Democratising the smart port in the last mile – Splash 247
With the COVID-19 crisis bringing digital solutions to the forefront of shipping, ports have been quick to roll out systems to cope with the new requirements of the pandemic. This has highlighted the manual nature of one of the most integral parts of the global supply chain.
Despite ‘smart ports’ having been a commonplace phrase for years, a closer look at the situation on the ground demonstrates that only major ‘Tier 1’ ports, with finances available, have achieved this status. Most ‘Tier 2 and below’ ports do not have access to the necessary kind of digital technology, ultimately leaving them less able to compete in an increasingly digital world.
Last mile marine services at ‘Tier 2 and below’ ports, an area where manual processes are common in many critical functions, serve to gain from digitalisation, with the marine side of port operations falling way short of their land-based neighbours. Failures to digitise this side of operations can result in delays, payment delays, increased fuel consumption, accidents and GHG emissions.
Digitalisation can make a substantial difference to marine-side port operations and with this type of port software readily available and financially viable, there is no reason why every port can’t be a smart port.
Read the full article on Splash 247.
