Logging in the logs

Port Nelson says it will be able to keep better track of timber and other loose goods at the port by extending its Jade software system to non-containerised cargo.

Chief commercial officer Parke Pittar says most ports have struggled to create a common information technology system to handle both containers and "break bulk cargo". This is because there can be lots of exceptions to the business rules written into software when dealing with non-containerised traffic.

"We have taken a different approach, thinking of containers as just one type of cargo."

Timber delivered to Port Nelson by Pine Industries is now scanned by hand-held barcode readers mounted in forklifts, and Jade's software directs the driver on where it should be stored. The system will be extended to other non-containerised cargo in the coming months.

The benefits are that Port Nelson will be able to quickly locate items and ensure clients are not storing goods long term in its warehouses at the port's expense.

Christchurch's Jade software recently won a 2 million deal to supply Italian shipping giant Linea Messina with software to manage its terminal in Genoa. Other customers include Port Otago, Wellington's CentrePort and DCT Gdansk in Poland.

- © Fairfax NZ News