Aug 28 | 2021
Data Analytics as a Service in Multi-phased Implementation
North Carolina Ports has implemented Versiant’s Data Analytics as a Service, or DAaaS, to unify multi-sourced data and promote terminal efficiencies.
The mid-Atlantic port has consolidated information from across multiple business systems into a centralized, cloud-based data architecture. The service provides a “single source of truth that delivers accurate, real-time data that allows the organization to quickly analyze operations and make more informed business decisions that improve operational and cost efficiencies within its terminals, said Versiant Corp., an IT service provider.
North Caroline ports undertook a major IT modernization project that included replacing its terminal operating system and installing a new optical character recognition, or OCR-enabled gate system at its Wilmington and Morehead City port locations. Goals of the port authority were to improve visibility into its business metrics to enable more strategic, data-aligned decisions.
Versiant recommended its DAaaS solution which aggregates data form multiple business systems into a unified, cloud-based data repository “to deliver a more holistic view of terminal operations.”
“DAaaS eliminates the labor-intensive processes that have hindered the maritime industry’s ability to assess and improve operations in the past,” said Ed Reade, president and CEO and founding partner of Versiant Corp. “It provides a single source of truth that North Carolina Ports can leverage to confidently track business metrics and KPIs, identify trends, and ultimately, make decisions based on a complete and accurate picture.”
To tailor the DAaaS solution to North Carolina Port’s unique needs, Versiant worked closely with the organization to gain a deep understanding of its business systems, key data sets, and operational challenges. As part of this discovery process, Versiant assessed and verified the data, applying standard definitions across the organization’s business units and systems to ensure the resulting reports would deliver meaningful, consistent information.
The multi-phased implementation strategy began by integrating North Carolina Ports cargo data, TOS, and billing systems. North Carolina Ports has access to this information from a customized, easy-to-navigate dashboard that provides one-click, on-demand reporting of real-time metrics and KPIs. As Versiant continues to build out the solution, this dashboard will provide access to a growing library of self-service reports that can help the port promote additional terminal efficiencies. DAaaS also allows report data to be downloaded into an Excel spreadsheet for more granular analyses.
The potential of DAaaS is already garnering praise with North Carolina Ports’ Chief Information Officer Bill Corcoran, who said in an email, “Just saw the first dashboard. It will help provide our employees the proper tools to perform their jobs successfully and efficiently.”
Its scalable architecture also allows North Carolina Ports to retain a wealth of historical data without impacting performance. This eliminates the need to purge older data, providing a more comprehensive source of information that can better identify long-term trends and improve predictions and forecasting, Versiant said.
Versiant Provides a video introducing DAaaS on its website.
