Supply Chain Discussion: Q&A: DP World on Smarter Trade and the Future of Ports

Sangam Reddy, Group Executive Vice President of Ports & Terminals at DP World

Sangam Reddy, Group Executive Vice President of Port & Terminal Systems, on how DP World’s global standards drive efficient, sustainable maritime trade.

Innovation in the maritime industry often happens in silos, leading to years of repetitive trial and error across different regions. To overcome this, DP World is moving toward an ecosystem where proven solutions can be applied across vastly different operational contexts.

Driving this mission is Sangam Reddy, Group Executive Vice President of Port & Terminal Systems. His role is to build a scalable, common foundation that allows DP World’s global network to perform with consistent excellence, regardless of local constraints.

Q: What specific standards do ports need to deliver sustainable global trade?

A: Sustainability begins with removing inefficiency from port operations. Standards create the shared framework needed to do that.

Physical standards come first: common yard layouts, repeatable gate processes and consistent equipment positioning. These reduce congestion, shorten dwell times and avoid unnecessary rehandles – all of which cut energy use.

Digital standards are about defining data consistently. Today, incompatible formats and siloed systems can prevent optimisation beyond a single site. Shared data structures make patterns visible across the network and enable forecasting. This is also where systems like Zodiac V8, our latest terminal operating system (TOS), play a key role. They bring common logic and definitions into terminals that previously worked in isolation.

Operational standards ensure that best-practice planning and scheduling can be replicated. Some terminals in our network have exceeded their original design expectations simply by applying unified planning rules, without new infrastructure.

Ultimately, standardisation is not an IT exercise – it involves infrastructure too. It’s the backbone of smarter, faster and more sustainable trade, enabling digital tools and logistics integration to flourish at scale.

Q: What KPIs show trade becoming smarter and faster?

A: Traditional metrics matter, but they don’t capture the real shift toward smarter operations. More revealing are KPIs that show consistency, efficiency and foresight.

One is variance reduction: how stable a terminal’s performance is across shifts and vessel types. Predictability often matters more to customers than peak speed.

Another is energy per move. Standardised yard logic reduces unnecessary repositioning and equipment cycles. That lowers the energy footprint of every container handled.

Throughput uplift is also a strong indicator. At London Gateway, for example, standardised planning tools and infrastructure enabled throughput above 125% of the terminal’s original design capacity. The gain came not from more equipment, but from fewer clashes, fewer workarounds and clearer workflows.

Finally, forecast accuracy is emerging as a critical KPI. When terminals operate on shared data structures, they can anticipate yard pressure, equipment needs or berthing windows with much greater accuracy and adjust before issues escalate.

So, the KPI mix is changing: smarter trade is defined by predictability, energy efficiency and the ability to anticipate rather than react.

Q: What practical steps can emerging ports take to leapfrog years of development?

A: Emerging ports often face constraints that mature markets solved long ago: fragmented vendors, limited finance, shifting political pressure. Leapfrogging starts by avoiding the slowest parts of that journey.

First, adopt proven operational models early. Ports in East Africa, for example, are applying planning logic developed in more mature hubs. They are compressing what once took decades into a much shorter transition.

Second, invest in interoperable digital infrastructure on day one. Shared data structures make it easier to integrate tools later, including automation or predictive analytics. This reflects the journey from building to expanding to transforming that we see across our network. Starting with common systems and infrastructure, then scaling, and finally using data to unlock AI-driven insights.

Third, replicate physical layouts that support scalability. Standardised gate flows or yard blocks make expansion easier and reduce integration costs.

Finally, invest in people early. Technology only accelerates performance when teams understand the principles behind it.

Leapfrogging doesn’t mean copying mature markets. It means starting with foundations that don’t need rework.

Q: How can globally-unified systems be balanced with local regulatory and operational realities on the ground?

A: The balance comes from separating what must be unified from what must remain flexible. Planning logic, data definitions and workflow structure should be consistent across the network. But every port needs space to adapt those fundamentals to its own regulatory environment, labour conditions and inspection routines.

In practice, two terminals can use the same underlying model while following different customs procedures or safety steps. A well-designed system allows local configuration without changing the global backbone.

Co-design is essential. Working with port authorities, labour groups and customs teams ensures that global standards reflect real local constraints. This also builds ownership, which is a key factor for adoption.

There will always be trade-offs. Standardisation can feel top-down if not implemented carefully. But when teams see that it reduces workarounds, improves planning reliability and lowers operating effort, alignment follows quickly.

Unified systems work when they deliver consistency without imposing uniformity.

Q: What new capabilities or cost reductions will shippers and SMEs feel once standardisation is in place?

A: For SMEs, the biggest barrier in global trade is fragmentation. Standardisation reduces that by creating a more coherent experience across markets.

When ports operate on shared definitions and planning logic, shippers experience more reliable ETAs, fewer documentation issues and smoother multimodal connections. This matters especially to SMEs that lack large logistics teams.

Cost reductions follow naturally. Fewer rehandles, shorter queues and more predictable berth planning reduce the charges tied to delay and inefficiency. As processes scale across terminals, integration costs fall as well.

Standardisation also unlocks new capabilities. With aligned data, ports can provide inland visibility, more accurate forecasting and a single, connected face to customers across multiple markets. For SMEs exporting into unfamiliar regions, that means fewer surprises and faster onboarding.

As networks mature, the ‘transform’ phase becomes possible: using AI and machine learning to spot congestion patterns, optimise yard moves or predict equipment failures. For customers, that means issues are addressed before they feel them.

The result is simple: a trade experience that is faster, more predictable and easier to navigate.

Source: Supply Chain Digital