APM Terminals has expanded on its standardised container tracking system by launching a personanlisation option which enables customers to save time and optimise container flow.
The release is part of the terminal operator’s wider strategy to improve its end-to-end supply chain offering. In a statement, it said that among other features the new function lets customers save containers to a Container Watchlist and set up email notifications.
More than 22 of the company’s terminals provide access to container tracking, known as Track & Trace (T&T). Over the coming months, this global solution will be rolled out to more terminals, including the company’s terminals in Spain and Mumbai, which has a container throughput of more than 2m TEU.
The email notification feature is available for APM Terminals in Los Angeles, Port Elizabeth and Mobile in the United States, and will be rolled out in November to the remaining terminals on the T&T platform. Customers can choose to receive the email snapshot of their Watchlist once or twice per day and can specify which exact days based on their convenience.
“This standardised approach not only offers convenience to customers working with multiple terminals but enables APM Terminals to focus its investment in just one industry-leading platform instead of multiple, potentially less innovative solutions,” said Wiebe-Jan Kloosterman, Landside Digital Solution Manager at APM Terminals.
Last quarter, the T&T platform saw the launch of a function that enables customers to save their import containers to a Container Watchlist. “This saves customers time and effort, continually copying and pasting their containers into the search to retrieve the latest status,” Kloosterman added.
“Filtering options in the Container Watchlist allow customers, for example, to quickly identify containers that are ready for collection, missing appointments or have issues (e.g. Customs Holds) that need resolving.”
One central customer account is used to access all T&T functions. Going forward, this account will be used to access a growing number of features available on the website.
“We acknowledge that in the past customers needed to have multiple accounts for different systems at different terminals, in order to do business with us,” says Kloosterman.
“This isn’t ideal and requires time and patience from our customers. Going forward, our goal is to provide access to all of our services from one place, and with just one account.”
For example, customers who have already set up an account for Terminal Alerts on apmterminals.com – a system which sends customers urgent operational updates via SMS or email – use the same login for Container Watchlist Notifications.
Over the coming months, APM Terminals plans to implement improved functionality and usability for live vessel schedules, which are currently available as part of T&T and to add live rail schedules, where relevant.
