Article • 16.06.2022
Special IMP
Managing imports successfully
The flow of goods imported by ocean vessels has currently slowed down significantly. This can’t really be influenced by the market participants. However, those involved in the transport chain can make one fine-tuning adjustment. In Hamburg, the Import Management Platform (IMP) allows a digital turbo switch to be activated, long before the ship reaches the port.
In this feature on the TV program Hamburg Journal, DAKOSY team members Franz Schwanke and Malte Kantak explain in just three minutes, "How IMP can help smooth import clearance through the Port of Hamburg despite times of supply chain disruptions." In essence, it comes down to this: everyone needs data from the other parties involved in the transport chain. DAKOSY brings this data together on the IMP platform, makes it available in a manner relevant to the specific users, and even partially triggers customs or logistics processes upon receipt of information.
More information about the automated import processes in the Hanseatic city can be found in a recently published article in the HHLA magazine: https://hhla.de/en/magazine/turbo-accelerator-for-port-handling
6 advantages
How container transport can be made more reliable and also faster with the assistance of IMP
By sending customs declarations well in advance, customs can already pre-screen them while the containers are still at sea. So you can take care of part of the customs work ahead of time and clear the way for automated customs release, which can be triggered later via DAKOSY's ZODIAK software. This saves a lot of time when the goods actually reach the port.
At the HHLA terminal, for example, the duration of stay at the terminal is roughly four days. If the processes are optimally coordinated digitally, the container can be reloaded at the port within a day. But if you only deal with customs processes and onward transport after unloading is finished, you have to factor in an additional two to three days, or longer still.
All parties involved in the import process contribute collectively to the IMP collaborative system, in the form of data: carriers, authorities, forwarders, terminal operators and other port stakeholders. As a data return, more than 100 status information messages related to the container involved can be received.
"911" represents proactive planning. The "911" status is highly sought-after status information. It continuously updates the terminals connected to IMP, forwarders, hinterland transporters and consignees of the status of a container in advance of a delayed ship arrival. All parties involved benefit. They can intervene at an early stage, for instance by planning precisely and accelerating the logistics chain from the port, or by adjusting the production process or the sales campaign.
If information about subsequent loading is available in advance - i.e., when the container is able to be transported onward and by which means of transport - the terminal operators can use this information to calculate the optimal terminal location. This creates the ideal conditions for the container to be transported to the consignee as quickly as possible.
Containers that have been unloaded and automatically cleared can be picked up by the trucker directly, even outside normal working hours. For example, containers at Hellmann are transferred to the warehouse during the night and are then ready for pick-up at the start of the next shift - a time savings of an entire half day.
New: the digital release
Starting immediately, freight forwarders can have their containers released digitally. And not only in the seaport of Hamburg, but also in Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven. The releases can be accessed via the information platform "German Ports", a joint project by DAKOSY and dbh.
The two specialists for port community systems have jointly developed the standardized German solution. By working together, they ensure that container and ship information is available for all major German seaports.
Forwarders can input and send their requests via an EDI interface as well as via the German Ports site.
The long-term aim is to ensure additional security through the integration of block chain technology.
Each request must contain the B/L number, the container number and the carrier. Via the German Ports platform, the requests are securely transmitted to the carriers and validated. As soon as the carrier has granted the release, this is electronically relayed to the forwarder via the platform. In addition to the release information, the carrier also receives a status overview of its requests as well as the corresponding return depot and turn-in reference.
FYI: the release is of tremendous importance in the import process. It entitles the holder to collect the goods from the container terminal and is particularly sensitive, as the container often contains extremely valuable goods. Whoever is in possession of the release reference, metaphorically speaking, holds the goods in their hands.
All this and more: container and vessel arrivals
German Ports also makes it easy for those involved in the transport chain to keep track of everything. The platform provides information on vessels and containers with destinations in Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven. The search for a particular container in all connected port systems is carried out in a matter of seconds. This eliminates the need for time-consuming switching between different portals according to the port of transshipment.
More information at www.germanports.com/en/
