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 “Permis”. |
Involved parties
Logistics Service Provider:
Submission of terminal delivery order
Update of terminal delivery order (general terminal delivery info, add/update/delete stock keeping units, add/update/delete visits…)
Update of stock keeping unit after terminal delivery confirmation
Terminal Operator:
Update of terminal delivery order (general terminal delivery order info or visit info)
Submission of terminal delivery confirmation
Update of stock keeping unit after terminal delivery confirmation
Ship Agent:
/ (will be involved in Vessel Load Order process)
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 message implementation guide (MIG) 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 chapters 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.
Use cases for “Vessel load order” will be added later.