Terminals need ‘step change’ in transparency

That was the message delivered to delegates at Navis World in San Francisco.

In a breakout session on terminal-carrier collaboration, terminal participants that complained about needing to constantly evolve to meet the challenges of shipping lines were told that they need to address the growing disconnect between operations and commercial.

“Usually the goals of a terminal are opposite to those of the carriers,” said one participant. “This is a challenge in a competitive environment. You give in to carrier demands as you don’t want to lose them.”

Improved transparency of operational data at terminals can help to address this imbalance, delegates were told. “It’s hard to change culture or regulations; it’s much easier to share data and the keyword is transparency,” said another participant. The example given was that if bad news, such as a crane breakdown, is shared without prompting there can be a positive effect.

“We need to show the other side of the coin and the benefits of getting that information out,” the participant said.

Alliances were also highlighted as a new dynamic influencing terminals, increasing complexity, but also reinforcing the need for increased collaboration and sharing of information between terminals.