A smart port is an efficient, sustainable port that is always in demand. This is why the largest port in Scandinavia is seeking to enhance customer benefit through digitalised freight tracking. The Port Optimizer™ Track & Trace app is being launched to make it easier for freight owners and rail and terminal operators to track their freight in real time from quayside to inland destination.
“At the moment, our customers devote a great deal of time to searching through a whole host of sources to determine where their freight is at any given time, while still facing challenges confirming accuracy. We have hundreds of different players in the network that need to communicate with each other, resulting in an inordinate number of phone calls and emails, generating stress and uncertainty, and taking up a great deal of time unnecessarily. This is something we are aiming to change with the aid of Port Optimizer Track & Trace,” said Joseph Sandwing, Head of Digital Business Transformation, Port Authority of Gothenburg.”
The company behind this innovative solution is Wabtec, which has also created a similar tool for the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in North America. This provided a solid foundation for the Port of Gothenburg’s version of the tracking tool.
“We are thrilled to be part of the Port of Gothenburg’s digitalization journey, setting new standards for cargo traceability. Port Optimizer enables a ground-breaking level of collaboration among supply chain stakeholders, including cargo owners, rail operators, truckers, and terminal operators,which enableing maximum port throughput and delivery performance” said Nalin Jain, President, Digital Electronics, Wabtec Corporation.
The greatest challenge was to connect the terminal operators, rail operators, forwarders, freight owners, and inland terminals, all of which cooperate and compete for transport at the Port of Gothenburg. In this context APM Terminals and GDL Sjöcontainer AB played a particularly important role in making Port Optimizer Track & Trace a reality.
“It’s thanks to them and to the other partners who have shared their data that we have succeeded in creating an outstanding solution relatively quickly. It is encouraging to see that the players’ common objective of assuring efficient transport flows and more satisfied customers outweighs their individual interests. This bodes well for rapid development and expansion in the future,” said Joseph Sandwing.
Port Optimizer Track & Trace easily filters information about the freight moving through the port. It see which vessel carried the freight, when it was loaded, and when it left the terminal for the onward journey by rail. The system is linked to scanning sensors along the rail tracks, using data collected from the Swedish Transport Administration and various rail companies and organisations. Regular updates on the location of the freight ensure secure, traceable transport movements with a clearly stated time of arrival. This has been sought for a long time as part of the planning and decision-making process.
The system also issues notifications, not only when everything is going according to plan but more important when a problem occurs in route that needs to be rectified quickly. GDL Sjöcontainer AB is one of the logistics players which has been involved for several months testing and validating the app. They have been using the Port Optimizer Track & Trace system for several weeks.
“We are pleased to be among the first to use this service. Instant access to information from several different sources is something we have sought for quite some time and the ease of use is an added bonus for us, our customers and the cargo receivers,” said Markus Ekwall, Department Head Intermodal, GDL Sjöcontainer AB.
In the long term, everyone will have the opportunity to reap the benefits of Port Optimizer Track & Trace, although initially the service will be limited to freight flows that have been activated. But this will not prevent others from joining – an expression of interest is always welcome.
Welcome to attend the breakfast seminar where Port Optimizer Track & Trace is presented.
Title: Transforming Supply Chain Visibility at the Port of Gothenburg
Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Time: 8.30 am Central European Summer Time
Duration: 1 hour
If you have any further press enquiries, please contact:
Joseph Sandwing, Head of Digital Business Transformation, Göteborgs Hamn AB
Tele: +46 705 62 37 09
E-post: joseph.sandwing@portgot.se
The Port of Gothenburg is set to become a digitalised, globally integrated port and a centre of innovation and technical solutions. We want more players to use the Port of Gothenburg as a catalyst for the development of smart, sustainable logistics flows. That is why we are currently running several key projects in which the Port of Gothenburg is at the forefront in the use of new technical innovations. We are developing a digitalised call system to improve cost and time outcomes and mitigate environmental impact. Likewise, traceable freight management, where freight can be followed from producer to retailer in real time. The primary investment is in the development of a new digital system where all the above elements are interlinked – a digital service ecosystem centred on one single source. The Port of Gothenburg will be able to offer a secure, neutral platform, ensuring the data that is collected only reaches those who have authorised access.
