Norwegian traceability and business software developer Maritech is launching a new logistics solution for the seafood industry: Maritech Supply Chain.
The solution is “tailored to support and digitize complex processes” across the seafood supply chain, Maritech said in a press release. It also simplifies and facilitates secure interactions between exporter, carrier, terminal, and customs clearance.
An innovation project, “Digitization of Norwegian seafood transport,” is the catalyst for the company’s latest development. As a part of the project, Maritech collaborated with Cermaq, Coast Seafood, Schenker, and Timpex, which was acquired by Maritech in 2019.
“The project has aimed to create a simpler and more efficient seafood logistics process by connecting exporters with carriers for digital interaction and document flow. The goal is improved data quality, cost control, and transport utilization, as well as simplified planning, coordination, and management of the processes at all parties. For now, the solution is launched for the Norwegian market. An international launch will be announced at a later stage,” Maritech said.
According to statistics from the Norwegian Seafood Council, an average of 25,000 seafood meals are sent out of Norway every minute, totaling approximately 36 million per day. The logistics associated with this movement are complex, Maritech said, requiring “a high degree of precision, competence and flexibility – both in connection with the transport itself and in the planning phase.”
That’s why Maritech Project Manager Ajdin Rizvo refers to seafood logistics as “an extreme sport.”
“We are very impressed with those who make this flow well every single day, keep a cool head and get Norwegian seafood out into the world,” Rizvo said. “An example is that booking of shipping must take place several days in advance, which means that everything must take place on forecasts. At this point, it is not known for sure what the catch will be, which buyers will have what and where they are. There is also no guarantee that the trucks will reach Gardermoen airport on time, they may get stuck on a mountain pass or lose a ferry and arrive late. The uncertainty places very high demands on all links in the supply chain. Furthermore, the processes today are characterized by costly and time-consuming manual routines, which also provide vulnerabilities related to errors and personal dependence.”
Document flow and communication, invoice processing, price management, and processing of customs documents are all supported by Maritech’s latest logistics solutions, it said, with all changes visible and capable of being traced. This works to ensure “correct data, simple documentation, and reduction in waiting time throughout the entire value chain,” the company said.
“Documents related to the shipment are made available to the carrier as soon as they are created, and the terminal has a full overview of incoming and outgoing goods and shipments. This makes it possible to handle sudden changes more efficiently, and you achieve improved predictability,” Maritech said.
According to Maritech Product Manager Bjørnar Kvalsnes, the new solution marks a milestone for the business.
“This has long been on the wish list, and it has been both educational and demanding to work with digitization of these processes. The collaboration with the project partners has been close and important, the support from Innovation Norway has also been crucial. The result is a tool that will both assist people, reduce risk and increase profitability. Together, we have found a 'best practice' that will benefit all parties, and also provide an important sustainability gain in the form of improved capacity utilization for trucks, aircraft and ships. In this way, we can also contribute to giving our customers a greener operation,” Kvalsnes said.
Photo courtesy of Oclin/Chris-Håvard Berge via Maritech
