Intermodal terminals handle thousands of container movements daily. Manual gate processes, including paperwork verification, driver authentication, and compliance checks, create bottlenecks, increase operational risk, and reduce throughput. To modernize operations without disrupting terminal activity, one logistics company adopted Decisions low-code platform to automate gate workflows, integrate sensor inputs, and enforce compliance rules in real time.
Challenge
Before SGPS, the company faced several operational inefficiencies:
- Trucks queued at gates while clerks manually verified paperwork and container details.
- Manual inspection and compliance checks caused average processing times of 20 minutes or more per truck.
- Disconnected systems, including the Terminal Operating System (ContPark), could not automate decision-making.
- Missing or incomplete documentation caused further delays and compliance risks.
- Staff were overwhelmed with exception handling, slowing throughput and increasing errors.
The company needed a system that could connect with TOS platforms, customs and compliance databases, and IoT devices, while reducing wait times and maintaining security.
Solution
The company implemented Decisions SGPS to automate gate operations:
- Captures container IDs via OCR cameras, RFID, and GPS feeds.
- Calls the TOS (e.g., ContPark) via REST API to validate container details and schedules.
- Checks customs and compliance documentation against external databases automatically.