Rotterdam launches port call efficiency platform

Pronto, whose name refers to the port information standards as established by the International Taskforce on Port Call Optimisation (of which the Port of Rotterdam is a member), is a platform for shipping companies, agents, terminal operators and other service providers for the exchange of port call-related information.

According to the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the application combines public data, data from participating companies and predictions created by artificial intelligence to maximise the accuracy of information given related to a port call.

This information is presented via a customised dashboard which lets the user filter the data and zoom in on timelines of individual port calls.

In Pronto, when a vessel’s estimated time of arrival becomes known, the ship is given its own timeline, which specifies every activity that it will be involved in during its port call.

The different events’ status and progress are continually updated in the dashboard, with users also able to program the application to automatically alert them if there is a relevant status update or a change of plan.

Developing the software

The Port of Rotterdam Authority’s chief financial officer, Paul Smits, said that the platform had been extensively trialled across the last year during a development stage and that it will see further development and new features in the near future.

He also explained that the port body will be making the application available to members of the Port of Rotterdam community, for either a fee or data, and that it anticipates that an increasing number of terminals in the port will begin using the platform, which will in turn boost the accuracy of its data.

“The application allows all users to optimally plan, execute and monitor activities throughout the entire port call,” he said.

“This yields concrete benefits for all parties involved.”

Ed Barsingerhorn, general manager for Shell Shipping & Maritime for Europe and Africa — with Shell being one of the parties that took part in Pronto’s pilot last year — said that the trial convinced them of the platform’s added value, and that they had lowered departing vessels’ waiting time up to 20%.

“It is essential that all parties involved in the process, including terminal and agent, work closely together and share relevant data,” he said.

“When we exchange time stamp data not only in Rotterdam but also between ports, the improvement potential increases significantly.”