AsiaContainersEuropeTech

World’s largest liners launch new container shipping association

A.P. Moller – Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC and Ocean Network Express plan to establish a container shipping association, which they say in a release today is to pave the way for digitalisation, standardisation and interoperability in the container shipping industry.

IT executives from the companies – among the largest liners in the world – are currently discussing the creation of common information technology standards which shall be openly available and free of charge for all stakeholders of the wider container shipping industry.

“It’s in the customers’ and all stakeholders’ best interest, if container shipping companies operate with a common set of information technology standards”, said André Simha, CIO of MSC and spokesperson of the group.

“We are striving for less red tape and better transparency. The timing is right, as emerging technologies create new customer friendly opportunities. Together, we gain traction in delivering technological breakthroughs and services to our customers compared to working in our own closed silos”, he added.

Whilst the shipping industry already has multiple organisations and associations including the World Shipping Council for liners, the members of the group said today they have identified a need for a neutral and non-profit body for ocean carriers that is driven by delivering benefits for the industry and its stakeholders.

“That is why we will also welcome new members with open arms to join the association”, Simha concluded.

The association has no intent of developing or operating any digital platform, but aims to ensure interoperability through standardization. Similarly, the association said it will not discuss any commercial or operational matters.

The as yet unnamed assocation will start in early 2019.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.

Comments

  1. Dear Readers,

    check also www. smdg.org

    SMDG e.V is
    – non for profit association Verein recognized by UN/CEFACT
    – looking at standardization, of process, digitalization and standardisation of digitalisation for the maritime industry
    – operating since 1987 and the digitalisation of bayplan for loading
    – completely re- founded in 2018 after 2 years of research and negotiation to comply with all regulatory requirements,
    – putting shipping a step closer to creating a cohesive IT infrastructure across the industry (carriers, terminals, IT providers, Institutions, logistics providers, shippers, shipowners.
    – having the pledge of 39 stakeholders, 50% of the market (150B turn over) representing carriers, Terminals, IT providers, logistic providers to renew or join their membership and reinforce their engagement to move forward with the necessary standards updates and creations to match actual environment
    -seeking funding for sustainable financial and administrative independence
    -taking over time standards management of other failing carrier associations.

    We are practitioners centered, IT managers, Business process managers, Operations,
    handling standards for:
    – holistic and detailed Business process
    – 5 Billions of EDI messages/ year
    – managing UN/CEFACT operator codes for carriers
    – managing UN/CEFACT location code for terminal operators
    – cargo handling codes
    – establishing new standards in web services, APIs, IoT,
    – opening standards creation through user stories and real physical business cases in FutureLand rotterdam http://www.smdg.org/meetings/next-meeting-73-rotterdam/

    We will have 4 majors events programmed over the next 24 months.

    12-13-14 february 2019 Massvlakte – FutureLand home of – APMT – ECT – RWG – Nile dutch – CGI – DHL, CEVA – Schenker – kühne nagel
    september 2019 Singapore home of ONE- APL – Xpress – PIL
    february 2020 geneva home of MSC, UN/CEFACT – CEVA – Kuhne and Nagel – ….

    along with many subgroups meetings on Process management along the full maritime supply chain, UNC/CEFACT EDi, web services, blockchain, Loc codes, compay It codes, voyage unified codes, port call number unified call, man machine interactions…

    Check website http://www.smdg.org/workgroups/

    We are preparing Next meeting in NLMSV link above

    with a particular attention to IFTMBF, IFTSAI, web services, Internet Of Things, and Blockchain, looking at operational and financial process of container trip plan (haulage, weighting, delivery, terminal, terminal service, loading, carrier services, transshipment terminal services, VSA services with partner carrier, discharging, delivering, unstaffing, redelivery of the box to depot, work, redelivery to client, … as well as for the carrier (bunker cost – chartering cost- VSA cost management – handling cost – It cost – canal due cost – port due cost – stevedoer cost – container maintenance cost) matching human machine interaction, data follow and process, and business objectives on the physical, operational and financial, control, digital flow whether UN/CEFACT EDI or other M2M data structure and transfer methods.

    Example Business cases open to everyone:

    A 40 ft booked by a shipper through (K&N or Ceva for example ) to (CMA CGM for example) in china, client road haulage, terminal (cosco CNYGN,) on (cosco vessel, transship in SGSIN PSA to (CMA CGM mother), transshipped, to NLMSV in (RWG) to a Unifeeder for balic, COD from kotka to helsinki, terminal handling cost helsinki and Kotka, road haulage delivery, box to depot…

    How many ledgers for one transportation ledger services…

    how many platforms – TOC – booking – operational – financial – systems – modews of exchanges and control, business process and objectives review and streamlining

    secreteriat@smdg.org to become member, to join our next meetings or should you have any questions

Back to top button