Stefanie Lange has been working on the implementation of an optical character recognition system (OCR) at HHLA PLT Italy in Trieste since October 2022. A project abroad right after her studies – and she seized the opportunity.
How did your decision to move to Trieste come about?
After completing my training, one of my managers asked me whether I could imagine taking on a job like this. Seriously? At first, I was overwhelmed! But then I thought: if I don’t have this experience abroad at the beginning of my professional life, then when?
What is your workplace like and how do you like your project team?
Together with our small four-member team I sit here in our office in close proximity to the approximately 140 employees at the terminal in Trieste. Interactions here are very familiar and I already know most of them by name. The colleagues are very nice, helpful and committed. Due to the nature of the project, I am in closest and most direct contact with the employees at the gate and the control room in charge of managing operations.
What are the tasks of the project team?
We install an OCR system at the terminal gate. The system ensures the automated recognition of previously registered trucks and their cargo, and it processes the information so that the trucks and their containers can be moved through the terminal more efficiently. For that, our project team requires the support of the employees at the gate because they possess irreplaceable practical experience. The same applies to the control room with its operational know-how. In turn, we closely involve those colleagues in the project.
And what are your personal tasks?
The OCR system and the project’s processes are fairly complex. I am in charge of holding the strings together, so to speak. Has our technical department forwarded all the essential information to our service providers, are deadlines being observed, have permits been requested and received, are we within budget? I have to have an overview of all that. I also define the requirements placed on the connected IT systems and the future changes to the existing processes so that the OCR can be used to its full extent in the future.
What do you see as your greatest challenge?
I gained a good amount of basic knowledge during my apprenticeship, but here in Trieste I also have to understand the details. Only then, I can make decisions and later explain why things are done in a certain way instead of another.
Do you speak Italian?
I am learning the language at home with an app, but here we almost always speak English any-way. However, when it comes to dealing with the authorities, I am glad to have the great help of my Italian colleague.
Do you deal with the authorities frequently?
Yes, because we need permits for almost all of our project. That could mean construction permits, for example for the installation of license plate cameras at the gate or for modifications to roads and streets.
Which advantages will the system create for HHLA PLT Italy?
OCR is quite used in different ports in Italy for example in Genova and Vado. It will be the first live in Trieste, but HHLA has been using the system at other container terminals for a long time now because it significantly expedites processes at the gate. It accelerates truck traffic, thus preventing long queue and jams. In the end, this leads to higher overall productivity. The system will greatly simplify the work of the employees at the entrance of the terminal since, for example, paper documents will be used less frequently.
About...
Stefanie Lange, 25 years old, grew up in Glinde near Hamburg, Germany, and completed a dual study programme: this involved practical training at HHLA, supplemented by logistics management studies at the Hamburg School of Business Administration. “I loved my time with the company during my apprenticeship.” says Stefanie, “especially because of the diverse insights into different departments.” She wrote her bachelor’s thesis on the topic of hydrogen.
