Conversational analytics to alter port paradigm

Speaking exclusively to Port Strategy at TOC Europe 2018, Tideworks Technology assistant vice president for product engineering Hugh Gallagher said that the application is “absolutely going to be a game-changer”, adding: “It’s moving through the hype cycle pretty quickly and is starting to add a lot of value.”

Mr Gallagher also commented on artificial intelligence, saying that although there is a lot of work to be done, “arguably, the technology is becoming somewhat ubiquitous outside of our industry and is adding a tremendous amount of value in industries” — particularly, for example, in retail, the auto sector and healthcare.

He added that there is still a large amount of uncertainty in the port and terminal industry, but that organisations who see it as an opportunity and a means to adapt, evolve and innovate will be successful.

“Therein, there’s an opportunity to form new partnerships, new synergies and new products and services that focus less on the mechanics of moving freight through the supply chain and more on the experience that customers have in moving freight through the supply chain,” he noted.

Mr Gallagher identified the Internet of Things or enterprise-digitisation as a second opportunity, claiming that he sees “three real pillars” evolving with these phenomena.

“One is customer experience, so using IoT as a platform to connect with customers and deepen those relationships,” he explained. “Two is operational excellence stemming from the data that IoT is providing.

“The third pillar is perhaps new business models emerging from the data that IoT provides and from those deepened customer relationships.”