Improving Port Supply Chains

In September, it was reported that about one-third of shipping containers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach sat off-shore for more

Dana Tate
December 3, 2021
Improving Port Supply Chains

In September, it was reported that about one-third of shipping containers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach sat off-shore for more than five days.

Although relief is on the way, due to the recent announcement that both the Los Angeles and Long Beach, California ports are now open to work around the clock, there are still critical snags in the supply chain that need to be addressed. As ports are filledtocapacity and more overseas containers reach land, current technology serves only as a band-aid for the supply chain crisis, not a cure. 

Many port processes are obsolete when compared to the digital transformation we are witnessing in other industries. Current processes are inefficient and getting the ships unloaded at the ports to then distribute to available truckers tocontinueonland has become particularly difficult. Other difficulties include low IT penetration, multiple screens from different systems, unnecessary numbers of communication channels, difficulty in uncovering information origin errors, heavy use of manual transactions, and wasted truck movements. 

For example, when a ship enters the port, the cargo documentation is usually handled by the shipping agent and sent to the Port Community System (PCS). The PCS enables information distribution among the parties in the network to facilitate container movement throughout the process. However, the process steps are not systemically connected across parties and not all the parties involved are included in the network (insurance companies,banks, truck contracts). This process breakdown sums up the inefficient means of communication, leaving ample room fortechnological improvements.

The BlockSpaces platformprovides a solution to seamlessly interact with other organizations within the ports supply chain. Our workflow automation platform utilizes a library of pre-built integrations to connect everyday business applications withmultiplenetworks to provide data visibility and efficiencies beyond individual, disparate systems,and information silos, making it ideal to distribute information between various parties. We deliver a code-free interface without requiring significant technical expertise making connecting to a blockchain-friendly environment seamless.

Wehave seen in the United States a massive backup due to only two ports being overwhelmed. With 835 active seaports on our planet, the implementation for blockchain technology is imperative to be able to keep up.

If you are in the port supply chain sector and are interested in being a part of the future of blockchain, BlockSpaces is now accepting reservations for our early accessPilot Program. 

Why join ourpilot program?

Clearly, we get a lot of value from the feedback we receive from pilot customers.Butwhat are the big wins for you? 

  • Impact development:Give feedback on features and put your mark on the results.
  • Get a head start:Discover new features and upcoming versions before anyone else and win ample time to plan a successful start.
  • Safe roll-out:Your technical resources gain confidence to roll out the software to all users from thorough testing and issues fixed.
  • Free guidance:Get advice in utilizing the newfeatures andreceive free consultancy and software usage. 

Improved Connect:Benefit from a multitude of improvements resulting from feedback from ALL pilot customers in addition to your own.