Customs control system for ro-ro transit terminals

Project key figures

monthly managed vehicle transits

Real-time availability and tracking

Single interface for integration of multiple services

The client's problem

Port de Barcelona has several terminals of a different nature. The ro-ro terminal is the entry and exit point for ferries transporting vehicles and raw materials in bulk.

Customs control of all these elements is essential and requires the exchange of information between multiple actors such as shipping companies, the Tax Agency, the police department and the Port of Barcelona itself.

The client's objectives

The main objective of the Port of Barcelona was to improve the operation and fluidity of the terminal in order to reduce ferry unloading times.

It also wanted to increase customs control at the vehicle terminal.

Main challenge

Collect information on transit and visits to the terminal and control the stocks of goods blocked in the terminal.

The challenge lay in the disparity of departments involved in the management of the terminal: customs control, police, vehicles, trucks, ferries and bulk products.

Solution

The system consists of two modules: one in charge of collecting information on transit and visits to the terminal, and the other to control the stock of blocked goods.

The first is an integration of web services that connect the terminal with ship manifests and the Tax Agency.

The second is the tool that the police uses to manage the actions carried out in the terminal itself and which has a series of business rules to automate decision making.

Achieved results

The implementation of these modules has eliminated the physical exchange of documents between the parties and has succeeded in establishing a flow of vehicles and materials through the terminal without the need for direct intervention by customs personnel. This has reduced the time of terminal departure operations by 80%, which has reduced the amount of stock blocked at the terminal.

The implemented solution has increased the productivity of 4 terminals of Port de Barcelona and is ready to be extended to other terminals in the future.

Waiting time at terminal entrances and exits has been reduced and delays have been avoided since the response time for all actions is less than 2 seconds.

The automation of procedures eliminates the need for the presence of customs personnel at the terminal itself, increasing productivity without the need to increase existing resources.