The 5 Most Common Reasons Why Terminal Operators Upgrade Their TOS

Upgrading a legacy terminal operating system (TOS), or switching to a different software provider, isn’t a decision that’s made lightly. The costs involved, both financial and operational can be significant. However, it is often a necessary step for a terminal struggling with a TOS that they’ve outgrown.

Not only can these older systems cause serious problems, as we’ll see, but they’re also frequently ill-equipped to handle some of the modern challenges faced by the industry like automation initiatives, alliance consolidations, and today’s ultra-large container vessels that stress the limits of terminals’ productivity and yard utilization.

Upgrading a TOS is challenging, but can revolutionize an entire operation for the better if done properly. Here are five of the most common reasons why terminal operators make the move.

They Need the Ability to Handle Increasing Container Volumes and to Enhance Productivity

Terminal operations grow over time. Not only may they serve an increasing number of customers, but the customers themselves tend to grow as well. This is, of course, a very good thing.

However, a terminal’s footprint often can’t grow in lockstep with the increased demand. Instead, gains in productivity and operational efficiency must be found in order to handle the increasing terminal loads.

Aging TOS solutions frequently aren’t robust enough or sufficiently connected to the depth of terminal operations to handle the surges in volume found in busy marine or intermodal terminals. Most modern terminal operating systems, on the other hand, are flexible and efficient enough to handle heavy transaction levels while maintaining peak performance in constrained footprints.

They Need to Replace Manual Processes and Begin Modernizing Their Technology

A significantly outdated TOS may have been cutting edge when it was designed but it likely hasn’t evolved to accommodate the increasing complexity of modern terminal operations.

As a result, the older a TOS grows, the less relevant it becomes. Terminal operators find themselves needing to manually work around the system to make up for the growing inadequacies.

These band-aid fixes keep operations flowing, but almost always cause problems, as they can’t be tracked properly along with other terminal functions routed through the TOS. The longer this system is allowed to exist, the more harmful it can become to the health of the terminal.

Switching to a comprehensive, modern system brings rogue manual processes back under the control of the TOS, where the entirety of a terminal’s operations can be properly monitored, measured, and managed.

They Need Greater Functionality to Support Their Operations and/or Require Third-Party Integrations

Each terminal operation has its own peculiarities. Be it a result of local operating practices, regulatory considerations, business strategy, or unique customer requirements, terminals frequently have specific needs for their TOS that may only be shared by a small segment of the larger industry.

If the legacy TOS is not adaptable and configurable enough to support the terminal’s particular needs, often third-party software vendors are called upon to provide custom solutions for these niche needs; however, in order for terminal operators to take advantage of them, they need a TOS that supports integration with external software solutions.

Legacy systems are frequently locked down, or they don’t include the APIs needed to communicate seamlessly with third-party applications. In-house developed TOSs might have the ability to add the needed functionality, but the work can involve significant customization and costs. The better solution is to upgrade an existing commercial TOS or switch to an entirely new system that provides greater flexibility and supports integrations with third-party applications.

Download our Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT) Case Study to explore how Tideworks implemented Insight at MIT to increase productivity and minimize downtime.

Their Legacy Systems Are Too Costly to Support or Are No Longer Supported at All

Terminals that hold onto legacy systems well past their prime often find themselves stuck with a TOS that’s no longer supported by the company that built it. This most frequently occurs when the provider creates a newer, modern replacement that deprecates their previous system, or because the system provider goes out of business.

Commercial TOS solutions that are no longer supported by their provider can be very costly, if not impossible, to maintain. The terminal operator very often does not own a license to the TOS’s source code and therefore cannot make any needed changes to the software as their operations evolve. Even if the terminal operator has access to source code, costly specialists are required to make software fixes and modifications.

Unsupported commercial solutions aren’t alone in this regard. In-house systems are unique, as they are typically designed by the terminal’s IT team for use at a specific terminal. That poses risks for the terminal, as only a small group of people may understand the system’s design and possess the skills and knowledge to update or modify it. If these original software designers leave the company, the system they’ve created can quickly become a relic.

They Need Robust Data Access, Visualizations, and the Ability to Share That Data with Business Partners and Customers

Business intelligence, or BI, is becoming increasingly important to businesses in every sector, and terminals are no exception. Business intelligence involves gathering a massive dataset from across an organization in order to understand the hidden mechanics that are influencing efficiency and profitability.

Terminal operators may find labor issues they didn’t realize they had or opportunities to more effectively manage their yard. BI removes operational guesswork and provides a system for powerful, data-driven decisions.

However, in order to take advantage of the power of BI, terminal operators need a modern TOS like Tideworks Mainsail 10 and its data platform Tideworks Insight. Legacy systems aren’t designed for data strategies and getting access to critical data spread across various applications.

The massive gains in productivity and profitability that can be had by building a robust data strategy within a modern TOS are some of the best reasons for terminal operators to upgrade their aging systems.

Download our Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT) Case Study to explore how Tideworks implemented Insight at MIT to dramatically improve data accuracy and eliminate needless redundancy in reporting. 

Tideworks Technology Solve These Problems and More

If you’re contemplating an upgrade, you should give Mainsail 10, our best-in-class marine TOS, and Tideworks Insight, our robust data platform serious consideration.

Mainsail 10 is built to handle high transactional volumes, surging demand, and unpredictable fluctuations flawlessly. The software is deeply embedded in your operation, allowing optimal terminal performance under even the most difficult situations.

The Tideworks TOS supports third-party integrations and open APIs that allow terminals to build their own custom software ecosystem. There isn’t a lot the Tideworks TOS can’t do, but if you have a specific need, our technology makes it easy for you to add it.

The Tideworks Insight data platform can also integrate third-party data sets, such as equipment telematics and human resources, and easily connects to self-service data visualization tools such as Tableau. You can create powerful, custom data strategies directly within Tideworks Insight, and then visualize the data you collect for powerful insights into your terminal operations.

Making the decision to upgrade your legacy TOS is a difficult one. But the power and flexibility found in Tideworks’ TOS, including Mainsail 10 and Tideworks Insight, are strong motivations to make the switch.