Terminal Pacífico Sur (TPS) incorporated powerful tablets to improve its processes
It is one of the most important ports in Latin America, through which nearly 9 million tons of cargo are moved annually: to improve its productivity, efficiency and agility, TPS incorporated state-of-the-art technology that allowed for a significant evolution in labor effectiveness and safety.
Terminal Pacífico Sur (TPS), one of the main container ports in Chile and one of the most efficient in Latin America, began the year with a major technological modernization: with the aim of optimizing daily cargo operations, it was decided to include new tablets to streamline the terminal's loading and unloading movements.
With an annual throughput of close to 9 million tons of cargo, representing 32% of transfers in the region, TPS is a port terminal with a large simultaneous flow of activities.
Therefore, it recognizes the importance of technology to promote continuous movement between all tasks and operators, and the relevance of caring for the well-being and safety of its personnel by providing them with the necessary technology to make their workdays easier and more productive.
Thanks to its expertise in state-of-the-art technology for climatic conditions and requirements, Tempel Group was chosen to develop this project. "Our F110 and T800 tablets were the solutions chosen for this project due to their interconnection capacity with the different systems used by TPS. These are implemented in the tractor-trailers and cranes that operate in the terminal, in order to provide precise and updated instructions and locations in real time to the operators in charge of the loading and unloading flow. In addition, the rugged nature of these tablets and their highly resistant condition to weather conditions or the daily demands of the job, ensure superior performance that has left behind the persistent failures of other types of equipment," explained Teddy Wang, Getac's Sales Manager for Latin America.
For this project, Getac equipment was combined with Navis software, which generated a powerful technological solution capable of facilitating the digitization of processes while increasing worker productivity. "Each operator today performs, on average, about 35 assigned tasks.
The implementation of Getac devices has allowed us to identify a significant reduction in waiting times in terms of starting operations compared to previous devices, all with a good acceptance even among those less familiar with the technology," said Laura Chiuminatto, Assistant Manager of Sustainability at TPS.
The solution implemented by TPS quickly shows truck or crane operators the specific tasks to be performed: it indicates the vessel and the corresponding door for an unloading. When they arrive at the inspection area, they already know the weight, container number, time and exact location. Perhaps their next task is a shipment and the instruction is to look for a container in an exact location to take it to the vessel and gantry indicated on the device. The system takes care of automatic, real-time sorting to make the flow of vehicles more efficient.
Likewise, Mikiyasu Morales, a tractor-trailer operator, agrees that the benefits of Getac tablets are of great help for their daily operations, since they can be used in the cab regardless of sunlight or at night. They can also enlarge or minimize the font with its touch zoom function, and their use has brought them great advantages in terms of productivity, making their work much more agile and simple. In this way, they have had no problems with the equipment, although the cabins are still exposed to the salinity of the sea breeze, direct sunlight, vibrations from vehicles and rough treatment due to the dynamics of the day.
For his part, Mauricio Campos Garrido, in charge of support and operational continuity at TPS, explained that: "In terms of the support we had to give to the equipment, for us it meant having one or two people permanently on top of the operation. The level of failure rate that had the previous equipment was 'you attend a vehicle and you have to get on another' that level of time required us to have someone fully dedicated to the operation virtually 24/7 day, night, in the early morning, making change of equipment, seeing why it fails and why it does not work. Today, Getac equipment takes that burden off our shoulders."
Traditionally, it takes at least half an hour to 40 minutes for a piece of equipment that is out of service to become operational again, which often means that the vehicle is out of service until it is back on the system. This was too high a cost for such a demanding port operation. In this aspect, Julio Quililongo, our commercial manager of Tempel Group Chile, points out that: "The robust equipment in conjunction with the "Bumper to Bumper" guarantee, allows TPS the non-interruption of its operations, because in case of equipment failure, we deliver another tablet while the maintenance is done".
"The Getac tablets are intuitive, resistant and user-friendly, and have meant for operators greater accuracy when typing containers, solve problems efficiently without asking for help and improve performance and speed in the workday. With this technology, we are one step closer to supporting important sectors that influence not only a better quality of life for workers but also the social and economic growth of the region," concluded Getac.
About Getac
Getac Technology Corporation is a strategic subsidiary of Getac Holdings Corporation (TWSE: 3005), part of the MITC-Synnex Business Group with 2020 annual revenues of US$41.3 billion. Getac was founded in 1989 as a joint venture with GE Aerospace for the supply of defense electronics. Today, Getac's product portfolio includes rugged notebooks, rugged tablets, software and mobile video solutions for the defense, police, fire, utility, automotive, manufacturing, transportation and logistics sectors.
About Tempel Group
International company with more than 45 years of commercial experience that distributes electrical and electronic devices and products for energy and industrial engineering solutions. They also offer auditing services and execute customized energy, industrial engineering and energy efficiency projects. They are Getac's main commercial partner in Latin America.
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