DMICDC’s Logistics Data Bank Crosses 5,00,000 Mark

NEW DELHI:
The EXIM container tracking, which commenced from July 1 this year in the western corridor of India through the use of RFID technology, has covered 5,32,000 container movements under DMICDC’s Logistics Data Bank (LDB) project over the 1,500-km stretch covering 20 locations across ports, ICDs/ CFSs and toll plazas.
Starting from Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Mumbai to Inland Container Depot at Dadri in Delhi NCR, the RFID technology provides near real time tracking information, and it is available on an online portal – www.ldb.co.in.
The portal is also providing a single window interface to check the location of the container with complete trace-back information on intermediate points crossed and time taken. Since it is a web-based interface, it enables search from any location providing convenience to users.
This would not only bring the visibility of the container movement but will also bring in a lot of efficiency in the logistics supply chain management. This will make significant contributions to shortening shipping lead times, reducing inventory levels and improving the accuracy of production plans.
DMICDC and Japanese IT major NEC Corporation have formed a joint venture -‘DMICDC Logistics Data Services Limited’ with 50:50 equity participation to establish the Logistics Data Bank (LDB) service that will handle the tracking and viewing of container movement across all ports to the Inland Container Depots (ICDs) and end-users.
Alkesh Sharma, CEO & MD, DMICDC, said the project would be an overarching solution that will integrate the information available with various agencies across the supply chain to provide detailed real time information within a single window.
“Because of predictability and optimization, LDB will help in reduction of the lead-time and transaction cost,” he added.
Sharma informed that the LDB portal has already helped more than 3,000 users in tracking their containers and also received more than 200 calls from users for tracing whereabouts of their containers. Many users of the system have already expressed their satisfaction with the prompt response and convenience that it offers to them in managing their supply chain.
“It was a much-needed system in the logistics sector as in India when a common man can track a courier through a single unified system then, a container which carries goods worth millions must be tracked so that one can do the planning much in advance. This would help the Logistics Container Operators in better workforce planning, space planning and empty container management,” said R. R. Joshi, President, National Association of Container Freight Stations (NACFS).
Alok Mishra, Head Operations – NSICT terminal at JNPT, informed that the web-based interface provided by LDB to enable search from any location is providing convenience in managing the gate/ rail operations at the terminal.
Such a service would help in streamlining the logistic operations and bring in much required efficiencies across the terminal operations,” he added.
In the coming days, the project would generate large volumes of data which will enable DLDSL to introduce many new features through its value added services like providing alerts and comparative metric-based analysis to enable users to choose the optimal supply chain, which will help in more efficient planning and streamlining logistical operations.
With the recent ranking of World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index 2016 in which India has jumped 19 places to the 35th rank, DMICDC’s Logistics Data Bank project is another step in further improving the logistics supply chain in the country. Logistics Data Bank intends to bring a drastic change in the way container movement is tracked and its visibility across the supply chain.