Cloud-based stowage system aims to boost port productivity
Turloch Mooney, Senior Editor, Global Ports | Feb 19, 2016 8:43AM EST
Hapag-Lloyd has started to pilot a collaborative, cloud-based stowage planning system that makes stowage plans and cargo data available to vessels in port and to terminal operators.
The software, XVELA, aims to reduce the number of unexpected changes at short notice and improve waiting times for the container line and terminal. It provides visibility into the progress of berth operations and ultimately allows a more efficient deployment of vessels, the shipping line said. The system will also provide more transparency for terminals, allowing them to allocate equipment and staff in a more productive manner.
Leading global terminal operators and lines are becoming more active in working on the hitherto largely neglected area of collaboration to improve productivity, according to Mark Welles, a regional executive at Navis, owner of XVELA and one of the world’s largest providers of terminal operating systems.
“Not focusing on productivity through collaboration was the norm two years ago. Now there is more recognition of the material gains to be made in this area and the walls between carrier and terminal are finally starting to come down,” said Welles.
Analysis of IHS Maritime & Trade container vessel call data shows extensive time wasted in arrival and departure at ports, and reveals that limited work on berth productivity means lines are missing the opportunity to take at least$2.6 billion out of the industry’s annual global fuel bill.