Synopsis
Fastloop was Westshore’s long term partner in data, analytics and reporting, playing a pivotal role from setting up Westshore’s entire data ecosystem from scratch to the continual improvement and development of machine learning and AI use cases.
Highlights
Set up data environment from scratch — ingesting 40 systems of data into one unified system
Provides real-time streaming data with a latency of under 10 seconds
Challenges
Westshore was aiming to modernize its operations and become a technologically advanced port that delivers top tier operating performance. The first step in moving towards this included implementing and upgrading core technical infrastructure that produces and manages data. Effective modernization of data and analytics infrastructure tackles a wide variety of specific challenges.
Core challenges include:
Fragmented data was an immense challenge to get accurate KPIs and metrics, which caused operational errors to occur.
Without proper data integration and modeling, Westshore was missing out on the ability to identify new avenues of revenue generation and cost containment.
The resource-heavy nature of traditional data processes led to delay and opacity in reporting, visualization and data consumption.
The computer port operates with over 40 source systems of data and with only one fibre lined. This means systems must take a hybrid on premise and cloud approach.
Solution
After collaborative assessment of Westshore’s challenges, Fastloop developed a solution that would improve data performance by making information, predictions, and recommendations available to non-technical users inside of Westshore’s Terminal Management System and overall reporting and business intelligence infrastructure.
Key components of the solution:
- Fastloop set up their entire data ecosystem from scratch. Starting with ingesting system data into a hybrid on-prem / cloud environment, all of this data was integrated and modelled via batch and real-time streaming data pipeline.
- Data consolidation and management within a Data Platform ensures the data is clean, of high quality, and makes data readily available for easy of use;
- All reporting, analytics, and dashboard visualizations are done with robust Kimball and semantic modelling bringing clear KPIs, metrics and reporting for staff to use in their day-to-day work.
- Real-time, self-serve analytics cover financial, operations, client reports, procurement, and more from across departments in the business. By connecting data between departments, data silos are removed and all facets of the business can make better decisions driven by what happened and what is happening throughout the operation.
- Using machine learning, historical data around machine uptime, product routing, inventory availability, vessel loading, maintenance and more is analyzed and predictive models determine what is likely to happen next. This not only helps Westshore avoid costly breakdowns but also understand what factors lead to record days and how they can be replicated in the future.
- With these analytics, staff and managers are freed up to accomplish important tasks and make data-informed decisions that drive success.
Results and Impact
By bringing data together in a modern data platform, Westshore could better understand the full picture and make informed strategic decisions.
Fastloop led the way for an organization-wide transformation of Westshore’s business operation. Westshore operators can now access insights to make data-informed decisions that improve the speed, velocity, and accuracy of jobs across all departments.
Partnering with GCP and Fastloop has allowed us to explore trends in all different dimensions of our data. We are excited and rely on their expertise and technologies to centralize corporate data and make it available in an easily consumable medium.
– Neil Caughill, Superintendent of Information Technology, Westshore Terminals
Why Fastloop.ai?
Fastloop stood out and impressed Westshore and their leadership with their:
Data expertise and mastery of the Google Cloud Platform
Showcasing their history and experience with the technical challenges at hand quickly built trust.
Understanding of not just the wider industry, but Westshore’s business
Westshore leadership was by impressed Fastloop’s existing subject matter expertise in ports, shipping, and other facets of heavy industry, but was truly compelled by how quickly Fastloop was able to understand the specific way they run their business. They understood Fastloop could apply their knowledge of data transformation and AI solutions to the reality of how Westshore operates.
Being fast and flexible while working towards long-term goals
Because Fastloop deeply understood the wider business, they showed Westshore how potential initiatives and investments were creating foundations that can quickly deliver value while still setting the organization up for long-term success.
Future Outlook
The data and analytics transformation led by Fastloop has set up Westshore to be able to continuously execute strong innovation through Predictive Analytics, Operational AI, Automation, and Generative AI that accelerates the technical capacity of their terminal operations.