The Tribune

The Arawak Port Development Company (APD) is “leading the way” with new technology after it became the first port in the Caribbean to implement industry-leading software for marine terminals.

Navis, which is considered the Microsoft of the marine industry, combines best practices with innovative technology and world-class services to enable port operators worldwide to maximise performance with reduced risk.

APD’s new technology will go live on November 18. Patrick Bukowski, Navis’ director for professional services for North America, recently paid a courtesy call on APD’s executive team.

“First thing I want to say is that I am a big fan of APD, in part because you guys are the first to implement Navis in the Caribbean and that is very exciting,” said Mr. Bukowski.

“You have been our longest term customer in this area. Navis has now been implemented in over 100 terminals around the world. We really are the leading software for marine terminals, and we have terminals that are many times bigger and many times more complex, which really places you guys in the position to be able to take advantage of that - not just the software, but the ability to bring in new technology to improve the efficiency and the return on investment of your operation.”

Mike Maura, APD’s chief executive and president, said the new technology is crucial to driving further development and competitiveness for the port, which a powerful consortium of Florida shipping companies recently named ‘number one’ in productivity out of 24 ports in the Caribbean.

“In our two years of operation, Nassau Container Port has already made significant gains in operational standards and performance that have won us international recognition,” Mr Maura said.

“The Navis N4 with XPS upgrade puts NCP technology and standards in league with the biggest ports in the world that handle millions of units of cargo annually.

“The Navis system is all about coordination of port activities to support safety, efficiency and accountability. These are essential for optimising productivity and overall profitability for the benefit of our shareholders.”

Mr Maura said the Navis Argo system that NCP has used since it began operations allowed it to coordinate all movement of cargo from the ship to loading on to the trucks that deliver to importers.

“Now, with Navis XPS, we are creating a network that allows for interface electronically with shipping companies, incoming ships, our dockside and yard operations, gate controls, official services such as Customs, and communication with truckers and other port users and our customer,” said Mr Maura.

“The system incorporates a full range of customer services, including payment and account monitoring, and our own internal accounting and forecasting systems. A big plus is that the system gives visibility to all the primary stakeholders. This will provide Customs with a great advantage in its key role of collecting and protecting government revenues.”

He added: “As Arawak Port Development expands within the Bahamas, the Bahamas Customs Investigations Department can have real-time views of the container movements within a port in the Family Islands.

“At a time when effective Public Treasury revenue collection is paramount and the level of crime is unprecedented, the introduction of sophisticated port technology in the Family Islands is warranted. We are also fortunate to have a superb team of Bahamians trained with specialised maritime industry skills to make best use of the technology.”

NCP’s chief financial officer, Dion Bethell, stressed that keeping the port growing in productivity and containing costs are essential to national well-being.

“When you consider that 90-95 per cent of imports to New Providence, including food items and equipment, move through NCP, you can appreciate that our operations are vital to the livelihood of the majority of Bahamians,” Mr Bethell said.

“We have a responsibility to all port users, port tenants, our staff and customers and, by extension, to all Bahamian consumers. The reason we invest so much in upgrades, such as XPS and in ongoing and first-rate staff training, is to manage costs in order to keep tariffs at a reasonable level and thereby contribute to containing customer costs.”

Meantime, Mr Bukowski said his company is implementing more modules in the software to reduce the truck turn times so they spend less time in the terminal.

“So, one of the fantastic things about Navis and its software is it is built to be configured and add on, whether it is more services here locally or additional new ports as they come online. It is very easy to bring those ports into the Navis system and be up and running in a matter of weeks rather than the months it might take with another type of system,” he said.