APM Terminals Sees Record Growth for API Data Feeds and Accelerates Roll-Out

Encouraged by a 36% year-on-year growth for its real-time API data feeds, APM Terminals has added data sources for two further terminals, APM Terminals Pecém, Brazil and Aqaba Container Terminal, Jordan.

As part of its commitment to lift standards of digital connectivity, it has also frozen API prices for the third consecutive year.

Laura Bercan, responsible for Visibility Products at APM Terminals said: “With industry margins under pressure and decarbonisation top of the agenda, efficiency gains that can be achieved by accelerating digitalisation of the port industry are essential.

“By freezing prices, we want to encourage a new wave of supply chain partners to adopt a technology that can bring enormous benefits to their business."

How APIs support the customer experience

APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) offer a standardised and secure way to enable two applications to talk to each other.

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APM Terminals’, industry-leading APIs enable customers to pull real-time container and vessel status data from its Terminal Operating Systems, into their own internal systems, such as a Logistics or Transport Management System (TMS).

This means that customers always have the latest information at their fingertips, such as the time a container will be available for pick-up, the time that free storage expires, or appointment availability. Having this level of visibility can shave time pressure off supply chains

Improved connectivity, visibility, and efficiency

APM Terminals Pecém is one of the first terminals in Brazil to provide an API data feed. With a number of giant global agricultural companies, shipping thousands of containers with sensitive commodities, potential benefits are enormous.

Marcelo Gurgel Barbosa Carvalho, Commercial Manager at APM Terminals Pecém explains: “Removing the need for manual intervention not only saves man hours and speeds up the process, but also increases accuracy – which is particularly important for perishable goods, where delays can be very detrimental.

“Most importantly, access to real-time supply chain data improves planning and helps meet customer expectations.

36% Year-on-Year Growth

As one of the first terminal companies to introduce a global API data solution in 2020, APM Terminals has experienced remarkable growth in the use of its APIs, witnessing a 36% year-on-year (January-November) increase—the most significant growth to date.

Gavin Laybourne, Global CIO of APM Terminals said: “This surge in API adoption underscores the industry's growing understanding of the value and efficiency that can be gained through APIs, but this has not always been the case.

“APIs are the engine behind every App or e-commerce sites, each one of us uses daily.

"They are clearly understood among the technology world, however, the decision makers and commercial teams at our customer are largely unaware of possibilities that API data feeds offer for improving their planning and optimising supply chain efficiency.

"Increasing awareness about the possibilities offered by APIs will continue to be a clear focus in markets where we make our data-feeds available.

The future of APIs

APM Terminals is using feedback from current users to steer the development of new APIs, and this has already led to the roll-out of the company’s most recent API data feed – Terminal Vessel Schedule.

This allows customers to track real-time and estimated vessel arrival/departure times and key milestones for all vessels calling a terminal in the past seven days and upcoming 14 days, rather than a specific vessel only.

The range of seven APIs now provide real-time data from the Terminal Operating Systems of 24 of APM Terminals’ locations, with this number set to grow further in 2024.

This sustained growth in API usage reflects the industry's confidence in APM Terminals' ability to deliver transformative solutions that lift standards of efficiency and connectivity for the benefit of global trade.

Read More: APM Terminals Enhances Customer Connectivity with Expanded Digital Services