Oosto Uses Facial Recognition to Streamline Port Logistics

One of Israel’s top logistics companies is using Oosto’s surveillance technologies to streamline cargo and shipping operations at its Port of Ashdod facility. Group 207 currently operates a 70,000 square-meter space, and has deployed Oosto’s OnAccess facial recognition solution to verify the identities of handlers and drivers coming to the port to pick up goods.

According to Group 207, the arrangement has dramatically reduced its processing times, which has in turn lowered operational costs and improved the overall employee experience. In the past, the company used to check each driver’s identity documents and shipping paperwork manually. That process was time-consuming, and created backlogs when multiple drivers were trying to get through.

With Oosto, on the other hand, identity verification is carried out with facial recognition. The technology eliminates the need for manual checks, and has reduced wait times by as much as 15 to 20 minutes for the average driver.

“Before we implemented Oosto, we had a problem with identification which required a truck driver to provide his paperwork to a receptionist who would then work to identify the driver and certify that the paperwork was correct,” explained Group 207 COO Ofer Margules. “Now, we don’t need the paperwork, we don’t need the receptionist. The truck driver just goes to a kiosk, the system recognizes the driver and he can access the cargo he came for.”

Oosto suggested that its solution can help smooth over some of the supply chain issues that have cropped up during the COVID-19 pandemic. The volume in container fleets has doubled in the past few years, and a more efficient identification system can prevent pileups and get more goods into general circulation.

“This demonstrates the value that real-time facial recognition can offer logistics service providers in today’s capacity-constrained supply chain environment,” said Oosto Central Europe and Israel Sales Director Ofer Schmidt. “We can accurately measure the man-hours saved, both on the part of the drivers and in terms of Group 207’s own manpower, and deliver a rapid return on investment.”

Oosto’s tech has previously been used for access control at a residential complex in Tel Aviv. The company has also encouraged governments to create guidelines that can ensure the ethical use of facial recognition technologies.

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February 15, 2022 – by Eric Weiss