Shippers industry gives Navis the thumbs-up

After a somewhat troubled history, the Navis port management system in Durban appears to have stabilised. This after a monumental crash in May this year that led to Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) having to institute an emergency plan, calling on all sorts of experts from Navis to try to resolve the problem. The fault was finally overcome, and Navis was declared to be up and running again in June. The general consensus is that the repair job was effective. And, although there are occasional hiccups, they are no more than to be expected from any such complex software system. As shipping line executive, Clint Carmichael, put it: “No information technology (IT) system is perfect and Navis is no exception. But it does appear to have stabilised with fewer ‘glitches’.” Iain McIntosh, regional sales manager of MOL, was even more content. “ I can only say no issues from our perspective,” he said. Similar support came from Craig Maulson, Maersk Line southern Africa cluster operations manager. “From an operational perspective,” he told FTW, “Navis is working and has improved the f low of information since it was introduced.” So the loud complaints to FTW from port users about the delays in container movement they have been experiencing would now seem to be a thing of the past – and the Navis system is now declared to be well and truly back to par. INSERT No information technology system is perfect and Navis is no exception.