Information Builders > Case Studies > ICO’s Ship Comes in With Business Intelligence

ICO’s Ship Comes in With Business Intelligence

Company Size

1,000+

Region

Europe

Country

Belgium

Product

WebFOCUS
iWay Software

Tech Stack

Business Intelligence
Data Integration

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Customer Satisfaction
Productivity Improvements

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Applicable Industries

Automotive
Marine & Shipping

Applicable Functions

Discrete Manufacturing
Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
Supply Chain Visibility

Services

Data Science Services
System Integration

About The Customer

International Car Operators (ICO) is a world-leading stevedoring company that handles roll-on/roll-off cargo operations. They are a leader in international vehicle transport, processing about 1,600,000 vehicles each year with a fleet of more than 1,000 ships. Headquartered in Antwerp and Zeebrugge, in Belgium, ICO ensures optimum productivity in all roll-on/roll-off processes, vehicle handling, and other logistics activities. ICO’s terminals are Europe’s second-largest vehicle transportation hubs. ICO owns several terminals where vehicles bound for export get to their destination by rail, by road, or by sea. It’s also within these terminals that ships are unloaded, before materials are sorted and sent to their final destinations. In addition to the organization and management of vehicle-transportation logistic chains, ICO also provides several other services.

The Challenge

International Car Operators (ICO) is a leading company in the material-handling industry, specializing in loading and unloading cargo ships. They offer a broad range of logistics services related to terminals, vessels, shipping agencies, vehicle support, and customs clearance. The company faced a challenge in offering a system that would facilitate the efficient processing and sharing of information between entering ships, material-handling and logistic service providers, and customers. They needed a system that could collate all available information and present it to customers in the most convenient and accessible way possible. The information should also be available to support key business processes.

The Solution

To fulfill its mission, ICO developed its own computer platform that was strengthened with the addition of WebFOCUS from Information Builders. ICO chose WebFOCUS for its ability to easily manage multiple sources of information and to simultaneously serve a large number of users, for both operational and reporting needs. ICO also uses Information Builders iWay adapters to facilitate smooth integration of data coming from various platforms. At Antwerp’s terminal, iWay essentially provides all “pre-announcements” processing. When a ship sails to one of ICO’s terminals, iWay adapters convert all vehicle information into operational data. iWay also monitors each vehicle’s follow-up, and other aspects of its life cycle. This vast array of information opens up other opportunities that go beyond simple operational processes. For ICO, reporting on the various aspects of its operations is too critical a process to be neglected. The company is therefore determined to expand its reporting capabilities throughout the entire organization.

Operational Impact

A practical, reliable data-collection system more efficiently processes the company’s essential information.
Customers now have access to adjustable reports, which allow them to track the progress of their materials in real time.
The company is determined to expand its reporting capabilities throughout the entire organization.