The COVID-19 crisis drew attention to the importance of an efficient supply chain in critical sectors. In collaboration with Scale AI, Termont, MGTP, Ivado Labs and Cargo M, the MPA developed an intelligent digital solution to ensure that critical goods needed by Canadians can be quickly identified and processed at the Port of Montreal.
Using artificial intelligence, the tool, called CargO2ai, makes it possible to identify and prioritize cargo such as medications, medical equipment and food products quickly enough to avoid any supply delays or stock shortages during precarious economic and health situations. Developed in the spring, it was deployed on a large scale throughout the city’s port facilities in the fall. All stakeholders in the supply chain were invited to participate, including trucking companies, third-party logistics companies, freight forwarders, shipping lines, charterers and operators.
CargO2ai won a Jalon Mobility Award in the Urban Logistics category, and the Grand Prize for Excellence from the Association québécoise des transports (AQTR) in the Smart Mobility – ITS category.
The MPA shared this experience in the first ever publication from the chainPORT network, a Playbook entitled Leveraging Digital Solutions for Crisis Management. Aimed at supply chain executives worldwide, the Playbook provides an inventory of best practices for digital solutions in response to the pandemic. Many of the solutions listed are transferable to other types of future crises, providing valuable means for ports wishing to boost not only their own resilience, but also that of their supply chains.