Stating that the nautical chain is a complex eco system with an unimaginable number of interconnectivities and dependencies is stating the obvious. Of course, the coordination of processes in this chain brings an equal number of communication - and thus data - flows with it. Because inefficiencies in one place in the chain cause dozens of inefficiencies in other places in the chain, it is of utmost importance to organize communications with care.

That is where NxtPort comes into play. The goal in this business case is to make the nautical chain more stable and reliable. Of course, clear communication at the right time is a good first step. For example, if a transport company is informed about the estimated time of arrival of a ship when there is a delay, the transport company will not schedule a pick-up at a terminal 3 hours early. They will be able to adapt to the new situation. This can in turn create an opportunity to allocate this capacity in another place, and so on. The operational efficiencies that can be achieved are numerous. 

Another way that this business case can make the nautical chain more efficient and stable is by providing accurate measures to evaluate the processes and to make high-level decisions about the way the nautical chain is organized. The more information is known about the journey of goods, the easier it gets to evaluate where there are structural bottlenecks and/or opportunities. If the ETA that is communicated at the start of a consignment turns out to be overly optimistic in 90% of the cases, there probably is a mismatch in the way the journey durations are forecasted, rather than in the way the ship organizes its journey.  To sum up, accurate data leads to accurate analyses.