31 percent use e-CMR predominantly, but most (41 percent) use them only sporadically or only partially. This is shown by a representative survey of more than 400 logistics companies in Germany commissioned by the digital association Bitkom. According to the survey, six percent are planning to introduce digital electronics consignment notes in the next twelve months, while seven percent are considering doing so in the next one to two years. Another seven percent do not want to digitize their electronics consignment notes. Around half of the companies (47 percent) advocate that the use of digital waybills should be mandatory.
"We see that the e-CMR meets with broad approval in the industry. Replacing paper-based freight documents with machine-readable ones avoids unnecessary manual activities, media disruptions, and transmission errors and not only makes life easier for logistics companies but ultimately also benefits customers," says Nathalie Teer, Mobility and Logistics Officer at Bitkom.
85 percent of the companies see the introduction of digital electronics consignment notes as a great relief for the logistics industry, and among the larger companies with 100 or more employees, the figure is as high as 96 percent. The majority of companies also state that the use of e-CMR speeds up the exchange of information (74 percent), makes supply chains more transparent (71 percent), and reduces costs (64 percent). However, 59 percent see the introduction as a major challenge. 46 percent say that there is a lack of know-how in the industry for rapid implementation. 54 percent say that standards are still missing for efficient use.
