Le Havre (France)/ Hamburg (Germany), 9/11/2018. The terminal operator CNMP – operating in France’s largest container port – has successfully completed the implementation of its TOS system, TOPS Advance provided by RBS. During the 14 months it took to complete the project, employees have been trained up and an interface to the IT system of the French port authority AP+ has been established. At the same time, CNMP has also updated its IT landscape.
The container terminal CNMP (Compagnie Nouvelle de Manutentions Portuaires) is situated in the port of Le Havre, the largest of its kind in France. Here, as is the case at all terminals, the Container planning and operations process is controlled using a Terminal Operating System (TOS) – which pretty much acts as the “digital heart” of the terminal. CNMP has been using its TOS software for more than 20 years. Due to the fact that its provider was unable to offer a further development of the existing system, CNMP decided to introduce a new type of TOS software and at the same time upgrade the now outdated IT infrastructure of the terminal. By choosing the real-time TOPS Advance system provided by Real-time Business Solutions (RBS) based in Sydney, Australia, alongside local partner RBS EMEA from Hamburg, Germany, the terminal operator managed to find a suitable partner for both parts of the project.
The introduction of the real-time TOPS Advance system was completed within a time frame of around 14 months. During the project, the old TOS system and the processes were analyzed, the operator's requirements and expectations collected in workshops, and the system configured accordingly. The next step involved migrating the data and processes to the new system, putting them through their paces in test mode, and training up key users. Furthermore, an interface to the AP+ Port Community System (PCS), the official system of the French port authority, was established. It took just one day to make the switch and launch TOPS Advance as a live system. Didier Michaux, Terminal Manager at CNMP, explains: “During a board meeting that day, those in charge were asking why the go-live date for TOPS had been pushed back. No congestion of any note in the area, no angry calls from angry customers either. I was able to tell them that the go-live was taking place at precisely that moment. Compared with the usual go-lives of TOS systems, this seamless changeover was truly remarkable.” The switch was completed without any performance problems. At the same time, CNMP now has a completely new IT infrastructure as a turnkey solution with a secure data and process environment.