WASHINGTON: The Port of Los Angeles and GE Transportation announced their partnership on a port information portal pilot, which will enhance supply chain performance by delivering fast, data-driven insights through a single portal to partners across the supply chain, according to a news release.
The project also is considered a critical first step toward enabling next-level collaboration and coordination among the many stakeholders involved in the movement of waterborne cargo containers. “To keep pace with the rapidly changing shipping landscape, operations at our ports must evolve,” Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said in the release. “Digital solutions that enable supply chain partners to receive a ship’s cargo information well in advance of arrival … are a critical key to optimizing U.S. cargo efficiency and trade competitiveness.”
The information portal’s ultimate goal is to improve data flow between cargo owners, shipping lines and other stakeholders so that port and terminal operators have an extended window of time to track inbound cargo. This extended window allows them to more effectively service vessels, optimize cargo movement, and improve the predictability and reliability of the supply chain, according to the news release. “Our partnership with the Port of Los Angeles will unlock the power of big data at one of the largest ports in the world and demonstrate how digital can enhance and improve operations,” said Jamie Miller, president and CEO of GE Transportation. “This initial pilot will generate the insights to build a smarter, more efficient supply chain moving forward.”
Over the past year, the U.S. Department of Commerce has redoubled its efforts to help strengthen the competitiveness of the nation’s ports and supply chain stakeholders by adopting digital solutions, said U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. “The innovative steps being taken in Los Angeles will demonstrate the value of new IT systems to ports and shippers,” she said, “and help catalyze the voluntary implementation of these systems at ports throughout the U.S.”
