PSA
PSA is the largest container handler at the Port of Antwerp. For further expansion, the company wanted to create a mobile solution for container handling.
- Company
PSA - Challenge
Challenge: It is crucial for truck drivers to arrive at the correct location at the right time to transport containers. A wrong location can easily lead to an hour of detour, resulting in additional costs. - Solution
An accessible, centralized system to inform truck drivers in real-time about the whereabouts of a container.
Contribute cases: PSA
PSA is the largest container handler at the Port of Antwerp, operating three container terminals and a multipurpose terminal. With the growing expansion of the port, PSA aims to better serve the drivers and companies that deliver and pick up containers.
It’s critical for a driver to show up at the correct location, as a wrong location results in significant detours, causing additional costs. Planning is subject to factors such as delays, tide conditions, and loading and unloading times. It’s often unclear where a ship will dock until just before it enters the harbor. Last-minute changes in dock locations are not optimally communicated through standard systems.
Additionally, the companies that place orders to ship containers are often different from those picking them up. Truckers may be unavailable, and replacements by other firms or subcontractors are common. Container codes frequently pass through various parties, creating uncertainty about where a container will be loaded or unloaded and who is responsible for transporting it.
PSA partnered with Contribute to create an accessible, centralized system that provides real-time information to truck drivers about the location of containers. Additionally, the authorities seek more insight into container transport to help combat drug trafficking and other illegal shipments.
Concept and solution
To create a user-friendly application, we designed a mobile app that can be downloaded from any app store. The complexity is kept minimal, with no login or password required, and the app consists of just a few screens. The user enters a container number and receives the dock address and a Google Maps route.
The app does not provide access to the gate; it’s purely informational, designed to break down communication barriers between different parties. Meanwhile, the app collects user data: device type, requested container number, location, and more.
The complexity of this solution lies in fetching the correct information. Each terminal has its own database, which is regularly updated with new applications and upgrades, meaning the data structure may vary between databases.
PSA already uses Oracle APEX, but it cannot be used to create a mobile app. Therefore, we needed a technology that could combine mobile app development with the ability to query data from multiple databases and filter the correct information.
Oracle JET (JavaScript Extension Toolkit) was chosen for this purpose. It’s an open-structured toolkit that ensures the application works seamlessly on both desktop and mobile devices. We streamline communication between the databases and the app using Oracle REST APIs, which integrate smoothly with the existing PL/SQL database structure.
While no login or profile creation is necessary, security remains a priority. Requests from the app go directly from the user to the database, and we address this with proper database security and a well-considered approach to user rights.
We capture user data such as download time, request time, device type, and which requests a user made. Additionally, network-level restrictions are set to control the number of requests made through the app.
Result
When a container arrives at the port, its arrival is certain, but knowing exactly when, where, and which trucker will pick up the container is not always clear. To address this, Contribute designed a mobile app. Thirty minutes before pickup, a driver enters the correct details and knows exactly where to go. This results in lower costs through time savings and fewer errors.
The development of this solution was cost-effective. Based on the technologies and infrastructure available at PSA, we developed the app without any additional licensing costs. By using Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS) and Oracle JET, we built the app while optimizing existing knowledge and resources, achieving efficiency gains, and creating new functionalities.
The greatest challenge wasn’t the app development itself, but the collection, hierarchical structuring, and accurate interpretation of data from various sources. The app is designed to remain operational even if the underlying structures change.
For PSA, this was their first experience with mobile apps. An application with just a few screens, but still a real solution to an urgent problem. At the moment, the app’s focus is strongly on the added value for drivers and companies. In the future, this application will also offer opportunities for the government and port police. The app is freely available in the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
Our other cases
Our perspective goes beyond just technology. We are committed to helping you achieve your business goals by providing the best, tailor-made solutions to fit your needs. Do you have a specific question or requirement that falls outside the Oracle portfolio? We’re happy to assist you with that as well!
Oracle and beyond
For years, we have been the experts in building solutions with Oracle tools and platforms.
Contact us