GE expands pilot port data project to Long Beach

Building on a successful trial run in the Port of Los Angeles, GE Transportation is launching a second pilot at the Port of Long Beach that seeks to digitize and harmonize disparate data flows to increase visibility, efficiency and cargo velocity.    GE Transportation is expanding a pilot data project that seeks to digitize and harmonize disparate supply chain data flows to increase visibility, efficiency and cargo velocity to the Port of Long Beach.
   The launch of the second pilot project in the United States’ busiest port complex follows a successful trial run of the company’s Port Optimizer data portal at the neighboring Port of Los Angeles. 
   Port Optimizer, a cloud-based software solution that brings together data from all of the various supply chain stakeholders in and around the port, will soon be rolled out to the Total Terminals International (TTI) and Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) facilities. The aim of the optimizer is to provide a single portal for shippers, ocean carriers, terminal operators and drayage providers to monitor cargo coming in and out of the port in order to better plan resource allocation and respond to disruptions.
   In theory, the ease of access to various important data and communication across stakeholders will enhance efficiency and overall cargo velocity at the port, something that is already happening at the Port of Los Angeles, where GE Transportation says visibility into incoming cargo has been increased from just two days to two weeks.
   At the Port of LA, which began its pilot with GE Transportation at the port’s flagship APMT Pier 400 terminal last summer, the solution will be entering full production mode across all terminals in the next six to eight weeks, Jennifer Schopfer, vice president of transport logistics for GE Transportation digital solutions, told attendees at the Journal of Commerce’s TPM 2018 conference in Long Beach this week.
   “This partnership with GE is providing an important trial for us as cargo and competition grow,” Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach, said of the pilot project. “We need new and innovative ways to ensure our customers can move their containers from water to land quickly, reliably and at a cost that makes sense for their business.”
   “The pilot brings tremendous opportunity for the San Pedro Bay ports customers and supply chain partners,” said Laurie Tolson, chief digital officer for GE Transportation. “With container volumes on the rise, the world’s ports are moving more cargo than ever, making the need for operations optimization even more critical. A uniform, common user portal, like our Port Optimizer solution, will enable stakeholders to make scheduling, planning and payment decisions prior to cargo arrival, as well as reduce delays during each handoff between nodes in the supply chain.”
   “Boosting the efficient movement of cargo through San Pedro Bay, the nation’s premier trade gateway, is key to accommodating future anticipated cargo growth,” added Long Beach Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. “It was important to us to ensure this pilot involved multiple container terminals, so we can collect the best data to develop this important tool. This is an intriguing technology and we’re interested to see if it can improve our operations.”