In a significant move to enhance operational efficiency and the efficiency of port operations, the International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA) and the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) proceeded. As announced by the administration of the Port of Rotterdam via a relevant post on LinkedIn, the two organizations jointly presented the “Port Call Optimisation Guide”.
Today, port call data often remains fragmented across multiple sources, drastically reducing the predictability of schedules. To bridge this gap, the new guide introduces a common operational framework, asking ports to provide a standardized, minimum set of data.
In practice, this translates into the creation of a single digital reference point. Instead of shipping companies, agents, and vessels searching for information in different systems, critical operational data becomes simultaneously and equally accessible to all ships subject to SOLAS, as well as to the involved stakeholders of the supply chain. In this way, ship-to-shore interoperability is ensured and digital “walls” of asymmetric information are eliminated.
This specific database includes critical parameters for traffic management, such as the clear identification of terminal stations and berthing positions, as well as reliable schedules, such as the estimated time of arrival and the exact time of departure.
As the Port of Rotterdam emphasizes, the implementation of this standardized model improves strategic planning and is expected to ensure safer operations, minimizing waiting times and pollutant emissions, paving the way for a fully data-driven industry.
