TBA Group Partners with Awake.AI

(Posted on 10/05/24)

TBA Group has partnered with Awake.AI to integrate industry-leading vessel ETA predictions into CommTrac, TBA’s bulk terminal operating system. If you are already using CommTrac, you can now get significant reductions in waiting times, turnaround times and emissions instantly.

Awake.AI is a Finnish optimization platform company whose solutions are focused on developing customized AI/ML models to optimize cargo flow through the ports, reduce waiting times and emissions.

Using machine learning algorithms, Awake.AI’s predictive ETA provides real-time predictions on vessel voyages, enabling port operators and logistics providers to optimise their operations and reduce costs. Predictive ETA’s accurate estimated times of arrivals reduce uncertainty in arrival times, leading to better planning and reduced costs for importers and exporters. Users can trust the estimated time of arrival provided by Predictive ETA, which increases reliability and reduces the need for contingency planning. Additionally, Predictive ETA provides a competitive advantage for terminal operators, allowing for better decision-making and increased efficiency.

Predictive ETA’s global coverage enables automated monitoring and visibility of future arrivals up to several weeks ahead for oceangoing vessels, providing a significant advantage over traditional estimated time of arrival predictions, which are often inaccurate and unreliable. By utilising Predictive ETA, users can achieve concrete savings by reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Additionally, Predictive ETA can help users achieve their ESG metrics by reducing environmental emissions and vessel turnaround times.

CommTrac is used in 36 bulk terminals, in countries including the UK, Canada, South Africa, Brazil and Mozambique, and has revolutionised the operation of bulk ports over it’s 20-year history. The software is used to manage the transport of animal feed, grain, coal, general breakbulk and more, and the system is being constantly refined, developed and improved, often in direct collaboration with its userbase.

Just last month at TBA’s User Group Conference (UGC), delegates were involved in an in-depth roadmap workshop, discussing new features and how they would like to see CommTrac develop. “One of the main reasons for CommTrac’s success is that we have always listened to our users,” said David Trueman, Managing Director of TBA Doncaster. “From the very first release over 20 years ago, we’ve always known that the software could only be the success we wanted if it provided the functionality that our users genuinely needed and functioned in a way that made their operation more efficient.”

Awake.AI’s CEO, Karno Tenovuo, was also a guest speaker at the UGC and demonstrated what the system has to offer and how it works. “The system allows up to 80% more accurate predictions using machine learning models,” explained Tenovuo. “This can lead to up to 27% cost savings for the terminal operator and big benefits to the environment too.”

One of the big advantages CommTrac offers its users is the ability to increase and improve their understanding about their bulk operation. By having all the terminal’s data in a single place, and integrating with all areas of the port, CommTrac can present the right data at the right time. Awake.AI is the latest of many third-party applications that CommTrac has integrated with over the years to further enhance the insights the system can provide.

Awake’s AI-driven Logistics Platform is developed to bring together all maritime actors at sea, ports and land, making port operations more efficient, safe and sustainable. For Terminal Operators they optimise port calls with AI insights, for Port Authorities they maximise the use of their existing port capacity, for Ship Operators they enable Just-in-Time (JIT) arrival and faster turnaround times and for Cargo Owners they bring full transparency to cargo flow in sea-port-land.