Business context
Glossary
Logistics service provider (LSP) | A third party who organizes and coordinates shipments on behalf of individuals or businesses by contracting with one or more shipping carriers. Better known as “Forwarder” within the relevant process for Bulkchain. |
Ship Agent (SA) | A Ship Agent or Ship Agency is an appointed company that manages operational and procedural (legal) requirements for a commercial vessel’s call at a port. |
Terminal Operator (TO) | A terminal operator is an actor that handles and stores cargo by (un)loading sea vessels as well as hinterland transport modes (truck, barge, rail,…). |
Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) | It is the process in which a pre-arrival notification is sent out by the Forwarder towards the Terminal Operator regarding a specific set of Stock Keeping Unit deliveries. |
Stock keeping unit (SKU) | Concept used within Bulkchain to indicate unique products in a cargo stock. Every stock keeping unit typically has a unique identifier in the stock administration, which can also be found on the physical product itself. It is the smallest, physical unit which can be handled separately on the terminal. In the standard process, the SKU and its content remains intact (except in the (de)consolidation process). |
Visit | It is the delivery of stock keeping units at the terminal by one means of transport, being either a truck, barge or a train. Within a terminal delivery order, multiple visits can be defined. |
Terminal Delivery Confirmation (TDC) | It is the process where the Terminal Operator confirms the delivery of a SKU. This delivery happens at the gate land-side. |
Goods Condition | Description that contains the actual condition for a SKU. For example a SKU can be damaged, not sea worthy or any other state of the SKU that is worth registering in Bulkchain. |
Vessel Load Order (VLO) | It’s the process in which the Forwarder is planning the cargo (SKU) for sea transport. This process results in a “Permit”. States and actions: LSP creates the VLO (Draft), can update general info and assign/unassign SKUs; LSP shares with SA (Master Permit). SA updates general info and can share with TO (Loading Permit) or reject back to LSP (Draft). TO sets state to Mate’s Receipt and Final Mate’s Receipt or can reject back to SA (Master Permit). Deletion: LSP can soft delete a VLO; notifications depend on the current state. |
Involved parties
Logistics Service Provider:
Submits the Terminal Delivery Order to announce expected cargo (visits and SKUs) to the Terminal Operator.
Updates the Terminal Delivery Order when planning changes occur (e.g. general TDO info, visits, stock keeping units).
Updates stock keeping unit information after Terminal Delivery Confirmation where relevant to the logistics planning.
Creates and maintains the Vessel Load Order in Draft state, including assigning and unassigning SKUs to the VLO.
Shares the Vessel Load Order with the Ship Agent, transitioning it to Master Permit.
Terminal Operator:
Updates the Terminal Delivery Order with terminal-side information (e.g. visit scheduling,…).
Submits the Terminal Delivery Confirmation to confirm the physical arrival of stock keeping units at the terminal gate.
Updates stock keeping unit information after arrival and during terminal stay (e.g. location, handling status, goods condition).
Receives the Vessel Load Order from the Ship Agent in state Loading Permit and executes the loading operations accordingly.
Updates the Vessel Load Order status to Mate’s Receipt and Final Mate’s Receipt, or rejects it back to the Ship Agent in state Master Permit when required.
Ship Agent:
Receives a shared Vessel Load Order from the Logistics Service Provider in state Master Permit.
Reviews and updates general VLO information where required (e.g. voyage details, loading instructions).
Shares the Vessel Load Order with the Terminal Operator, transitioning the VLO to state Loading Permit.
Can reject a Vessel Load Order, returning it to the Logistics Service Provider in state Draft.
Monitors and follows up Vessel Load Order status changes (e.g. Master Permit, Loading Permit, rejections) to coordinate vessel operations.
Use cases
Bulkchain is a private Proof of Value built in a joint project by the port community (Alfaport Voka), NxtPort and Port of Antwerp-Bruges, designed to streamline and modernize the operational processes involved in outbound breakbulk cargo handling.
By digitizing key workflows, such as the pre-arrival registration and the permit, Bulkchain minimizes manual inefficiencies and enhances transparency across the breakbulk logistics chain.
The system enables seamless data sharing between different Economic Operators such as terminals, ship agents and forwarders, ensuring accuracy, speed and compliance at every stage of the process.
This documentation guide describes the web-service-enabled message exchange between Economic Operators and Bulkchain to enable the digitization of the most frequently occurring outbound breakbulk cargo handling processes. The subsequent pages explain the context and scenarios applicable to this message exchange. The respective message exchange entails the following:
“Terminal delivery order” describes the message exchange in the context of a logistics service provider registering cargo within Bulkchain before its arrival at the terminal. This pre-arrival registration, otherwise called as a terminal delivery order (TDO) covers the announcement of a set of visits, with each visit containing cargo which can be identified as a set of stock keeping units.
“Update of the terminal delivery order” describes the message exchange in the context of updating the terminal delivery order by either adding extra information, deleting existing information or updating existing information.
“Deletion of the terminal delivery order” describes the message exchange in the context of deleting the terminal delivery order.
“Terminal delivery confirmation” describes the message exchange in the context of a terminal operator confirming the delivery of a set of stock keeping units on one visit which was originally defined in the terminal delivery order.
“Update of the goods during the terminal stay” describes the message exchange in the context of updating the information regarding stock keeping units once these have been confirmed by the terminal operator and are currently staying at the terminal.
“Vessel load order creation” describes that the LSP creates a Vessel Load Order in state Draft (or Master Permit when confirmed), informing the SA and, later in the process, the TO which cargo (SKUs) is to be loaded on which vessel.
“Update of the vessel load order as LSP” describes that the LSP can update general VLO information, assign SKU(s), unassign SKU(s), and share with the SA (transitioning the state to Master Permit). Updates are only allowed while the VLO is in Draft.
“Update of the vessel load order as Ship Agent” describes that the SA can update general VLO information, share with the TO (transitioning the state to Loading Permit), or reject (returning the state to Draft).
“Update of the vessel load order as Terminal Operator” describes that the TO can set the VLO state to Mate’s Receipt and Final Mate’s Receipt, or reject (returning the state to Master Permit).
“Deletion of the vessel load order” describes that the LSP can perform a soft delete of a VLO; recipients are notified depending on the current VLO state.