Even before the pandemic, the Port of Montreal faced supply chain pressures from labor strikes, while Vancouver suffered disruptions from climate-related flooding. While the port previously measured supply chain performance based on transit time, reliability, and vessel weight, its new metrics focus on predicting the behavior of the full supply chain.
Early in the pandemic, port officials wanted to quickly unload personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical goods to speed their delivery. They developed an algorithm to scan an inbound vessel’s bill of lading—a document that lists the type, quantity, and destination of shipped goods—to identify whether it held items on their priority list and prioritize the containers with the needed medical goods.
While this was initially implemented for medical supplies, the port is planning to use the technology for other commodities like microchips or auto parts, charging extra for priority service.