GE to test Port Optimizer at Long Beach
Written by Railway Age Staff
GE Transportation earlier tested its Port Optimizer solution at the Port of Los Angeles.
GE Transportation and the Port of Long Beach, Calif., are collaborating to improve cargo flow at the busiest port complex in North America.
The port is launching a pilot with GE to increase visibility, enhance real-time decision-making and optimize cargo movement.
Building on the success of its pilot with the neighboring Port of Los Angeles, where the solution is helping to increase visibility of incoming cargo from two days to two weeks, GE will implement the Port Optimizer™ solution at marine terminals including Total Terminals International and Long Beach Container Terminal for a two- to three-month pilot.
“We experienced record volumes in 2017, with an 11% percent increase to 7.54 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), making 2017 our busiest year ever,” said Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach. “This partnership with GE is providing an important trial for us as cargo and competition grow. 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.”
Concerns about container movement between sea, truck and rail have grown as the Southern California ports have been experiencing increasing volumes combined with limited space to expand and a shortage of trucking capacity.
“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,” said 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.”
Port Optimizer™ is cloud-based software that enhances supply chain performance and predictability by delivering real time data-driven insights through a single portal to stakeholders across the supply chain. Integrating data from across the port, combining machine learning and deep domain expertise, it helps the supply chain monitor and respond to dynamic conditions, align people and resources, and proactively communicate across functions – enabling maximum port cargo flow and delivery performance.
