Chelsea Logistics adapts to new and advanced technology amid pandemic

Chelsea Logistics and the Chelsea Group harnessed the power of digitalization to take customer experience and employee efficiency to the next level during the pandemic. The move, inspired by Chelsea Logistics President & CEO Chryss Alfonsus V. Damuy, identified early on that digital transformation was one of the key milestones achieved by the Group as the country and the business community faced uncertainty brought by the global pandemic.

Internally, Chelsea Logistics hastened its digitization efforts by converting its manual processes to automatic applications which enhanced employees’ performance and customer interaction. Its shipping lines, SuperCat and Trans-Asia Shipping Lines now use SAP S4 HANA, a future-ready enterprise resource planning (ERP) system with built-in intelligent technologies, with improved access to real-time financial transactions and advanced analytics resulting in better forecasting.

For the freighter business, Trans-Asia Shipping Lines and TASLI Services are currently deploying Solverminds which covers Liner Operation, Commercial Management, Equipment Management and EBiz Customer Self-Service Portal.

Beyond the internal upgrades undertaken and planned, technology activities also focused on strengthening the Group’s core architecture so that the developments can be adapted to with a solid and resilient foundation.

The Chelsea Logistics President & CEO said: “The pandemic taught us that digital transformation is not aspirational but rather foundational. With the assistance of the Udenna Group’s DITO CME, we streamlined our technology investments. We hosted all internal applications in the cloud for the benefit of our employees. At the onset of the pandemic, we made sure our customers could easily access our services through their smart phones.”

Starlite Ferries, Trans-Asia, and SuperCat have rolled out their unified online booking system, allowing customers and partner agencies to place their bookings at their most convenient time. This online ticketing system, developed in partnership with BARKOTA, optimizes customer service as the application is capable of ticket management (i.e., refund, book, void, rebook) and ticket history viewing.

Trans-Asia General Manager Sheila Sy considers the Group’s digitalization efforts as a lifesaver during the pandemic. “Most customers are looking for convenient and safe ways to transact with us. Customers appreciate that we’re able to level up and provide business continuity solutions that matter when they are needed most,” said Ms. Sy.

Chelsea Logistics tapped Amazon Web Services (AWS) for hosting major applications on the cloud. The consolidation allowed the integration of real-time data via AWS QuickSight a Business Intelligence tool. This interactive and secured digital solution allows the Group to take the pulse of its customers in real time, adapting to their behavior/ lifestyle changes while providing customized shipping and logistics solutions.

With the promising growth of e-commerce logistics, Worklink Services (WSI), Inc., Chelsea Logistics’ distribution and logistics arm, has launched a warehousing and transport management system to increase supply chain efficiency, improve the flow of incoming and outgoing inventory, and track drivers and shipments’ real-time movement. To optimize and provide a seamless experience across all customer touch points, WSI invested in a TMS platform while maintaining and facilitating the highest level of data protection.

Chelsea Logistics Technology Department Head Efren Bernardino shared the Group’s target to digitize all internal business processes by Q4 2022 through standardizing the productivity tools and use of robotics process automation.

“Externally, we are looking at a three-year digital transformation plan, including reduced paperwork, automation of selected business processes, user-friendly interfaces, real-time customized dashboards. The use of API will be a norm when integrating with customers and business partners. We will continue with the cloud-first concept to lower capex and leverage on new technologies. We want to go beyond merely automating an existing business process, we want our customers to have fast and seamless digital experience when they connect with us,” Mr. Bernardino concluded.