Sphere No.49 (Aug 2019)

>> SPHERE #47 2019 11 Data Interchange protocols in place to speak to shipping line customer software, tractor appointment systems, mobile services for truckers coming to port, and more. All this effort in digitisation brings big savings. Transfer of data – with industrial- grade safeguards to protect private information – to approved parties can be made instant, seamless and paperless, eliminating wasted time and anxiety for logistics partners and their clients throughout the logistics chain. SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Of course, clients don’t need to see and access the entirety of the nGen system. They have their own specific needs and concerns. For them, Hutchison Ports is constantly developing nGen-compatible systems to cater to their specific situations. An example of this is the development of the Landside Digitisation Programme (LDP) to be implemented at Gateway Terminals in the Middle East and Africa terminals. Local shippers, agents and consignees normally queue up at on- site cashier counters with mounds of documentation and cash in hand. With LDP, documents can be scanned and submitted online, and the system takes care of the container booking and delivery processing. Forget risky cash transport; all payments will soon be made online. And that’s just for the customers. Truckers registered on the system arrive at the port, book appointments for delivery and pickup by smartphone, do their administration at an electronic kiosk, and get an e-receipt at the end of the process. In Mexico, customers are data hungry and so Hutchison Ports has developed SmartPort to feed them. Data analytics and processing and real-time container tracking are all part of the online services. If customers have questions, a chatbot can answer them. It’s good for the ports group too; up to US$1 billion savings are expected to be delivered through digitisation in Mexico’s port operations alone. In the UK, different demands resulted in different solutions. The Port of Felixstowe and other UK ports have a deep integration with rail and road connections. Logistics partners there wanted to optimise the inland planning of laden and empty transport legs by truck, barges, and rail. PARIS, the intermodal transport optimisation software developed and supported by Hutchison Ports in the high- tech Cambridge cluster, provides real-time transportation automated planning and optimisation. AI CAN LIFT CONTAINERS – AND EXPEDITE DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES With the advent of high-speed Internet connections, it makes sense that the ports group could centralise most data in the hands of highly trained experts to provide for deeper learning and better coordination. This concept is being tested in the new Regional Operations Centre (ROC) in Karachi, Pakistan. Moving forward, Hutchison Ports will develop the use of AI and algorithms to further optimise the efficient handling of data at its second ROC, which is to be developed in South East Asia. AI will read emails and documentation to extract information from data for automatic stowage planning capabilities. Centred in the middle of the Asian region and its many time zones, it will still be possible to have vital people watching over the data, ready to step in when necessary and whenever needed. Where late-night shift work requires people to work non-natural hours, a centralised system will allow more people to put in a healthier working day. THE SMART WAY FORWARD From Standardisation through connectivity with nGen, and now the first ROC, the spread of best practice and efficiency in operations will flow. Automation means helping people to do their jobs better and, ultimately, a streamlined, skilful workforce. Digitisation links together the entire logistics supply chain and allows for customised platforms to take care of customer needs and to drive more efficiencies. At the heart of this change are the people of Hutchison Ports, who are driving this transformation to create an efficient supply chain that uses the most advanced and constantly evolving technology to propel global trade forward. Onwards to the next 50 years – and beyond! In Mexico, customers are data hungry and so Hutchison Ports has developed SmartPort to feed them.