Ports : Navigate offers customers an insight into its coverage between Rotterdam and the rest of Europe
Like the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Unifeeder believes in the power of transparent supply chains. That is why recently, the shortsea and feeder shipping company decided to offer insight into its sailing schedules via Navigate. ‘It’s a great opportunity to bring our services to the attention of shippers who are still exploring their options – in real time.’ says Unifeeder.
Unifeeder is one of the leading providers of feeder and short sea shipping services in Europe. To ensure that its services are easier to find for potential new clients, the shipping company has started sharing its sailing schedules via Navigate.
This online application offers a visual overview of all deep sea, short sea, rail and inland shipping routes that run via the port of Rotterdam. A growing number of operators are joining the platform, which was originally developed by the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
The power of transparency
‘We see Navigate as an extra channel for showing the market which options we have on offer,’ says Kristoffer Nørby Sørensen, who has been responsible for the integration process. ‘Navigate makes us easier to find for shippers who are still exploring their options when it comes to the sustainable and environmentally friendly transport of cargo via Rotterdam. The application is both user-friendly and transparent, and we don’t hesitate recommending it to other operators.’
Insight in current sailing schedules
In contrast with rail operators – which often commit to a fixed schedule for a full year – Unifeeder is constantly updating and adapting its sailing schedules. To keep its clients informed of these changes in real time, Unifeeder and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have jointly developed an EDI connection between Unifeeder’s own system and the Navigate platform.
Kristoffer Nørby Sørensen: ‘Thanks to this technological collaboration, the schedules that we share with our market are consistently up to date. A very constructive partnership, which we look forward to continuing – so that in the near future, we can hopefully optimise the exchange of data even further and unlock new functionalities.’
Firmly on the digital map
‘We are very pleased to have Unifeeder on board,’ says Chantal Gouka, Digital Lead at the Port of Rotterdam Authority. ‘In the port of Rotterdam, we are dedicated to increasing the digital transparency of supply chains.
With Navigate, we can offer shippers and freight forwarders a neutral platform for comparing the different connections between Rotterdam and destinations in the hinterland and overseas. This tool allows us to put both the port itself and operators firmly on the digital map.’
