The port data platform NxtPort has teamed up with the Antwerp breakbulk community to develop a new app. Called Bulkchain, it simplifies administration and makes the supply chain simpler, faster and more efficient.
The breakbulk community itself took the initiative to approach NxtPort, as the administrative processes in the sector are labour-intensive and time-consuming. Furthermore, the various players in the breakbulk supply chain are less advanced than the container sector when it comes to sharing data. The breakbulk community wanted to catch up and further digitise its operations.
In co-creation with the sector, NxtPort developed an application tailored to its requirements: Bulkchain. The app creates a single file for each consignment, linked to all import and export partners. Each link in the supply chain passes data to the next link, with NxtPort functioning as a central hub. The various players can easily integrate the app into their own IT systems, and Customs data are also linked automatically to the breakbulk platform.
Faster, more efficient processes
“Bulkchain will make the administrative processes in the breakbulk sector faster and more efficient,” says Mr Steven Schutter, breakbulk project manager at NxtPort. “We’ve done away with the constant copying and pasting back and forth.”
Bulkchain was officially launched at the recent AntwerpXL breakbulk trade fair. The first two modules are now active: “Terminal delivery order” and “Terminal delivery confirmation”. Other modules will go online in the next few months. NxtPort and the breakbulk community also have international ambitions for Bulkchain, said a release.
