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IAPH-led report tackles thorny data quality issue on port call optimization

By Eric Johnson

Groups targeting the improvement of port call data released a report in early October with recommendations for ports on how to ramp up data quality to optimize the times ships spend at berth .

The report , Port Call Optimization Through Data Quality , was unveiled at the International Association of Ports and Harbors ’ ( IAPH ) World Ports Conference in Hamburg . IAPH , along with chainPORT , a consortium of 15 major container hubs working on system connectivity and data sharing , produced the report with assistance from the Digital Container Shipping Association ( DCSA ), the Terminal Industry Committee 4.0 and the International Port Community Systems Association .

Port call optimization aims to minimize the time vessels spend at berth , reducing costs and emissions . Shutterstock . com

The groups met under the auspices of an IAPH committee focused on supply chain resilience in ports for the benefit of shippers . The report provides examples of how ports have improved call data and cooperated with other gateways to enable so-called just-in-time port calls .

Minimizing the time vessels are at berth is thought to have port efficiency benefits that would ultimately translate to cost savings for shippers while also expediting access to their cargo .

Port call optimization , in general , is being eyed for its environmental benefits as well , as aligning the times that a vessel is due to arrive with berth availability would cut down on excess emissions produced from waiting at anchor or speeding up to make a berthing window .

“ How to really adapt to that process was a little bit challenging .”

“ The report is based on the experience of eight [ ports ] that have already been going through this just-in-time port call journey ,” Phanthian Zuesongdham , head of Division Port Process Solutions at the Hamburg Port Authority , said at the conference .

The ports examined in the report are all in northern Europe or North Africa and include the ports of Hamburg , Rotterdam , Valencia and Tanger Med .

Driven by IMO guidelines

Zuesongdham said the decisions to start just-in-time port call initiatives were made based on existing International Maritime Organization ( IMO ) guidelines on port call optimization , but the path to implementation was not clear . “ How to really adapt to that process was a little bit challenging for them ,” she said .

Another challenge that she described as “ cultural , and not really technical ,” is the introduction of a new process into a legacy environment .

“ This legacy environment has its own terminology , and uses the terminologies in a specific way ,” she said . “ And when you ’ d like to adopt the new [ just-in-time port call ] standards from the IMO , there is a challenge in how to integrate or transfer these standard terminologies into their operations .”

Zuesongdham also pointed to data management , especially around agreements covering data exchanged between vessels and terminals or between terminals in different ports .

“ People in the shipping industry are not working only on paper anymore ,” she said . “ They have exchanging schemes and systems and existing legal agreements on that data exchange . To review that or change that for all the terminals and all the stakeholders they have to engage with , from the vessel perspective , is crucial and has to be done .”

email : eric . johnson @ spglobal . com www . joc . com November 4 , 2024 | Journal of Commerce 23