Navis will be the system supplier for a $15 million management project that will provide gate and yard automation at Georgia Port Authority’s (GPA) Garden City Terminal in Savannah GA. Navis has signed a contract with GPA to design and build the port’s Automated Terminal Asset Management System (ATAMS), which will:
- Enhance operational efficiency through automation of gate and yard processes.
- Identify and track containers whether they come by truck, rail, or sea.
- Automate container handling processes within the terminal to integrate data with GPA’s existing Navis terminal operating system.
The gate automation system includes the application of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags provided by Identec Solutions to more than 7,500 local trucks serving the port, combined with an RFID reader network and optical character recognition system provided by SAIC for container and chassis identification and damage inspection.
The gate and yard automation systems will be integrated through Navis’ Edge Manager middleware. Edge Manager allows Navis’ SPARCS Terminal Operating System to receive real-time updates from edge devices and automation systems while applying client–specific business logic to the data.
ATAMS, expected to be completed in fourth quarter 2008, will help the port accommodate future growth. It will make the port's business more efficient and secure by allowing the shipping lines as well as the United States Customs Service and Coast Guard to know exactly what cargo is there and where it is.
