An investment in software puts Northern Stevedoring Services (NSS) in the position where managers and staff are better placed to handle the challenges of a rapidly expanding business.
NSS has implemented a new FreightTracker system which crunches the data, facilitates communication, manages drivers, containers and pallets and co-ordinates logistics, among others, in real time.
Main image: FreightTracker software allows NSS to analyse the performance of operations much more quickly and with greater precision.
The year’s performance by the numbers has NSS in good shape, with a number of new projects secured in recent months including the haulage of molasses from Herbert River mills to the Port of Townsville.
NSS is also handling more and more breakbulk cargo such as import steel for transport to northern suppliers.
One of NSS’s major customer, Glencore is also stepping it up, importing additional copper concentrate to maintain supply to the Mount Isa Smelter as well as importing anode for processing at Copper Refineries Limited (CRL) in Townsville. NSS also now handles the transfer to copper cathode from CRL to the port.
FreightTracker has given the business greater capability to efficiently handle a volume of transactions associated with NSS’s growing business, Finance Manager Darren Locke said.
“It’s also giving us digital data for real time monitoring and easier analysis. This allows NSS to analyse the financial performance of jobs much quicker and with greater precision.
“Similarly on the process side, when you have a large volume of work coming in, you need to be able to monitor the status of each job at any stage.
“If you don’t have the right processes, your productivity and efficiency suffer, and customer service and profitability are negatively impacted. The new system is an important tool in helping NSS to better manage its workload, especial during periods of high activity.”
NSS has also invested in its fleet and personnel to manage the new business Mr Locke said.
“The first year of any new system is always a learning curve but overall, I believe the business responded well. As you’d expect, we identified a few areas for improvement, which has been our focus, and this year we expect even better performance.”
“We have invested in training, not only for office staff but also our operators who can now complete their administration tasks electronically, replacing their paper clipboard with electronic tablets.”
“Operationally we’ve refreshed the fleet with five new leased prime movers and retained four of our ex-lease vehicles to cater for the additional volume. The retained prime movers are only at midlife life, so there’s still a lot of life in them.”
“All that flows through to the service for the customer by keeping our pricing sharp and being a reliable and efficient service provider.”