB data into a format which the Airlines system will understand.
27. Will I still have to re-key AWB data in the Custodian portal for generating Terminal Receipts?
No. UPLIFT, on reaching a pre-defined milestone such as printing an AWB, will port the relevant
AWB data to the concerned Custodian’s internal system thereby eliminating the need for the
Forwarder to re-enter the data again in the Custodian’ portal
28. What functionalities are available to the management of a Forwarding organization?
A separate non-operational Dashboard, available to the management after login, will give the
Sales Conversion Ratio, High level Reports related to Revenues, Operations (generated in
Charts and tables) along with links to other important sites
29. Is Net Banking supported by UPLIFT?
UPLIFT will interface with Custodian’ internal systems (Mumbai in the first phase) and enable
a Forwarder to make the TSP Payments through UPLIFT itself. Complete support for Net Banking
will be available to the community as and when Online Banking is adopted by all related
stakeholders
30. Will I still have to follow-up with Airlines to issue Carting Order?
Online Carting Order requisition mechanism is available on UPLIFT with reminder functionality.
Once Airline approves the Carting Order, appropriate SMS/Email notifications will be triggered
indicating the changed status in the Carting Order Requisition. A status update will be sent to
the Custodian’ system internally indicating the issuance of Carting Order to the Custodian
31. How will UPLIFT interface with my internal system?
UPLIFT will support multiple standards for interfacing with Shipper’ internal ERP system which includes:
- Web Services
- UPLIFT Adapters
- FTP
32. What formats does UPLIFT support for interfacing with my internal system?
UPLIFT supports and is capable of receiving /sending a wide variety of formats which include:
33. I do not have an in-house ERP system. Will I be able to derive benefits of uploading data?
Yes. UPLIFT provides a pre-formatted excel sheet for capturing Shipment data which can be
used to upload Booking Requests on UPLIFT. The uploaded xls sheet will be processed by UPLIFT
and necessary action as contained in the file will be initiated
34. What are the hardware requirements of UPLIFT? Will my existing systems run UPLIFT?
UPLIFT is a web based solution and your current computers should be capable of running UPLIFT.
The following specifications are recommended:
- Pentium 4 CPU
- 512 MB Ram
- Internet : 256 kbps
35. What are the browser compatibility options available?
If product uses browser based interface then it should support at least following browsers:
- Internet Explorer 6.0 onwards
- Fire Fox 2.0 onwards
- Netscape Navigator 9.0
- Opera 8 onwards
All the screens and Reports will work as per their functionalities in all the
above browsers. Especially all the control, third party utilities used if any and any
part of code which uses DOM should by working in all the browsers.
36. Is UPLIFT system fault tolerant?
Uplift system is fault tolerant. Fault tolerance is the ability of a system to continue
functioning when part of the system fails.
In case of failures if any, this state is easily recovered. Specifically, items that
have only been partially processed are considered unprocessed and will be automatically
queued for processing. System starts working normally once it is recovered from failure,
be it web or mobile application, message communication, external systems interfacing etc.
Also if the system fails in the middle of a single process, the system will clear rollback
points, where logical data groups can be classified as ‘passed’ or ‘failed’. In case of
hardware failures UPLIFT has provision of switching load to an alternate or redundant server
automatically or using OEM OS bundled utilities. Application also supports minimum recovery
point objectives and recovery time objective.
37. How is Error Handling and Logging enabled?
Exceptions occurring are logged and proper user friendly error messages are returned.
Error handling takes care of the following:
- Message Logging (configurable, can be stored either in database or in a file)
- Email notification (Error message can be configured to be sent as an email)
- Configurable setting available in system.
- Appropriate message symbols are used in communicating warnings, errors, information messages.
- All the exceptions are handled by the application and will not cause server side crash.
38. How is Backup and Recovery taken care off?
Uplift provides mechanism to Backup and Recover the data and the product itself. Uplift design
and development takes care of BCP/DR requirements in terms of clustering, failover etc. This can
be provided in two different ways
- SQL scripts and/or backup utilities can be used to back up the data and database structure
- A customized solution and interface can be provided to backup and recover the user interface and middleware
- Data is archived and purged after set intervals to avoid increasing the size of operational database.
