Interview with Abilash Kurien

Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc.

In one of our past editions, we spoke with Abilash Kurien, VP Marketing, Revenue Management and Network Planning Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc. about digitization. Now it is time to catch up with him on this and other topics.

Text and photography Polar Air Cargo

Can you describe in a few words Polar’s operation/lanes and your role within the company? Polar Air Cargo Worldwide provides time-definite, airport-to-airport scheduled air cargo service. We operate a modern, all-cargo fleet, and cover major world markets. Polar’s deep experience and our commitment to quality, safety and customer service make us a trusted choice among freight forwarders, integrators, importers, and exporters.

Polar Air Cargo serves cities around the world with regularly scheduled flights, including: • Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (CVG) • Los Angeles, California, USA (LAX) • Anchorage, Alaska, USA (ANC) • Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (HNL) • Sydney, Australia (SYD) • Seoul, South Korea (ICN) • Shanghai, People’s Republic of China (PVG) • Hong Kong, People’s Republic of

China (HKG) • Bahrain (BAH) • Leipzig, Germany (LEJ)

I am responsible for developing and executing strategies to achieve revenue goals across the enterprise. Can you describe the main issues regarding increasing customer satisfaction? Great question. First, I would just say that we have very strong relationships with our customers, from freight forwarders to manufacturers themselves. Good relationships take work to establish, and work to maintain and our team around the world is really exceptional in that regard. Even with strong relationships, we know we have to build out and anticipate future needs for all of our customers so that we can continue to deliver excellence not just today but for the long-term.

Our strategy is called “FutureProofing” and it means laying the foundation and establishing the processes now that will be needed in the future. We have four pillars to that: Infrastructure, Digitization, Polarfied Training for employees and vendors, and a really robust commitment to ESG.

In what phase is Polar at present regarding digitization and how is it embedded internally? We are in the phase of digital transformation – that is the step where you lay the foundation. As important as it is to select and implement the exact right new systems that are adaptable and scalable, digitization is not possible without the understanding, support and training of the entire employee base. These tools are going to evolve how we operate – we believe in good ways, and we spent (and continue to spend) a lot of time in discussion with our teams to see how it’s going, how they feel about certain new initiatives, what’s not working - and we adjust. We also talk consistently with our customers about their needs because their goals are at the heart of our strategy.

Can you give some examples of processes that have been digitized within Polar? We have done a lot. For example, we launched software to help us better collect and analyze data related to customer service, marketing automation and application development. We have implemented a reporting app on tablets across our global workforce that brings real-time visibility on performance out of the office and into the field, enabling decisions to be reached faster. On the ground we have launched software that helps us digitally build up cargo loads so we can efficiently determine optimal loading; this tool has a benefit to our customers too as it lets us more quickly determine how non-traditional cargo can best be transported. Also, on the ground we’ve implemented a digital dock management system that lets customers and our trucking network better plan for cargo movement to and from the warehouse. We’ve also enhanced e-Booking for our customers.

How does your company encourage business partners/customers to digitally transform their processes? Constant dialogues with business

partners and customers is key for us. It’s not only telling customers what we are doing, it’s also asking what they are doing, how processes are shifting on their side, and then making sure we’re best equipped to help them. In some cases, offering our tools underscores how digitization can improve processes for customers, which helps jump-start their digital strategies. As an example, we are establishing a more-seamless transition from orders entered on the customer side through to Polar and our network of partners. That drives digitization on all fronts. Where our partners are concerned, we are aligned on the digitization process already. The goal is a cohesive approach for all involved.

Our strategy is called “FutureProofing” and it means laying the foundation and establishing the processes now that will be needed in the future.

Abilash Kurien Will the air cargo business become fully digital or will paperwork remain necessary? There definitely has been a slow adoption of digital applications industry-wide There are a lot of reasons for that. Initially, paperwork was a requirement in many ports. There are approved ways to implement digital verifications now, so that barrier is removed in many cases making it possible for the industry to evolve.

One IATA study found that an air cargo booking is manually retyped as many as 97 times as it passes from one system to the next. That is 97 opportunities for an error. The manual retyping is a result of many systems that have sprung up in an attempt to automate, but which unfortunately do not integrate with each other. Systems have to talk to each other to eliminate this risk of error, so that’s another driver across the industry to move into digital transformation.

Also, our customers are also consumers of personal e-commerce orders that come with tremendous transparency into the progress of a single pair of shoes, for example. They will demand the same of their cargo shipments, and the industry really must provide that – individual players and the industry as a whole.

What is your definition of partnership with business partners/customers? A true partnership is to remain open, honest and accountable. By establishing consistent two-way communication with our customers, we are aware of and can address any changes or issues. There is a process in place internally where information is shared and the entire team can react to feedback, address issues and provide best customer service. Making connections is in Polar’s DNA, and our responsive, communicative and solution-oriented approach is part of our culture across all departments and at all levels.