MICT updates TOS

Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) recently upgraded its terminal operating system (TOS) to Navis N4 3.8.  

The upgrade is part of the terminal’s drive to continually increase productivity by maximizing new features and capabilities while maintaining a stable and reliable terminal operating system. Navis’ latest release promises improved gate, yard, and vessel operations, which complement MICT’s continuous capacity and throughput growth.  

Version 3.8 also addresses bugs found in the previous releases and gives greater focus on security through password encryption.  

Key personnel from Operations, Billing, Information Technology Systems and Services (ITSS), and Navis comprised the implementation team. Project updates and client support were mostly performed online due to the pandemic. Subject matter experts working from home and at the office carried out the full-cycle manual and automated tests. 

“The techniques we performed for the upgrade were a game changer. On the past upgrades, we had a dedicated war room housing all super-users and Navis consultants. But in the wake of the pandemic, we needed to be resourceful in bringing the team together by using Microsoft Teams as our means of communication,” said Francis John Valdez, ITSS Department Manager.  

He added: “Our Navis consultants worked remotely from different regions, but the line of communication was continuously open. We were also able to use our existing hardware resources and successfully went live within three months of tremendous work. The team’s expertise and dedication to stringent tests are remarkable.”  

Describing the most recent update, Mark Cruz, ITSS Director, explained that “This has been, by far, the most challenging upgrade we have ever done.”  

He continued: “We had a window of two-and-a-half months for the whole project, which used to take four to five months previously. Fortunately, with the help of automated testing tools that greatly accelerated the process, the teams were able to focus on the bigger ticket items. With only two days remaining before the Easter port closure, we still had one major case open that would have been a showstopper, but thankfully everyone pulled through.”