Co-authored by
Jose Reyes, Architect and Head of Development, SSA Marine Mexico
By integrating Oracle’s low-code platform into its port systems, SSA Marine Mexico eliminated the third-party service charges and licenses linked to its service portal and development tools on mobile, building a single, high-performing operational backbone.
Business Challenges
SSA Marine Mexico’s multipurpose site located in Manzanillo (formerly “Operadora de la Cuenca del Pacífico”) operates in the port and logistics sector, providing container vessel operations, storage, and inbound/outbound cargo handling since 1995. Before adopting Oracle APEX, SSA Marine Mexico used legacy tools and platforms, leading to slow-release cycles, maintenance expenses, and increasing technical constraints—characterized by diversified architecture with various satellite systems in different languages and databases, siloed data and duplicate records. Each technology required a specialized professional, and the lack of proper integration hindered growth and maintenance, making the overall environment difficult to manage.
This was compounded by difficulty integrating data across its various operational terminals, impacting not just physical locations but also the (BITA) system’s capacity as a multi-location, multi-terminal, and multi-cargo type solution for managing all import and export operations. These factors, together, hampered operational responsiveness.
“Oracle APEX was the key to simplifying our complex IT landscape. We unified five separate legacy tools into a single application, BITA, which now automates 95% of our operational workflows. This not only increased our efficiency but also gave us the agility to respond to market demands in real-time.”
— Jose Reyes, Architect and Head of Development, SSA Marine Mexico
Why SSA Marine Mexico Chose Oracle APEX
APEX proved capable of unifying complex and legacy tools into a single low-code solution.
In addition to security and scalability, the new features delivery time was the primary factor in choosing the Oracle APEX low-code platform, as operations could not be interrupted. SSA Marine Mexico’s journey with APEX began 14 years ago when the technical team needed a platform with a short learning curve to migrate the existing Simaport solution to what would become the BITA.
Results
From complexity to excellence: complete modernization and real-time operational efficiency.
With Oracle APEX, SSA Marine Mexico transformed BITA into its core internal application to provide end-to-end management, control, visibility, and tracking of import/export operations across all business areas. The solution manages cargo movement, coordinates logistics, and integrates data with customs, carriers, and client systems. It also generates analytics and reports that help optimize processes, reducing vessel and cargo wait times at the port, enabling agile decision-making at all organizational levels.
The APEX implementation has also given teams greater mobility, reduced operational bottlenecks, and made port operations more integrated, efficient, and better equipped to respond quickly to business demands. BITA, as the digital center of the Multipurpose Terminal, automated 95% of workflowsand helped ensure that all processes complied with the required regulations.
The success of the modernization strategy served as a powerful key performance indicator. As a result, the development team was able to dedicate more time to a new series of strategic innovations, and SSA Marine Mexico strengthened its collaboration with clients and port authorities, improving the visibility, accuracy, and reliability of the exchanged data. As work and information exchange became centralized, including self-service capabilities, decision-making became real-time, greatly reducing errors and rework.
A Modern, Centralized Architecture
SSA Marine Mexico’s technology strategy for its BITA application relies on a robust, centralized architecture in Oracle AI Database. With this approach, all business logic and data validation are handled at the database level, leaving Oracle APEX mainly for providing a contemporary and user-friendly environment. Managing the application layer and securing access are tasks that the APEX platform handles, while Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS) is the layer that offers the necessary agility for collaborations and integration with external systems. The output is a unified, highly effective system whose changes are being securely controlled through a clearly defined development process with Development, Quality Assurance, and Production environments, thus ensuring the stability of operations while constantly progressing.
The transformation of the company through the use of technology has been thoroughly accomplished. Getting rid of all the intricacies and expenses dealing with the old technologies, the company is now simply working on Oracle Database and that it has completely switched all the legacy applications to Oracle APEX 24.2.
BITA Roadmap
Continuous innovation towards AI is the next chapter in the digital transformation of SSA Marine Mexico
SSA Marine Mexico shapes its future as a growth engine and a means to enhance operational efficiency. The company is devising several strategic moves that would not only radically change the way it operates but also significantly increase its competitiveness. For example, the company plans to use Artificial Intelligence to not only improve the software development process but also the experience of the end-users. This, in turn, will allow the BITA system to keep changing at a fast pace and provide smart features to its users. Besides, security will be increased by adding two-factor authentication, and the expansion into international markets will be facilitated by multi-language applications, which is quite logical given the company’s worldwide services. These initiatives, along with a possible migration to the cloud, position SSA Marine to lead innovation in the logistics and port sector at a regional level.
About the Customer
SSA Marine is part of a global group that operates more than 250 port and logistics terminals in 9 countries, with strategic partnerships with global shipping companies and port authorities throughout the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
SSA Marine (Operadora de la Cuenca del Pacífico) is a Mexican company specializing in port and logistics services, operating in containerized cargo handling, warehouse operation, transportation, and integrated terminal management. Learn More About the BITA System.
Product list: Oracle APEX, Oracle AI Database, Oracle REST Data Services (ORDS)