39. How is data security enabled?
All data stored in the system is encrypted using 256 bit encryption algorithm. Messages stored
on the ftp server or the file system for processing are secured using directory access or
encryption. Please ensure you use the correct and the revised port codes, details of which are
available on the website
40. How do I ready myself to adopt UPLIFT?
UPLIFT is a web based solution and thus is machine independent. In case of interfacing
with your Internal Systems, only testing of messages coming from /sending to UPLIFT will have
to be conducted to ensure seamless interfacing.
In other cases, the organization is only required to get registered on UPLIFT to
kick-off operations on the portal
41. What are the basic requirements for joining UPLIFT?
The organization needs to be a bona-fide Forwarder and should be registered with IATA and/or IMO
42. How can I become a registered member of UPLIFT?
Registration on UPLIFT is a very simple process. Log on the
www.upliftindia.com , click Membership Registration hyperlink then click
on 'SIGN UP'. Once you submit the information and the required fees, it will be
verified by UPLIFT authorized supervisor. Upon successful verification, you can get
connected with cargo community on UPLIFT.
The Shipper is the consignor of cargo who intends to export cargo to foreign location.
He is the initiator of the export process and thus remains a critical stakeholder in
UPLIFT. Here is a list of FAQs on UPLIFT for users from Shipper community.
43. Which industry stakeholders can connect and transact on UPLIFT?
All service providers critical to the cargo supply chain will be able to connect on UPLIFT namely,
- Airlines
- Forwarders
- Customs House Agents
- Transporters
- Banks
- Custodians
44. How does UPLIFT work?
UPLIFT is envisaged to be a platform for facilitating the collaboration between
different participants of the supply chain like: Freight Forwarders, Customs House
Agents (CHA), Shippers, Airlines, Custodian, Customs and Banks.
Any user can use UPLIFT. Users are required to fulfill registration requirements at
the time of sign up to UPLIFT. This feature ensures security and authorized access.
If the user identification or password is incorrect, the system will not allow the
user to enter into the application. For more details on how it will work for you,
write to us at
info@kalelogistics.in
45. How will UPLIFT help in improving efficiency?
UPLIFT will reduce dependency on manual modes of communication and enable instant
transmission of data to the intended service provider. UPLIFT will function as a Single
Stop Shop wherein all entities in the cargo supply chain interact and exchange information
on near real-time basis. Resources engaged in manual follow-ups will be freed to execute
more productive activities. Real-time status updates including pro-active alerts are
built-in to intimate the Shipper of failure likely to happen at any stage of the shipment
46. Will I keep receiving alerts even during the night?
Alerts and status updates through SMS are configurable by the Shipper. Shipper can specify
the time range during which he desires to receives alerts through SMS
47. What are the basic requirements for joining UPLIFT?
The Shipper needs to be a bona-fide Exporter – Importer of cargo and should be registered
with the Director General of Foreign Trade.
48. Can I access UPLIFT from locations other than my office?
UPLIFT is a web portal and is thus machine independent. It requires only an internet
connection to connect to the website and is thus accessible from anywhere
49. Can I upload shipment documents on UPLIFT for transmission to Forwarder?
UPLIFT does have facility for uploading documents in .pdf, .doc, .xls, .jpg image formats.
These uploaded files attached to a particular job will be available for retrieval against
the said job
50. Are there any file size restrictions for uploading documents?
File size has a direct bearing on the space occupied in the servers and thus has a cost
attached to it. File size restrictions will be in place with options to book larger hard disk
space on payment of additional charges as decided from time to time
51. What are the other data transmission modes supported by UPLIFT?
Shipper can configure UPLIFT to trigger facsimile and email while sending enquiry and/or
booking. For instance, while sending booking requests, Shipper can select “Fax” and/ “E mail”
as additional transmission modes so that the intended Forwarder receives the Booking request as
Fax and/or Email in addition to viewing the same on UPLIFT
52. How do I track and trace shipments?
Once the shipment is entered into the system, all updates received from multiple
service providers during the cargo movement will be available to the Shipper. An
option to view comprehensive track and trace history will also be available to Shipper
