According to World Cargo News, ZPMC has signed its first “one-stop”service agreement with SIPG, under which ZPMC will supply the Yangshan Phase IV automated terminal with 885 spare part items and SIPG will hold “zero inventory” of its own.

ZPMC’s “4s service shop” strategy is being offered by its new subsidiary company, Terminexus. The concept is to leverage the IoT and ZPMC’s global presence to “solve the top problem of port machinery spare part management”, which according to ZPMC is terminals purchasing and storing more spare parts than they need in some areas, and not enough in others. The result is a large investment in owning and storing spare parts, but yet not always having the right parts available.

ZPMC believes it can replace the individual stockpiles of spare parts at ports and terminals by establishing a new “management mode” for spare parts, where it manages spare parts for customers directly. “It’s unnecessary for the terminal users to construct spare parts warehouses, for the new management mode can reduce the storage and logistics costs of terminals, simplify the purchasing procedures and improve the supply efficiency of spare parts as well,” ZPMC stated.

As well as spare parts as a managed service, ZPMC plans to launch an online parts ordering system in the near future. This will provide terminals with customimzed data on the spare parts for their equipment on an app, as well as the ability to order parts on line.