Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Keeping air cargo moving via the largest technical and strategic transformation in its history
As the third-largest cargo airport in Europe, Schiphol Airport plays a vital role in global air cargo. However, its data platform, Port Community System (PCS) – the backbone of its cargo operation, facilitating collaboration between all of Schiphol’s stakeholders – was obsolete. Working closely with the Schiphol Cargonaut team, we delivered the largest digital transformation project in its history by leading the re-platforming of PCS.
Facing up to multiple layers of transformation
In order for Schiphol to keep its cargo moving securely and efficiently, it needed a platform to meet the demands of modern, digitised global logistics. The platform would need to facilitate and streamline secure communication, data exchange, and collaboration between the hundreds of organisations that make up the air cargo ecosystem.
Schiphol’s existing Port Community System (PCS) was decades old, built on an outdated technology stack, and hampered by years of manual workarounds and deviations that had made the platform even more complex. Now part of Schiphol, the Cargonaut team supporting the old PCS and developing the new one, were continually bogged down in keeping a vulnerable system operational. “They were the firefighters trying to fix every operational issue as it arose”, explained PA Transformation expert, David Miranda.
The airport needed a future-proofed platform capable of handling the increasing volume and complexity of global cargo traffic while at the same time ensuring customs integration given how essential this was for international trade.
The old PCS was an end-of-life platform, built in the previous century and it threatened the growth and innovation at one of Europe's busiest airports. The challenge was not just about an upgrade; it was about reimagining the future of cargo handling for an entire airport ecosystem.”
Tackling the technical challenges
In response, Schiphol commissioned the building of a new state-of-the-art PCS, partly based on yet-to-be-developed technology. However, the PCS renewal programme was not progressing as expected. Schiphol selected us to assess the best way forward to deliver the new PCS faster, at lower cost, and enhance the success of the PCS project in the air cargo market. Together with Cargonaut, we set the project up, drawing on the deep relationship with Schiphol having previously collaborated to unlock new revenue streams through digital transformation and accelerate their ambitions to become the world’s most sustainable airport.
Our initial focus was on optimising digital delivery. We brought in experts who, shoulder-to-shoulder with their internal team, led the response to the architecture and technological challenges. Finding the right balance between the former and improved digital delivery methods took some time. It meant setting out a logical delivery plan, orchestrating the conversations across Schiphol’s organisation to manage the technological dependencies and, step-by-step, building an engineering culture.
After months of mobilisation challenges, we decided to move the delivery team closer to the business to ensure more cross functional collaboration. These measures were central to building a high-performance team between Schiphol, external experts, and our team.
Setting a new strategic direction
It quickly became apparent that the transformation needed went far beyond the renewal of the PCS platform. Rather than dive into the technology alone, we had the opportunity to articulate a new strategic direction of travel for the Cargonaut business within Schiphol. What the airport needed, and we brought, was fresh thinking to their overarching cargo strategy and how this new technology platform and the team around it would be a key part of the future of cargo in Schiphol.
With this strategic anchor point, we were able to implement a new cross-functional governance to break through the siloes across the organisation and manage value delivery across all levels. It also designated clear roles and responsibilities, enabling Schiphol’s people to take ownership, individual accountability, and joint responsibility.
Another critical pillar of the strategy was a new structured portfolio management process to prioritise those strategic initiatives that would deliver maximum value, and enable Schiphol to track the impact of any changes.
Ultimately, the success of this transformation rested on the commitment and collaboration of complementary and diverse roles and capabilities, such as: developers, agile coaches, strategists, change managers, cargo experts, technology leads, and product owners who collectively drove the project towards the desired outcomes.”
Building new and improved technical and organisational foundations
By bringing the new PCS to pre-production, we were able to shadow run the new system and to reconcile the results of the new PCS with the results of the existing system – using the feedback as an input for the further strengthening and improvements of the new PCS. The first clients have now migrated to the new PCS.
Schiphol now has a state-of-the-art platform that meets all the strict compliance and security requirements that are required for any aviation-related digital infrastructure. The new technical and organisational foundations will enable Cargonaut, as an integrated part of Schiphol, to flourish in the near future as a reliable and predictable partner within the Air Cargo ecosystem.
Furthermore, the system provides a blueprint and new standard for more digital transformations within the Schiphol organisation.
By effectively adopting the right organisational structures, culture, processes, and ways of working, Schiphol now understands the impact of the transformation on their entire business strategy. This has given them a recipe for success for the programme and for future projects.”
PA challenged us to think differently about our approach. From the outset, they made it clear they wanted to partner to help drive the right outcomes for our business. It was a very collaborative approach, and it really helped us to reshape our thinking, refine our vision, and improve our engagement with all our stakeholders. They brought the right combination of domain expertise, agile coaching, and digital delivery skills to help us towards a successful outcome for Schiphol cargo.”
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