Ports may have been slow on the uptake, but mobile apps are now on the agenda. Felicity Landon reports
The ports sector traditionally isn’t keen on being ‘disrupted’, and the relatively slow development of mobile apps seems to reflect that conservatism. But this year has seen a flurry of announcements of new apps – and that, say experts, is significant.
“When it comes to the shipping industry and other parts of the supply chain, I can see some obvious trends, winners and start-ups in the area of apps,” says consultant Thomas Vitsounis. “In general terms, the use of apps will change the industry and everyone knows that. When it comes to ports themselves, things have so far moved slowly – but there has been a remarkable change.
“At a conference two years ago, I started talking about start-ups and digital disruption and I could see in the audience there wasn’t a very good reaction. But in the past year, it is tremendous how quickly this industry has shifted. Ports are now thinking in these terms. There is some distance to go but it is absolutely essential to move in that direction.”
He believes that in most cases we won’t see global port apps, but will more likely see terminal operators or ports developing their own applications which will have local use. Ports would do well to take a look at successful apps in other industries; often they can be adapted to solve a similar problem in the ports sector, he says.
“For the ports industry, it is very early days, which makes it very exciting. Everyone knows the major trends and where the big problems are. The technology is ready to go.”
He predicts this will become huge and will create a new framework for further competition. "I can see in a few years’ time, ports, shipping lines and all in the industry will put more and more emphasis on their applications, because that will make the difference between a good company and a great company.”
Booking systems
Earlier this year, Forth Ports announced the launch of a vehicle booking system (VBS) app for its London Container Terminal at Tilbury. Uniquely designed for the terminal’s hauliers, it enables them to make bookings and check the status of a container remotely using a mobile app on their mobile phone.
The app was a complementary and fully integrated component of a brand new VBS, designed for the merged shortsea and deepsea container ports at Tilbury, says David Thomson, Forth Ports’ group IT project director. This merger in itself was a major undertaking, bringing together two completely separate businesses with different people, equipment and operational processes and systems into one integrated business. The new VBS was the final piece of the jigsaw in that process.
“The development of the VBS Mobile App was a complete new venture for Forth Ports and I believe a first in the industry in the UK,” he says. “It was designed completely from scratch, with the key design principles being an appealing look and feel, and with simplicity and ease of use a paramount consideration, aimed at minimising input and interaction in performing the necessary transactions.
The development of the VBS app was aimed at improving the service to hauliers and their overall experience in dealing with London Container Terminal, with smaller hauliers in particular more likely to reap the benefits of using it, he says. “We have bigger hauliers who have offices that co-ordinate bookings, with dedicated staff that can move and swap bookings – but with some of the smaller hauliers, they are not so well positioned in that way. The mobile app allows them to log in while on the road to check the up-to-date status of a container and easily move and create bookings. The additional status information in relation to container status and booking availability via both the app and the desktop application means there is less requirement for customers to phone up with enquiries – they can ascertain a lot more for themselves.”
Forth Ports organised training programmes for the new VBS and app, bringing hauliers into the training academy at the Port of Tilbury to go through the new system. Now it has decided to take the VBS system and mobile app a step further, to accommodate multi-terminal and multi-trailer capabilities and develop a non-inventory capability.
“The current VBS system and associated mobile app is designed for a container terminal and is integrated with the container system inventory,” says Mr Thomson. “This allows appropriate validations to take place – for instance, regarding security pins and ensuring inventory available and clear, to ensure the haulier’s journey is not wasted.
“We are now adding additional capabilities to allow both the VBS system and an extended version of the mobile app to be used for other general cargo terminals and/or assets in the group, such as grain, timber and general cargo. Initially we will be implementing this non-inventory option as an interim solution for Grangemouth container terminal, while we prepare for implementing a new container operating system at the port, at which point we will move Grangemouth’s container operations to the full integrated VBS and mobile app. This initiative involves further development of our mobile app to support these new capabilities. This ‘basic’ VBS allows hauliers to book their arrival at the terminal, removing queues and wasted time for hauliers.”
Early starters
Among the port apps recently unveiled is Montreal Port Authority’s Trucking PORTal app; designed to cut congestion, increase the flow of trucks and reduce waiting times at port container terminals, it is a key part of MPA’s project to reduce GHG emissions by optimising truck routes to and from terminals. A data capture system makes it possible to measure truck trips from entering to leaving the port, and to relay this information in real time to drivers via a mobile app.
Earlier this year, the Port of Oakland launched two smart phone apps for truckers. DrayQ and DrayLink use Bluetooth, wifi and GPS technology to tell drivers how long they will wait to enter the terminal gates and how long their transactions will take – and give shippers an idea of the location and productivity of the drivers they hire. The port said it commissioned the apps to meet the demand for accurate measurement of cargo pick-up and delivery times.
The port worked with Reston-based Leidos to licence, deploy and maintain the apps, and to expand a wireless network throughout the port to connect the haulage community more closely with terminal operators, cargo owners and other stakeholders. Because drivers and cargo owners can receive real-time information on turnaround times, they can plan transactions around peak periods of terminal activity, while shippers and haulage firms can monitor driver location and progress in real time to improve dispatching, said the port.
MEETING THE NEED FOR TIMELY AND ACCURATE DATA
The Port of Felixstowe was leading the game when it launched its MyPort App nearly two years ago. Described as the first of its kind for port users in the UK, this app was designed to give customers access to the latest container and port information, around the clock. Users can track a specific vessel or container on its journey and receive alerts through the app and via status-change emails, with automatic notifications of any changes. The app also provides the latest five-day weather forecast for the port and details of freight train arrivals and departures.
“In the digital age, the provision of timely and accurate data is increasingly important for companies looking to optimise their supply chains,” says a spokesman for the Port of Felixstowe. “Mobile devices are now ubiquitous and providing a facility to enable our customers to access key information regarding their shipments wherever they are, and whenever they want, was a key driver in our decision to develop the app.”
Take-up of the app was surprisingly quick, he says. Within the first two months, 1,700 people had downloaded the app. “That figure has increased as word spread and, to date, the app has been downloaded 10,000 times.”
The MyPort App has been such a success that it has been used as a blueprint by Hutchison Ports for an app called Ubi, which will be rolled out across the group from 2017.
“Ubi is the group’s first Cloud-based system and develops further the functionality first introduced in the MyPort App. Hutchison Ports has its own state-of-the-art terminal operating system, nGen, and by developing the app in tandem with nGen we are able to offer a consistent product at multiple locations.”
