International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has updated its online container-tracking system developed in-house for its flagship terminal, Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).
ICTSI, in a statement, said the latest upgrade to version 4.0 further improves on the system’s overall functionality and the user’s experience with Track and Trace.
“The new version of the MICT Track and Trace further enhances the system’s overall functionality and value for both ICTSI and our clients at the MICT. As we have developed this system in-house, we could easily update and improve Track and Trace to become a more robust and dependable system,” ICTSI commercial director Christian Lozano said.
Version 4.0 features a new email notification function that delivers container movement updates straight to a client’s inbox. Users simply enter an email address to indicate where they want to receive the updates. The email notification feature follows the release of the SMS notification system, which came out in version 3.0.
“The Track and Trace system was specifically built to provide clients with visibility, control and automation, allowing them to stay updated on the status of their containers,” Lozano noted.
“The system embodies ICTSI’s initiative to provide clients with transparency, helping them improve their daily work output by giving them access to important information anytime and anywhere,” he added.
With the system, users can search for import- and export-laden containers as well as empty containers within MICT premises. ICTSI noted that registration is not required–clients simply need to input the bill of lading and container number. Data on container movements and storage period are on record and stored in the system for three months.
Moreover, trucks’ time of entry to and exit from MICT are also recorded. When clients enter the plate numbers of their trucks, they can monitor the vehicles’ movements within MICT over the last 30 minutes. ICTSI said it aims to improve this feature to provide real-time tracking by early 2015.
ICTSI uses data gathered by Track and Trace as a business metric to gauge increases and declines in container movement, as well as to assess system efficiency.
“We’ve noticed a significant increase in the number of users, daily search hits, and unique container searches, which points to how the system has improved in terms of value and usability,” Lozano said.
Track and Trace also monitors and records every invalid search attempt by users. ICTSI contacts its clients at the end of each month to ask for feedback regarding these invalid search attempts then uses the feedback mechanism to fine-tune the system and improve its efficiency.
ICTSI said it is working on adding more features to Track and Trace, such as the live chat, which will allow MICT clients to contact the operator’s customer care agents to ensure that inquiries and concerns are attended to in real time.
An application, the MICT Mobile, is also being developed that will enable clients to access Track and Trace using their mobile devices. ICTSI aims to offer full mobile functionality through another mobile feature called Text and Trace, a feature that will allow clients to receive container movement updates via text messaging.
In the pipeline is a client dashboard interface for Track and Trace that will transform data into a visually appealing and easy-to-understand monitoring tool. It will allow clients to see all data and reports on container movements, providing MICT customers with useful information in making business decisions.
Track and Trace was first implemented in February 2012 to complement the MICT iBox, an e-commerce facility designed to provide MICT clients with information on vessel schedules, cargo movements, and statements of accounts, among others. ICTSI said that as it continues to improve Track and Trace, port users can expect better and more transparent terminal operations and handling of containers at the MICT.
Photo courtesy of ICTSI
