This document provides an overview of terminal data integration within our system, highlighting its role in enhancing visibility & operational efficiency.
This document provides an overview of terminal data integration within our system, highlighting its role in enhancing visibility and operational efficiency. By integrating multiple data sources and technologies, the system delivers accurate and actionable information for end users, enabling better vessel tracking, arrival predictions, and container event updates.
Key Data Sources for Terminal Information
Our system gathers terminal information from multiple sources, leveraging their unique strengths to track key milestones such as vessel departure/arrival, container discharge, and gate-out events. These milestones are mapped and tracked using booking numbers provided by clients, which act as identifiers across data sources rather than being directly tied to carrier-provided data.
1. Ocean Carrier Data
Ocean carrier data provides a structured view of container and vessel activities. Using client booking numbers, this source delivers critical milestones, including:
- Vessel Departure/Arrival: Indicates when a vessel departs from or arrives at a port, often with broader coverage across ports.
- Discharge Events: Confirms when containers are unloaded from a vessel.
- Gate-Out Updates: Tracks when containers leave the terminal gates.
Carrier data is typically reliable for documenting completed events but may lag behind other sources in timeliness due to carrier-specific processing timelines.
2. Direct Terminal Integrations
Direct integrations with terminal systems provide granular, near-real-time updates on operational milestones. These integrations rely on client credentials and focus on specific terminals to deliver:
-
ETA Updates: Accurate estimates of vessel arrival times at terminal berths.
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Discharge Notifications: Immediate confirmation when containers are unloaded.
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Gate-Out Notifications: Detailed tracking of containers exiting terminal gates.
Terminal integrations often provide the most up-to-date and terminal-specific data, making them invaluable for high-precision tracking but limited in coverage to specific terminals.
3. Satellite Tracking with Geofencing
Satellite tracking employs geofencing technology to monitor vessel movements. By mapping predefined polygons around global terminals, the system captures early indicators of:
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Vessel Arrival: Identifies when a vessel enters a terminal’s geofenced area, offering updates before carrier or terminal systems confirm the event.
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Vessel Departure: Tracks when a vessel exits the geofenced area.
Satellite data provides the earliest visibility into vessel movements, though it lacks the operational details (e.g., discharge or gate-out events) available through terminal and carrier data.
4. Overlap and Timing Variations Across Data Sources
The system integrates these sources to create a layered and robust view of terminal events. Here’s how they overlap and differ:
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Overlap: Multiple sources may provide updates on the same milestone (e.g., vessel arrival). For instance, satellite data identifies arrivals early, terminal integrations confirm arrivals with specific timestamps, and carrier data validates the event as part of a broader shipment record.
Terminal Integrations: How They Work
|
Port |
Terminal/System |
Access Requirement |
Data Provided |
|
Rotterdam |
Paid subscription, client credentials |
ETA, discharge, gate-out |
|
|
Portbase Rotterdam |
Still in progress |
Still in progress |
Still in progress |
|
Antwerp |
PSA ePortal |
Free, client signup required |
ETA, discharge, gate-out |
|
Antwerp |
DP World (1700) |
Free, client signup required |
ETA |
|
Antwerp |
MPETConnect (1742) |
Free, client signup required |
ETA, discharge, gate-out |
In addition, the Port of Antwerp Bruges Tool provides consolidated ETA data across terminals without requiring credentials. However, it lacks the detailed event updates available through direct integrations.
How Data Sources Overlap and Differ
Each data source complements the others, creating a layered process for event milestones:
- Satellite Tracking: Provides the earliest alerts for vessel arrivals based on geofencing technology.
- Terminal Integrations: Offer detailed and terminal-specific event updates such as discharge and gate-out milestones.
- Carrier Data: Acts as the authoritative confirmation of events, integrating updates from terminals and adding documentation milestones like bills of lading.
By combining these sources, the system ensures redundancy and accuracy in
milestone reporting while reducing reliance on any single input.
Layered Data Process for Milestones with an example of ETA
E.g. in case of ETA, system processes milestone events through a structured flow:
Satellite → Terminal → Carrier Updates
- Satellite Detection: Detects vessel arrivals as they enter geofenced areas around terminals, providing the earliest updates.
- Terminal Event Updates: Confirms and details specific actions such as discharge and gate-out, sourced directly from terminal systems.
- Carrier Verification: Validates and finalizes milestone updates, ensuring consistency across all data layers.
By combining these inputs, our system minimizes latency, enhances milestone accuracy, and ensures redundancy in tracking critical events across the supply chain. This multi-layered approach delivers comprehensive visibility into terminal operations while minimizing latency and errors in milestone reporting.