Shipex now uses SCR and stopped using pincodes

"There is a tremendous need for advanced safety within container handling" acknowledges Nils Van Dessel, the Operations Director by Shipex. "As a company, we want to contribute actively by jumping on the train of Secure Container Release (SCR). SCR is a concrete and tangible innovation for a problem that has long been waiting to be solved. Today SCR is, therefore, the only alternative to PIN codes."

"A large part of our chain already works PIN-free. That's pretty fast! For example, we have already forwarded container releases to our carriers without pin codes. Some of them are small companies with minimal IT infrastructure. We have noticed that the onboarding of SCR is also very smooth for them, so it is an accessible solution."

Eva Peeters, the Import Manager at Shipex, states that "the way of working with SCR is very similar to how we used to work but without pin codes. The web application works smoothly and is always available. The last step that has to be done is the driver who picks up the container at the terminal. This is currently being worked on behind the scenes! We hope that different shipping companies and terminals will join the ranks and use the same platform, providing everyone with an advantage. A one-stop-shop solution is not only fundamental to us but everyone within the ports. No one can benefit from multiple programs and options, which will only result in fragmentation and additional costs and make it difficult to maintain an overview of processes."

Nils emphasizes that "a significant added value of SCR is that our commercial information, such as with whom we work, remains confidential. There is no central database, and by using our identity wallet, we manage our access to the SCR application ourselves! This wallet contains information regarding whom we work with; these are the so-called connections. For example, we have already made various connections with carriers, to whom we now transfer PIN code-free releases. This information is exceptionally private as we are the only ones with access to it. Thanks to blockchain technology, the data is stored decentrally, which means no one, even T-Mining, can access our private information. We find this quite revolutionary and shows a progressive vision! After all, it is about our information and therefore our revenue model."

"Creating our account on SCR went smoothly", said Eva. "There was a slight issue creating one of the user accounts. However, Stella quickly resolved it, who guided us through onboarding and dealt with our queries quickly, professionally and personally. As good support service remains essential, I want it to be dealt with swiftly and responsibly if there is an issue.

In the beginning, the Identity wallet took a bit of time getting used to for Eva: "When logging on, you only have to enter a password, and it felt a bit unsafe at first. However, a technical employee from T-Mining explained that these wallets are more secure than what we are used to from banking applications which use Two-Factor authentication to prevent someone else from logging in with your password and therefore your identity. The comparison with phishing made it more straightforward for me, though I can still pass on my bank card code reader after all. With the SCR Identity wallet, you can only log in via your company network. So there is no way to pass it on, even if I wanted to" Eva laughs!

Nil adds that they "have a tremendous amount of confidence in our employees and our partners with whom we work with daily. Before we enter into a new partnership, we do multiple checks. We typically first check whether the party exists, and we do numerous reference checks to determine whether it is a reliable party. Trust within our sector is very important! We never work with strangers - it's a matter of common sense. Our methodology is also reflected in the SCR application. For example, you must connect with the company in question before you can transfer a release. Only our administrator of the SCR app can set up this connection. Due to this, an employee cannot just release a container to any random party."

"An additional advantage of pin code-free release is that fewer errors can occur." Eva notes that "it used to happen that someone within the chain would make a typo and switch two numbers. It is very annoying as then the container cannot be released, and who would have the correct PIN code?" 

"Typically, not much should go wrong with container releases, or you will lose your margin as a forwarder", Nils concludes. "One mistake and your reputation will have a dent. We prefer to play it safe - as the customer always prefers extra checks and that the customer will always want to be up to date."