Digitalizing Container Supply Chain: The Next Level

Digitalisation can unfold a whole world of opportunities. The panellists focused on how to push the industry to adapt digitalisation and the efficiencies advanced technologies hold

Setting the tone for the third session Ravi Ramprasad, Editor-in-Chief, Maritime Gateway shared results of a survey which revealed there is about 44 per cent technology adoption in organizations, still 39 per cent of the enterprises are moderate, 14 per cent poor, and 3 per cent still to use technology. Top three challenges faced by ports where technology can help include paper work, delays in container identification and clearances, and lack of coordination among stakeholders. Challenges in technology adaption include non-supportive stakeholders who are using different platforms resulting in no data exchange or are stuck with paper documentation. A staggering 45 per cent of the gate entry/exit systems at ports are still manual.

Integration challenges also exist wherein companies have invested in traditional software platforms and when the changeover happens it is difficult to integrate. To track port and terminal efficiency about 16 per cent use excel sheets, 16 per cent use manual reporting, and Web application is used by 25 per cent. About 57 per cent of ports and terminals have not migrated to PCS.

Factors that impact port congestion include inadequate infrastructure, poor coordination of traffic, and congested roads. Use of paper documentation: Gate entry/exit (88 per cent); Truck movement (81 per cent); Customs interaction (82 per cent) and Shipper data exchange (82 per cent).

Exchange of shipping bills, bills of lading, and bills of entry documents between different entities: paper documents (44 per cent); online (41 per cent).

Ramprasad, Editor-in-Chief, Maritime Gateway: What is the value addition you are bringing to PCS and how it can help the customers?

Liji Nowal, MD, ODex India Solutions Pvt Ltd: We along with other platform service providers are struggling with this question of how do we add value to the community?