Mohd Sidim, delivering a paper on ‘Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Solutions for Hub Ports Today’, was one of the four keynote speakers at the conference, together with Robert Yap, executive vice president for information technology at PSA Corp. and managing director for Portnet; Matt McGee, vice president of marketing, UPS for the Asia Pacific region; and Michael Thomas, group general manager for process and technology at Tranz Rail NZ. Dr Kaizad Heerjee, assistant Chief Executive of Online Development IDA Singapore gave the opening address.

 

In his keynote address, Mohd Sidik began by touching on the dynamics of world container trade where, during the present global downturn, ports are responding by working with their customers on finding new solutions for mutual benefits. In developing economies, Mohd Sidik added that the increasing use of containerisation and the maturing of economies have contributed in part of softening the effect of the downturn.

 

Mohd Sidik said: In Malaysia, the leading ports have experienced excellent growth levels year-on-year over the last few years. This is due to the handling of transshipment cargo which prior to the late 90s was nominal in Malaysia.” This changing demand pattern, Mohd Sidik added, has resulted in shifting liner patterns where larger vessels have emerged, and larger lines have been established through consolidation and alliances. The resultant effect on ports has been increasingly demanding challenges from key customer bases. With larger vessels, productivity demand has also increased where costs were also to be controlled to ensure competitiveness.

 

In preparing for these trends, Mohd Sidik also said: “The changing demands in trade causing larger capacity vessels has had a direct net effect on ports. Over the last few years, requirements for entry as a new hub port have increased.” This, he added, includes a minimum depth of 15 metres accessibility, a quay length per berth of at least 400 metres and necessary equipment to cater to large 8,000 to 10,000 TEU vessels. Productivity demands have also increase to a minimum crane productivity of 30 gross moves per hour with at least a three-crane deployment per main line vessel.

 

In planning the development of PTP, Mohd Sidik said; “PTP is a new port and was definitely fortunate to be able to plan the port, taking into account our key customers’ objectives and future expansion.”

 

This has enabled the port to move on to the next phase of planning for CRM Solutions as an added attraction in securing key customers. Being new, Mohd Sidik said that PTP’s CRM focus was redefine CRM into “Customer Really Matters”. All that is needed, he said, was to center the entire operational and clearance processes taking into account customer needs. PTP’s CRM systems he said enable effective management of customers and are information proactive rather than reactive. Here, PTP seeks to maximize and manage the value of the information date provided to customers. PTP’s Customer Support Systems are in fact centred on this approach via a web-enable browser with accessibility to key local and international players, a user bulleting board, the provision of online support and container tracking, a vessel clearance system and a back office system catering to operational needs. On the local end, with different needs, PTP provides a Free Zone Information Processing System, which links the entire port community into one network with accessibility to key local agencies including Customs and other relevant government agencies. PTP’s Customised and Integrated port IT systems are designed to focus on the enhancement of connectivity and compatibility primarily as a bridging system and control gap between the port and it customers. This seamless process ensures a paperless EDI-based transaction and the expansion of corporate networks to customers and trading partners. Its e-commerce-enabled web browsers facilitate an easy web-based access for cargo advice, tracking and increased internal efficiency.

 

The key factor behind these system, Mohd Sidik added, was “ease of use, low training requirements, easy customization and minimum costs.”

 

In concluding, Mohd Sidik told the audience that: “PTP’s vision is to ensure that high technology simplifies matters hence the phrase, Customer Really Matter and not Customer Relationship Management”.

 

Other speakers during the two-day conferenc eincluded Ng Buck Seng, regional practice manager f extended manufacturing business, Hewlett-Packard Asia Pacific; Johnny Leong, Jayant Bhat, director of Asean regional and operations for National Semiconductor; Mario Pereira, editor in chief, Electronic Business Asia; Fred Bauthier, SVP marketing for Container Applications International (CAI); Wolfgang Bien, senior regional manager, Supply Chain Competency Center; Nancy Felices, regional manager of financial systems integration treasury center for BASF South East Asia Pte Ltd., Michael Gildea director of business development and marketing for UPS Logistics Group; Edward Hernandez, vice president of marketing for Polar Air Cargo; Bjorn Jensen, director of e-commerce for TNT Logistics Asia; Anne Lee, Asia Pacific e-business manager, Schenker AG & Schenker Asia Pacific; David Pierce, manager marketing and business development for Emirates Skycargo; Greg Whittle, vice president of e-commerce Asia for JP Morgan; Brett Whitfield, principal consultant, services group PriceWaterhouseCoopersGlobal; and Jayasangar Ramasamy, executive committee and founding member of The Logistics & Supply Chain Management Society.