June 2024
There is a fair amount of excitement from container terminals about how AI tools can help TOS modules better organize a container yard to make the process of exchanging containers between different transport modes through a large storage yard much more efficient.
Adding further excitement is the fact that investment in AI is not slowing down. Companies including SAP, Fujitsu and Envision are all promoting AI tools for container terminals. “Peerless at analyzing huge amounts of data, AI is aptly suited to help port terminal managers plan and orchestrate in real-time the many changeable variables involved in container management,” declared a recent article in Forbes.
In an interview with WorldCargo News Chad Van Derrick, vice president of software product management at Tideworks Technology, said its container terminal customers are understably excited about the potential of AI.
Van Derrick sounds a caution, however, over expectations that AI will, by itself, be able to unlock a new level of efficiency in container terminal operations through data insights alone. The reality, he stressed, is that AI is very powerful but terminals need to position themselves to take advantage of the new tools.