The MobileControl application for Android operating systems and the Container Transport Solution were launched at logistics software provider Dovetail’s Multi-Tech launch at the Bryanston Country Club, in Sandton, in June.

Dovetail sales director Ralf Rolle says the MobileControl application enables companies to manage route progression on mobile devices, such as cellphones and tablets, while the Container Transport Solution efficiently manages and controls a container’s life cycle.

He adds that cellular technology is advancing rapidly, cellphone network coverage has become more extensive and capabilities of mobile devices have progressed significantly.

He notes that mobile device costs have also decreased significantly.

Visibility of customer orders is a high-priority supply chain concern, says Rolle. Cellular devices, mobile applications, global positioning system locators and the cloud are a few of the most important tools shippers will need to achieve data synchronisation and sharing.

“Applications currently represent 86% of the time users spend on their mobile phone,” highlights Rolle.

He explains that Dovetail developed MobileControl for Android devices because there is a global trend towards Android and the devices are cheaper.

Further, he states that Android applications are quicker to develop and easier to roll out.

Container Transport Solution
In 2012, container volumes at the Port of Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal, exceeded 2.6-million twenty-foot equivalent units, totalling about 36-million tons, says Dovetail director Shermandra Singh.

Containers handled at the port represented 62% of the total number of containers handled at South African ports in 2012.

Singh says four crucial factors must be taken into consideration to achieve efficient container transport. The first factor is visibility, which is crucial in not only ensuring timeous collection and delivery processing but also the safety of container goods, as containers can be tracked.

He adds that for increased visibility to be realised, the second factor, integration with port and tracking systems, is necessary.

Thirdly, cost reductions caused by unnecessary stops and route changes need to be avoided, which results in less communication and, in turn, saves on administration costs.

Singh emphasises the importance of the fourth factor – container triangulation – which makes container usage less costly and more efficient.

“Typically, there are six steps in the life cycle of a container. While this process works, it is neither efficient nor cost effective,” he adds.

The first step entails that a truck be driven to the terminal to pick up an import container and the second step that the container be moved from the dock to the unloading facility.

The container is then moved from the unloading facility to an empty container storage facility, with the truck then returning to pick up the empty container.

The fifth step comprises the empty container being taken to an export load facility, where it will be moved to the terminal as an export-loaded container, which comprises the last step, explains Singh.

He enthuses that Dovetail makes it more efficient to manage and control a container’s life cycle, in four steps, by rearranging the process.

The truck is driven to the terminal to pick up an import container, which is followed by the container moving from the terminal to the unloading facility.

The third step involves the empty container being taken to an export load facility, where it wil be moved to the terminal as an export-loaded container during the final step, he explains.