.png)
As one of Europe's busiest ports, the Port of Antwerp recognized its need for a bold, forward-thinking solution to optimize its complex operations. Together with our Process Mining team, they set out to navigate the treacherous waters of port optimization.
Antwerp, one of Belgium’s major ports, has already advanced in digitizing incoming ship traffic. To improve sustainable efficiency, the next step was to map and enhance outbound vessel routes—a challenge due to the many external stakeholders involved in securing a ship's prompt departure.
"With process mining and collaboration across stakeholders, we uncovered valuable insights and implemented effective solutions to streamline port operations," says Siemen Deseyn
Siemen and the internal team used AI and process mining technologies to analyze and integrate vast amounts of data across the port's systems. Through close collaboration with stakeholders, they identified bottlenecks and proposed tailored solutions to streamline the departure processes of ships. A key development in the project was a sophisticated dashboard designed to help port operators track ships and analyze historical data, essential for daily operations and long-term planning.
"Integrating real-time with historical data enables us not only to detect current issues but also to understand their development over time," Siemen
The project delivered promising results and provided crucial insights into port operations, enabling better decision-making and greater operational efficiency: One important discovery was the influence of external factors such as weather and strikes on turnaround times. The analysis showed that unfavorable weather conditions or limited labor availability led to cumulative delays, extended waiting times, and reduced throughput speeds. In addition, the dashboard includes compliance monitoring tools that highlight deviations from standard procedures and enable rapid intervention. The team can now see where and why certain processes deviate from the norm, contributing to the consistency and reliability of port operations while providing the basis for continuous improvement.
The project’s process mining technology enabled the team to map real operational processes and identify areas in need of improvement. By integrating various data streams, the dashboard gave users access to real-time tracking and historical analysis. Compliance monitoring tools provided an overview of adherence to standard operating procedures with clear indicators of deviations requiring swift action. To capture an even more detailed interaction with port operations, the next step could be to develop a digital twin with object-oriented process mining. Or an AI-driven planning tool that provides real-time recommendations based on changing conditions such as weather and resource availability.
"We’re here to challenge your status quo."
