Improving yard and port operations can only be done through collaboration, according to industry experts at a recent PTI webinar, but this goes beyond the reach of just one terminal and one yard.
Speaking at PTI’s webinar “How to Upgrade your Terminal Operator’s Processes, Legacy Systems and Operations” the resounding message was, for any upgrade project, to ensure all stakeholders are in the loop, every step of the way.
Rich Ceci, Senior VP of Technology and Projects at Virginia International Terminals, put it clearly, “All projects depend on proper communications. I think you need to make sure everybody knows what’s happening all the time.”
We have also heard this week is collaboration is key for those wishing to embark on digital and automation journeys.
In Inform’s first Future Visions interview of 2021, the company asked with Oscar Pernia, Director of Digitalization and Automation at Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), about collaboration in the industry.
“We have collaboration, but it’s not enough because the system landscape is still very fragmented and there is no single vendor providing a ‘one-stop-shop’ automation solution, worse helping us simplifying and getting uniformity in the design and implementation of associated solutions.
“We are always talking about the TOS markets, and I see very different solution set-ups from terminal to terminal, even with the same vendor and even within the same terminal operator,” Pernia said.
He summarised by saying that the industry collaboration that exists today is “very high-level and not really tackling the fundamental problems of system integration”.
Finally, we are continuing to see ports themselves collaborate in efforts to build a more efficient supply chain.
The Port of Rotterdam has many partnerships across the globe but recently struck a new relationship with PD Ports of the UK.
The main aim, to begin with, of the partnership is to further enhance a journey of digitalisation at Teesport, the fifth largest port in the UK.
Eventually the collaboration could see exchange of data between the two ports, which will be a huge benefit to both. The sail time between Rotterdam and Teesport is between 16 and 18 hours.
With enhanced data exchange, the Ports will have greater oversight of vessel arrival and departure times which will ultimately lead to greater operational efficiency for all port users.
