Octopi by Navis, a provider of terminal operation solutions, and Streamline, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) logistics and supply chain management company, have partnered to offer small-to mid-sized terminals and shipping companies a new solution for their logistics tracking needs.
The first use of the product of this partnership will be Florida’s Port Manatee, the closest US deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal.
Streamline says the integration will allow terminals running on Octopi’s cloud-based terminal operating system (TOS) to better plan and prepare for accepting incoming cargo loads, tracked and managed through StreamlineERP, and ready them for transport to their destinations.
StreamlineERP helps shippers track and manage shipments worldwide, using logistics GEO mapping support to track cargo from origin to destination.
When the two innovative SaaS developers for underserved small- to mid-sized maritime markets got together last fall to discuss an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) integration for Port Manatee, it seemed a natural fit, according to a statement.
The port, operated by Federal Marine Terminals, had completed a record-breaking year handling cargo in 2019, and needed an upgrade of its software to help it better meet efficiency goals, says Streamline.
With seven berths, 480,500 square feet of warehouse space and 65 acres of open storage to efficiently manage, Octopi’s TOS has the capacity to manage planned growth and the flexibility to interface with a variety of shipping software, such as StreamlineERP’s.
According to Carlos Diaz, commercial director for World Direct Shipping (WDS), a leading carrier at Port Manatee, the integration will be more than welcome. “Once complete, the interface will allow us greater visibility on internal movements of cargo within Port Manatee and throughout the US,” he said. “We’ll be able to monitor cargo in and out and it will give terminal operators the ability to plan and organise berths in advance.”
The experience and expertise of both companies in shipping logistics was critical to the integration development, according to Chris Matthews, Streamline ERP president. “The result will be a seamless integration and transparency of shipping manifests for ocean carriers in and out of port, with real-time notification and tracking of cargo all along the supply chain,” he commented.
