IPCSA Foresight exercise concludes:
‘A melting pot of change management, policy, technology, sustainability, strategic thinking and communication’ as IPCSA members gear up for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
In a rapidly changing, volatile and unpredictable world, Port Community Systems must step up and grasp every opportunity to support their customers, facilitate trade and create new innovative services. This was the key message at an intensive two-day ‘Foresight’ workshop organised by the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA) in Rotterdam.
Delegates from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas discussed a range of future scenarios that could lie ahead for Port Community Systems, Single Windows and the ports and shipping sector they serve. These ranged from the worst case (restricted trade, with limited or no access to data) to the best (globally integrated trade and open data sharing). Potential negative outcomes were considered before delegates turned these on their head and worked towards solutions.
Also on the agenda was the advance of AI – presenting both challenges and opportunities – as well as cyber security risks and the critical need for consistency and quality when it comes to data.
Across the board, the conclusion was clear: Port Community Systems’ unique status, as trusted, neutral platforms, places them in a strong position to bring stability and reliability to international supply chains.
The workshop was hosted by Portbase – one of IPCSA’s six Founding Members – and supported by the Port of Rotterdam, which is also a member of IPCSA. It was facilitated by Will Sambrook of Akenham, using strategic tools such as the GROW model (goals, reality, options, what), the ‘Pre-Mortem’ approach to anticipating threats, and the Reversal Technique.
This was the last of three workshops organised by IPCSA in its Foresight initiative. The first workshop, held in Dubai, explored the dynamics and drivers of change, and where Port Community System operators might be holding back. The second workshop, held in Casablanca, focused on plotting and working out scenarios. In Rotterdam, participants were challenged to think about how Port Community System services could be adapted, improved or introduced in response to new developments and consider how to maximise the roles played by the Port Community System.
Strategies for the future of Port Community Systems were the focus of the opening presentation by Marten van der Velde, Manager Strategy & Portfolio Management at Portbase.
Portbase’s strategy is based on three objectives: digital resilience and continuity, value creation for the community, and agile organisation.
He emphasised the need for Port Community Systems to adapt quickly to uncertainties and to be more agile. “If you have data, you can make use of it in a smart way that suits the needs of the community and adapt to the strange circumstances we are in today, because it will not end tomorrow,” he said – and he also noted that in an uncertain market, part of the puzzle is “sharing data and doing smarter things with data’ – not waiting to see what happens.
However, he warned: “The digital maturity of logistics is still at a lower level, which hinders the deployment and successful adoption of ‘smart’ solutions. We need to be able to speed up and we need to be ready. The community needs resilient logistics – if something goes wrong, we need to have options. To be able to develop solutions for the future, we need to invest now and be ready for that exciting future.”
Javier Gallardo, Chairman of IPCSA and CEO of Portic (Spain), said: “When we were exploring some of the worst case scenarios, we realised that as Port Community Systems we can manage the situation and do a lot of things; it seems that what appears to be the worst scenario can be an opportunity. We have learned from these workshops how to adapt and change a bad scenario into an opportunity.”
Nico De Cauwer, Secretary-General of IPCSA, added: “As Port Community Systems, we tend to make road maps for one or two years. We have learned that it is important to look to the longer term as well. It is also important that we are not just doing this Foresight exercise once as a Port Community System or Single Window – it should be a continuous process, because things can change rapidly. The tools we used in our Foresight workshops can be extremely useful to facilitate that continuous process.”
Uwe Liebschner, IPCSA’s Foresight lead, wrapped up the workshop with encouragement and optimism. “We achieved all our goals together across the three workshops. We may have started the Foresight journey together with some uncertainty about what would happen and what we could get out of it. But the Foresight exercise has been a melting pot of change management, policy, technology, sustainability, strategic thinking and communication. We brought our collective intelligence together, with IPCSA’s tradition of professionalism, communication, friendship and open sharing in evidence from the very beginning.
“IPCSA’s members have decades of experience around data exchange and processes, allied with our neutrality aspect as trusted partners. We must look forward to building on our strengths to offer new services to the market and develop new business opportunities.”
During the two-day meeting, IPCSA members paid tribute to Hans Rook, IPCSA’s Ambassador and former Chairman, and Steve Lamb, General Manager of MCP (Felixstowe) and IPCSA Vice Chairman, who both retire this year.