Supply Chains Optimized by New Tech Advances at Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles will begin distributing and publishing key dashboard data from Wabtec’s Port Optimizer™so that all supply chain stakeholders have easy access and can use the forward-looking information to better plan and prepare for inbound cargo.

“We’re giving all of our partners — railroads, chassis providers, truckers, warehouse operators and others in the supply chain — a three-week look at cargo coming into Los Angeles,” said Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. “This planning tool will help make our partners more nimble and efficient, especially during volume surges like we are currently experiencing. This is the forward visibility our stakeholders have requested and we are proud to deliver it.”

“The Port of Los Angeles Signal” is a service of the Port of Los Angeles and powered by the Port Optimizer. It includes a dashboard view of how many shipments will be arriving in Los Angeles over the next three weeks. The data is broken down by container type and includes details on the mode of transportation, whether rail or truck, once it arrives in Los Angeles.

“The Signal” will be updated weekly on the Port’s website, portoflosangeles.org, shared on the @PortofLA Twitter account and Port of Los Angeles LinkedIn page. It will also be emailed directly to stakeholders.

No proprietary information will be shared.

Stakeholders looking for more detailed data can also utilize the Port Optimizer import data page, http://volumes.portoptimizer.com, which is updated every weekday. The Port Optimizer can be found at here.

“We want stakeholders to have every advantage possible to better utilize their assets and plan for labor,” said Kareen Gray, Vice President Sales, Transport Logistics, for Wabtec. “This data can help facilitate better cargo tracking, projections and productivity.”

“We applaud the Port of Los Angeles for their continued efforts to bring visibility and transparency to the supply-chain,” says Weston LaBar, CEO of the Harbor Trucking Association (HTA). “The HTA has been a vocal advocate for using data as an advanced planning and forecasting tool. These efforts will help further that cause by providing advanced notification and visibility through the Port Optimizer, which will help facilitate much needed efficiencies we all desire.”

As reported in SCMR, this was Launched in 2017 by the Port of Los Angles and GE Transportation, a Wabtec company, Port Optimizer is a cloud-based solution that enables ports and the supply chain to operate more efficiently. Nine of the Port of L.A.’s top 10 carriers are feeding data into the Optimizer.

Meanwhile, the port remains open with all terminals operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $276 billion in trade during 2019. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.

Finally, it should be noted that Seroka will again be among the keynote speakers featured in 2020 USC Marshall Global Supply Chain Excellence Summit when it convenes for its eighth annual iteration October 13-14.

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