The tiered certification programme will help members to develop staggered implementation plans, reflecting the level that a member has reached Cargo iQ’s operational milestones so they can use data to make improvements.
The tiers range from 1-3, reflecting the scores achieved by members after a data-driven assessment to check milestone capabilities and monitor how continuous improvement practices are being applied to operations.
Lean audits will be introduced alongside the existing audit process so members can update their tiers outside of the usual audit cycle.
Kerstin Strauss, Chair of the Cargo iQ Board, says, “The introduction of a tiered structure will allow our members to accurately map their quality progress, being able to identify areas that require further improvement.”
RJ Pegels, Vice Chair of Cargo iQ, adds, “Milestones such as the FWB will apply for all stakeholders: This is to reflect the commitment that Cargo iQ members make to jointly increase input and output quality and hold each other accountable. In this way we make a conscious shift from blame game to raising the game.”
The programme ties into Cargo iQ’s membership engagement initiative, which aims to increase engagement through a structured Member Journey Map review.
It was introduced for new members in autumn 2024 and is being extended to existing full members.
Marie Seco-Köppen, Executive Director of Cargo iQ says that the tiers and membership engagement initiative will allow the board and management team to prioritise and tackle issues across the quality levels.
She says, “The membership will be in a better position to create future oriented standards without relying on the pace of the lowest common denominator.”
The first tier system assessment will take place this summer once the data reporting specifications have been upgraded, which will be followed by the incorporation of the new tiers matrix into the Smart Data platform in autumn 2025.