HarborLab launches DEX, an AI assistant for DA evaluation teams

HarborLab, an AI-powered platform for port cost management, has introduced DEX, an AI assistant designed to streamline the review of port expenses on Demurrage Accounts (DAs). This tool allows analysts to focus on decisions that require human judgment, rather than spending time on routine checks. DA analysts, possessing expertise in tariffs, ports, and agents, must scrutinize every line of every DA, even when it's clear that further scrutiny is unnecessary.

Confirming pilotage that aligns with tariffs consumes as much time as examining a line that demands closer examination, while the increasing volume of port calls outpaces the teams tasked with reviewing them. DEX alleviates this burden by handling routine checks, enabling analysts to concentrate on exceptions. Integrated into HarborLab’s DA evaluation page, DEX scrutinizes Proforma and Final Disbursement Accounts for commercial port calls.

Each port expense is compared against the relevant port tariff, validated against historical Final DA data, and categorized as correct, incorrect, or open to negotiation. Clarifications are consolidated into a single email to the agent, and on Proformas, expenses that comply with the company’s approval rules can be approved automatically.

For Final DAs, expenses are cross-referenced with supporting documents and checked against live tariffs. Control remains with the customer, as DEX functions under rules agreed upon with each company, and each step can either be manually monitored or run automatically, based on the company’s preferences. DEX never approves a DA or sends emails autonomously.

Every action is meticulously recorded, ensuring teams are always aware of DEX’s activities and the analysts' approvals. HarborLab tested DEX on its own DA desk before making it accessible to customers. According to Antonis Malaxianakis, HarborLab’s Founder and CEO, "Every port call concludes with a DA, and every line of that DA undergoes scrutiny, whether it necessitates it or not.

DEX alters where that attention is directed. It performs the routine tasks under the rules set by each company, while preserving the decision-making authority for its human analysts. We subjected it to our own DA desk first, adhering to the standards we impose upon ourselves. We are now unveiling it to the industry." DEX is constructed on HarborLab’s platform, which processes over 40,000 port calls annually across more than 1,400 ports.

Utilizing HarborLab’s platform, operators achieve an average of $700 in savings per port call, with these savings accumulating substantially for larger fleets. DEX is tailored for DA teams managing commercial port calls at ship owners, commercial traders, and charterers. Teams can schedule a live demonstration from today, and HarborLab is gradually onboarding customers, commencing this year.