Viet Nam’s first-ever smart gate has been successfully put into operation at the Da Nang port for the sake of better business activities in tandem with enhancing practical economic efficiency and ensuring COVID-19 prevention as well.

A scene at the Da Nang Port.

At the 16^th Da Nang City Technical Innovation Contest taking place on May 26, 2022, the first prize went to the electronic port software solution - ePORT and Smartgate developed by Luu Van Dung from the Da Nang Port JSC and Ho Duc Giap from Vi Nam Information Technology Business and Solution Co., Ltd.

The solution also won the third prize of the Viet Nam Science and Technology Innovation Award. It automates security functions, authenticating the identity of the driver, vehicle and cargo, eliminating the need for human intervention, reducing the time to handle trucks at the port gate and speeds up turnaround time in the port.

In detail, ePORT is a software that helps to direct container trucks in and out of the port via a smartphone app to save time and human efforts, automatically opening and closing the barrie, reading the load, recognising containers’ license plate numbers. Information is notified via the app or SMS to make the management process transparent, easy and highly efficient.

Le Quang Duc, the Deputy General Director of the Da Nang Port JSC, said that the automatic gate installed at the port applies many technological solutions such as recognising the container code by the ACCR algorithm combined with artificial intelligence (AI), indentifying the license plate numbers of tractor/trailer, using PLC controling the opening and closing of the barrie, reading the indicator of the electronic weighing terminal, utilising Robot (RPA) to execute commands, sending information via the driver's phone app and other features.

Accordingly, the port’s customers can check in anywhere with an internet connection, shorten delivery time, save costs in printing and storage of records with all digitalised documents.

The application of such a smart container gate combined with digital transformation, application of science and technology to management, exploitation and production operation, is bringing practical economic efficiency to the Da Nang Port JSC.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Phat, a container driver from the An Binh Transport Co., Ltd. said that, before applying such an automatic gate, when a container truck enters the port gate, the driver had to submit lots of paperwork that was then handled by the port staff, which may increase COVID-19 infection risks and prolongs delivery time. As for the smart gate, every document handling segment is much more convenient with the use Internet-connected smart phones.

Sharing the same point of view, driver Ho Tan Ngoc from the My Phat Transport JSC hailed the deployment of the automatic gate installed at the Da Nang port and ePORT electronic port software with many advanced technology applications for significantly improve productivity and reducing manual operations as well.

According to the Da Nang Port JSC, putting into operation the automatic gate has helped to minimise waiting time, reduce expenses for customers, increase objectivity, ensure information transparency and minimise mistakes during handling paperwork.

In addition, the new service helps the smooth coordination among the work segments, thereby turning the Da Nang port into an online seaport.

It is known that not only applying the smart gate, the Da Nang port will continue to upgrade information technology, container terminal and warehouse infrastructure to effectively implement digital transformation strategies, aiming to digitise "one infrastructure, one database" and taking customers as the centre.

Reporting by THANH LAN - Translating by A.THU