As COVID-19 remains prevalent around the world, terminals have had to adapt their business strategies to meet the challenges brought on by the pandemic, according to industry research done by Navis.
Navis surveyed over 165 customers across the globe and explored the impact terminals are seeing during COVID-19, the top concerns they are facing and how technology is playing a role in the shift to remote operations.
According to the report, due to COVID-19, 89% of respondents are seeing a moderate or greater impact on their business, causing the need to adapt their operational strategies to the changing landscape.
As terminals are shifting their operations, safety on site (26%) and planning and managing a remote workforce (16%) were cited their top concerns.
The need for remote solutions to continue operations successfully were universally accepted across the board.
Due to the need for terminals to support a remote workforce able to coordinate effectively with essential on site staff, all at an accelerated pace, they are leveraging technology to make a smoother transition for their operations and employees.
Respondents noted they already had some roles being performed off-site including, vessel (26%), yard (19%) and stowage (16%) planning, but were interested in moving other operations roles virtual.
As a Navis customer, 57% of respondents felt well prepared to handle those rapid shifts in operations.
“These are unprecedented times for our customers and the industry as a whole,” said Andy Barrons, Chief Strategy Officer at Navis. “At Navis, we are providing a suite of services to support our customers and manage their operations and IT eco-system remotely and handle their day-to-day performance seamlessly.
“Our customers are rising to the occasion to keep cargo moving safely and adapt as business needs continue to change. ”