Port Kembla Gateway Pty Ltd Case Study
How a busy port terminal transformed its induction process with Altora's solutions
Port Kembla Gateway (PKG) is a diverse Australian port terminal operation and maritime business centre in Port Kembla, New South Wales.
Established in 1991, PKG is an essential hub for maritime activities, including bulk and general cargo operations, warehousing and storage, vessel layby, maritime office space and weighbridge services. It’s diversified its operations into transport and logistics, including rail and storage.
PKG is known for intermodal and storage flexibility and for solving complex logistical problems. It’s also widely celebrated for conducting business relationships with reliability, efficiency, and integrity.
THE CHALLENGE
How to manage multiple compliance hoops within diverse operations
As a leading port terminal operator, PKG’s mission is to provide diverse solutions to meet client needs. However, in 2017, it was clear that PKG’s induction and compliance processes needed updating to meet the ever-increasing demand for its services.
So PKG sought Altora’s help.
After hearing about the challenges, we knew PKG would need a cohesive system to:
- handle diverse needs and various compliance standards
- manage remote and on-site inductions
- work with employees, contractors and site visitors
- track compliance requirements
- meet strict workplace safety obligations.
THE SOLUTION
Customised induction and training with compliance tracking and ongoing support
A critical consideration for Altora’s proposed solution was that PKG’s operations spanned several industries, including shipping cargo, stevedoring, transport (including rail) and logistics. With different safety requirements across these industry areas, our solution had to be robust, adaptable and highly responsive.
We recommended our Online Induction System, which we could customise to meet PKG’s requirements. For example, we adapted induction courses for:
- general staff inductions
- truck driver-specific inductions
- visitor inductions.
Accessible online from a simple dashboard, the System was quick to set up, easy to use and straightforward to manage.
It also accommodated comprehensive user management. This would allow PKG to use the “inactivate” functionality to ensure they worked with the most recent and accurate data. In this way, PKG managed high volumes of active users in the Online Induction System.
Compliance tracking was critical to the System’s ability to meet PKG needs. With workers in diverse industry areas, all with different (and sometimes competing) workplace safety requirements, effectively managing and monitoring this information was critical.
Worker safety is paramount, enforcement is stringent, and penalties for breaching workplace safety requirements are often severe, causing massive financial and reputational harm to high-safety stakes operations such as PKG.
PKG relied on Altora’s System:
- So workers could easily upload proof of essential documents such as licences.
- To cross-check contractor insurance such as workers’ compensation and public liability.
- To monitor whether its contractor companies were meeting worker compliance obligations.
Altora’s Online Induction System quickly became a critical risk management tool for PKG.
Altora went further, providing ongoing support to PKG, including:
- regular system updates
- “how-to” guides to give users quick and easy starts
- semi-regular progress meetings with PKG management.
Even better, we also worked with any PKG requests for ongoing customisation.
The solution is an example of Altora’s commitment to outstanding service, hard-working solutions and ongoing adaptability.
"Our relationship with Altora is very much a partnership catering to Port Kembla Gateway’s needs and ideal solutions. Altora is so flexible and adaptable. The ability to customise it, with its clean interface and quick processes, has been a massive boost to this aspect of our operations.
THE RESULT
Streamlined processes transform induction and compliance
Since September 2017, PKG has inducted more than 2600 workers using Altora’s Online Induction System. Fast-forward to September 2024, and PKG has more than 2,200 active users across various industry areas.
Even better, users complete an average of 50 site inductions (including workplace safety content) per month, with more than 2800 course completions since 2017.
There’s ongoing compliance tracking for contractor and worker insurance and certifications. PKG’s managers report increased operational efficiency because inductions are managed via a central dashboard with the flexibility for remote inductions.
The bottom line? Altora’s System is more than software. It’s a way to achieve smoother operations, meticulous compliance and peace of mind. No wonder PKG is a thriving port terminal and business hub.
At a glance
Client: Port Kembla Gateway
Industry: Shipping cargo, stevedoring, road and rail transport, logistics
Challenges
- Managing worker induction across diverse industry areas
- Ensuring compliance in different industry areas with different safety requirements
- Ensuring efficiency during the induction process
Product
It’s interesting that a unified system can support diversification, but that’s exactly what Altora does. Because the system is so streamlined and flexible, we can offer it across our operations, from maritime to rail ops. From shipping to logistics. It’s an absolute win for our company, and knowing that we can effectively track workplace safety and compliance measures is invaluable.
Brian Kiely,
General Manager, Port Kembla Gateway
