WE are RTF – Anna Cernova-Bickova, Project Manager at A’Tuin
Anna Cernova-Bickova, at the RTF partner A’Tuin, wants to bring information from different sources and put them to use among hands-on logistics people like truck drivers. As a project manager at A’Tuin, she has experience of providing reliable logistics and port expertise services to commercial and governmental sectors in Latvia as well as on the global scale. Learn about how the Real Time Ferries idea will change the everyday of truck drivers and how administration can move from paper to apps. Meet Anna in “WE are RTF”
“We bring information from different sources to common use!”
Name: Anna Cernova-Bickova
Organisation: A’Tuin
Country: Latvia
Title: Project Manager
How would describe RTF to someone who has never heard of the project?
The project will create tools that collect information from multiple source, bring it together, and makes the collected information available for users of different kinds. Private travelers can use it when planning their journey, and perhaps adjust the journey due to updated information. Professional users in ports and in the logistics industry can get the same. This can be achieved through interfaces to current company systems or through the use of new and innovative apps. RTF is about making the ferry information visible and accessible.
Anna, you work for A’Tuin – what is A’Tuin doing in the Real Time Ferries Project?
We are developing an application that will provide two ways of communication between trucks/logistics companies, terminal and ferry lines ensuring real time information about ferry schedules, delays and cancellations. At the same time truck drivers or logistics companies will be able to confirm, register, cancel or re-book themselves for the pre-booking providing necessary data related to truck and cargo. The drivers will be able to submit formalities to authorities digitally, replacing some of the physical paper work today.
Where will this application be available?
Every solution within the project has a pilot site. In our case it is the Latvian Liepāja port side of the ferry line Liepāja-Travemünde. Together with another project partner, International Transport Development Association, we cover all aspects of the local process: operational and administrative. We can thus bring many benefits to truck drivers and the companies using them, our main target groups.
Once the application has been demonstrated and evaluated, future versions can be applied anywhere in the world, with the RTF app from Liepaja as a base.
What are in your opinion the greatest benefits with Real Time Ferries?
In today’s transport chain, the real-time information from the sea is missing. RTF is closing that gap.
For the customers to the transport industry that means better customer service and a possibility to work with just-in-time processes that just did not exist before.
For the industry itself it means savings enabled by digital means to submit and receive information. This will lead to less unproductive waiting times and faster processes, with information at the fingertips of the hands-on people involved.
How do you find working within Real Time Ferries?
It gives us the means and muscles to gather everybody involved around the table and build a more holistic solution. And it is very satisfying to bring change to users that are not used to the latest technology, but will use it on a daily basis.
How does RTF contribute to the future of shipping and transport?
I believe that RTF is one step on the voyage to an even more digital and electronic world. We are connecting some of the sea transport information with the land-side users. There are more things that could be made smoother in the processes, for example reducing paper work even further or connect cargo information with real-time position data.
RTF is a great step on this journey.