to assess the bottlenecks in cargo supply chain
53. Will UPLIFT support mobile devices?
UPLIFT will provide status updates and alerts on mobile devices. Usage of mobile
as an input device will be implemented in future so that user can carry out
transactions using his mobile handset
54. Will I be able to generate documents on UPLIFT?
UPLIFT will facilitate user to create and generate important shipment
documents on UPLIFT itself. The documents once generated will also
be shared with the other related entity (for e.g. Export Invoice
and Packing List will be shared with the Customs House Agent). The
following documents are currently supported in UPLIFT:
- Export Invoice
- Packing List
- Shipper’ Letter of Instruction
- N Form
- Shipper Declaration for Dangerous Goods
- Certificate of Origin
- GSP (Generalized System of Preferences)
- Shipper’ Declaration Form (SDF)
55. Will I be able to re-use historical data?
UPLIFT will provide Shipper the facility to create templates such that the same templates
relevant to a given shipment can be re-used with modification in cargo details before
sending it across to the Forwarder. Option is also available to the Forwarder to copy
previously executed Enquiries / Booking Requests
56. Can I customize the document templates?
Shipper will have the flexibility to customize the documents which can be created on UPLIFT.
He can add his company logo, address, contact details etc. on the desired document to give
it a more customized look similar to the documents being generated at present.
57. Do I always have to be online to send Booking Requests / Enquiries to Forwarder?
Shipper will have provision to schedule triggering of Booking Requests / Enquiries to the
Forwarder. UPLIFT will auto-trigger the activity at the pre-selected date and time
58. What will be the unique reference used for tracking a shipment?
UPLIFT will generate a unique RFQ/Job ID which will be attached to an Enquiry / Booking
Request. This unique ID will be used throughout the shipment cycle to identify and track
statuses
59. Will UPLIFT provide me Reports?
Shipper will be able to generate MIS Reports specific to him using UPLIFT features.
60. What other value added functionalities will UPLIFT provide?
In addition to the functionalities core to Cargo Supply, UPLIFT will provide additional
utilities such as Metric Converters, Currency Converters, HS Codes, links to Regulator’
sites, News, Chat, Unit Calculator
61. How will UPLIFT interface with my internal system? UPLIFT
will support multiple standards for interfacing with Shipper’ internal
ERP system which include:
- Web Services
- UPLIFT Adapters
- FTP
62. What formats does UPLIFT support for interfacing with my internal system?
UPLIFT supports and is capable of receiving /sending a wide variety of formats which include:
- XML
- CSV
- Flat File
- XLS
- JPG
63. I do not have an in-house ERP system. Will I be able to derive benefits of uploading data?
Yes. UPLIFT provides a pre-formatted excel sheet for capturing Shipment data which can
be used to upload Booking Requests on UPLIFT. The uploaded xls sheet will be processed by
UPLIFT and necessary action as contained in the file will be initiated
64. What are the hardware requirements of UPLIFT? Will my existing systems run UPLIFT?
UPLIFT is a web based solution and your current computers should be capable of running UPLIFT.
The following specifications are recommended:
- Pentium 4 CPU
- 512 MB Ram
- Internet : 128 kbps
- Internet Explorer 7 & above, Mozilla Firefox 2 & above, Chrome & Safari
65. Will my shipment data available on UPLIFT be visible to others?
Highest security standards have been adopted in UPLIFT to safeguard the user’ data and
256-bit encryption levels are implemented during message exchanges and information exchange
between two stakeholders. Data privacy concerns are address and a user’ data will not be
visible to other entities unless allowed by the user. For example, Forwarder will be able
to view the shipment data sent in by a Shipper which is marked specifically to him
66. Will UPLIFT be made available to the trade community members of different cities across India?
Yes, in fact in future UPLIFT will also interact with community systems of other countries
67. How can I become a registered member of UPLIFT?
Registration on UPLIFT is a very simple process. Log on the
www.upliftindia.com , click Membership Registration hyperlink then
click on 'SIGN UP'. Once you submit the information and the required fees, it will be
verified by UPLIFT authorized supervisor. Upon successful verification, you can get
connected with cargo community on UPLIFT.
68. How do I ready myself to adopt UPLIFT?
UPLIFT is a web based solution and is machine independent. In case of ERP/Internal
Systems, only testing of messages coming from /sending to UPLIFT will have to be
conducted to ensure seamless interfacing. In other cases, the organization is only
required to get registered on UPLIFT to kick-off operations on the portal
We'll be happy to help you; in case you have more queries on UPLIFT
you can contact-
