Terminal operators bemoan data quality, timeliness

   Executives at two of the top terminal operating companies in the world said this week that data is a problem that plagues their ability to make operations more efficient.
   “I think, generally, data we have to work with is way too poor,” Steen Knudsen, regional chief operating officer, Asia Pacific, for APM Terminals, said at the TPM Asia conference in Shenzhen Wednesday. “To me, more time is used cleaning up data then actually offering the parties the opportunity to optimize the network based on this data. Airlines and airports work on far shorter timelines than we do, but seem to get the data to the right people at the right time.”
   Meanwhile, Gerry Yim, managing director of Hongkong International Terminals (HIT), said the system lacks standardization, creating an extra layer of complexity. HIT is a subsidiary of Hutchison Port Holdings, one of the largest terminal operators globally.
   “The problem with data is there’s no international agreed standard,” Yim said. “Every line has its own system, and every port operator has its own system. Information from MSC will come in different than from Maersk. We receive at least 1,000 emails a day about changes — all need to be handled by customer service every day. And then you calculate all the mistakes that could be made along the line.
   “In Hong Kong and South China, there’s another problem. We have hundreds of barges coming up and down from Hong Kong every day. When we take a box off the vessels, it is sent by barge. We’d like to have information two days before arrival, so we can plan where to stack boxes, but we don’t get that. We typically get that information when the vessel arrives or sometimes not at all. I believe we can address these issues.”