Oil & Gas Innovation Summer 2020 Digital | Page 13

“Visibility is key.” Nxtport: In contrast to an airplane, an arrival or departure of a vessel is more difficult to predict. Huge costs are involved in delays and waiting times. Supply chains can be disrupted. Visibility is key. But as shipping is a very fragmented world, data from within your own company is not sufficient. You will need data from other stakeholders. Nxtport enables this thanks to a trusted, neutral data backbone. Port Authorities and Belgian customs are sharing data on the platform, which shows confidence and trust. Private companies can benefit from sharing customs data. A vessel arrival can trigger a process in which customs clearance is done digitally. Within seconds a consignment is cleared without retyping. Errorfree! With the overseas activities increasing, the datasets will become enriched. OGI: Could you go into further detail about the NxtPort Data Utility Platform? NxtPort: Trust between the different stakeholders is a must, and technology is an enabler. A robust governance model is in place; only the data provider can decide whom data is being shared. Via our console, the data user requests the data provider to make a digital handshake. After approval, the information starts flowing. The data provider remains in control. In the Qronoport a data engine is predicting events thanks to historical data. One single connection with the platform is sufficient to retrieve data securely. This opens up a world of possibilities for the connected companies. Once you are a subscriber, you can use, within your specific community andaccording to the governance rules set, data from your suppliers, and customers. Each company can have his vault on the platform, choosing the applications needed from the marketplace. OGI: What is an application program interface (API), and what are the ways NxtPort applies these technologies? NxtPort: An API (Application Programmable Interface) is the door to a company’s data and applications. It is a standard way for applications to connect and talk to each other over the internet. Just like human users use websites and apps, machines use API’s. Before API’s companies used EDIFACT or web services to integrate their systems. Most of the time, these integrations were very tightly coupled meaning that integration between X and Y could not be easily reused between X and Z. It also meant that once systems were integrated they could no longer easily evolve independently. API’s solve this by loosely coupling systems so that organizations can evolve their systems at various speeds. At NxtPort, we follow an API-first strategy. OGI: How does the NxtPort console work? NxtPort: The console is the main dashboard of the NxtPort platform and has several functions. Once registered to NxtPort, as a data provider or a data user, companies are able to subscribe to several use cases (API’s) and obtain their keys for secured access to the data platform. Data providers can define which use cases can access their data and data users can request access from one or more data providers. Once a data provider and data user have a “digital handshake” they both can determine and negotiate a data sharing fee from within the platform. Next to these commercial functionalities, the console also gives an overview on data usage, organization information, and user management. Community managers are able to approve memberships and define the roles members can play in the different API’s that are linked to their community. OGI: How can NxtPort open fresh revenue streams for the port community? NxtPort: Nxtport can collect data fees from data users, which are set between the data user and data provider directly via the console. We don’t intervene in this part. In most cases, the operational gains are the primary driver rather than collecting extra revenues. In the end, efficiency gains will lead to a better market position for the users of the platform. This will bring new business opportunities in a world where uncertainty is the new normal. An easy import or export process, including data, money, and physical flows in a digitized supply chain, is available today. OGI: Finally, could you enlighten our readers of a case study where you helped a client with your solutions? NxtPort: Port+ and Nxtport created ‘Qronoport’. Thanks to data sharing between the different partners, we optimize the port call of liquid vessels. Reducing idle time is saving money and increases safety. Waiting time of a ship is reduced once the chain of surveyors, agents, terminal operators, receivers, amongst others. Share their part of the chain. Thanks to Qronoport, the receiver of the goods can receive goods faster and safer with an economic and ecological benefit. OGI: Thank you for your time. • NxtPort contact details: Web: https://www.nxtport.com E-mail: [email protected] Phone: [phone]