Furthering its digital transformation, the sixth largest of fleet of containerships now leverages data-led innovation to stay afloat competitively.
How does the operator of the sixth largest fleet of containerships in the world advance its digital transformation and data cloud strategy?
As one of the largest container shipping companies globally Ocean Network Express (ONE) handles transactions with as many as 14,000 customers across 63 countries every day. Previously, to manage these transactions, the firm relied on an SAP accounting system hosted locally in each country on its legacy cloud platform.
To modernize its systems, ONE has migrated to SAP ERP finance software on Google Cloud to unlock business insights and accelerate time-to-insight using the system’s data analytics services like BigQuery, and enhancing employee collaboration with Google Workspace.
Shifting from its on-premise infrastructure to the public cloud has enabled the firm to scale its ERP systems up and down to meet changes in customer demands and data volumes. Google Cloud’s data analytics solutions also enables ONE to gain a unified and real-time view of data across its global operations, to improve prediction of demand in the supply chain and to faster business decisions.
Advancing a robust data cloud strategy
Plans to modernize its legacy data environment with a data lake using BigQuery are also underway and are expected to be completed by Q3 2021. This will enable the shipping firm to consolidate and analyze data from its ERP system and other data sources to generate even more business value from its data and advance its competitive advantage.
Said the firm’s Senior VP, Kosuke Wada: “Modernizing our legacy infrastructure requires a strategic rethink of the way internal data is captured and processed at all levels of the company. By accelerating the use of data analytics to enhance operational efficiencies and predict, ONE can better meet changes in customer demands and data volumes and make business decisions faster. Our move to Google Cloud is a realization of a centralized and intelligent system that allows us to act on trusted and up-to-date information to shape our data cloud strategy.”
Amid the pandemic, the firm overcame challenges to ensure the smooth flow of raw materials, fuel, food, and medical supplies to the world because it was already digitalized. It minimized the impact of office closures and travel restrictions by using Gmail and Google Meet to stay connected with customers, vendors, and colleagues.
Already in the process of rolling Google Workspace out to its 8,000-people employee base, ONE is able to deliver seamless customer service from any device and ensure prompt responses to sales inquiries from shippers to the tight coordination of cargo between ports and countries.
Enabling security features such as two-step verification and Cloud Identity Access Management to define access to work data on Google accounts ensures data is kept securely on company-owned devices and affording flexibility to users when required.
Said Ruma Balasubramanian, Managing Director, Google Cloud (Southeast Asia): “ONE is a testament to what enterprises can achieve when they embrace the Cloud to modernize and future-proof their business. Their digital transformation will enable them to measurably improve the quality of their decisions, crunch vast quantities of data to achieve unprecedented clarity, and improve employee collaboration in this ever-evolving work environment.”
