The heading "ASSETS and RESOURCES " covers sub-headings on "Infrastructures", "Equipment", "computerisation of operations" and "Marketing Activities".

Infrastructures

In conducting its activities, SOBEMAP has large storage infrastructures including 

  • 8 hangars

  • 6 conventional stations (4 of which are 155 m and 2, 180 m)

  • 1 220 m container station

  • 1 post of 200 m for off-loading heavy goods (clinker and gypsum)

  • 6 stores each covering an area of 23 758,67 m�

  • 4 reservations strips each covering an area of  6 751,19 m�

  • 1 full container park covering an area of 38 464 m�

  • 3 empty container parks covering an area of 11 805 m�

  • 1 handling machines mechanic workshop covering an area of  4 500 m�

  • 1 single tampon park covering an area of 51 953 m�

Equipment

In the last few years, SOBEMAP, in the desire to offer customers quality services, acquired a new set of  equipment for its machine garage. Today, the company has:

  • One hundred lifting machines with forklifts and/or spreaders with a capacity of between 2 and 48 tons.

  • 30 hangar and road tractors with capacities varying between 23 and 60 tons.

  • Fifty equipments, three of which are in the special category used in processing bulk cargo.  These include trip buckets, suction dredgers, chargers, swing bars and other working tools.

To summarise, SOBEMAP has a pool of machines for each type of operations with the possibility of direct lifting from the under-hoist of conveying vessels, which enables it to perform satisfactorily in the processing of vessels.


The machine pool is monitored and serviced by a repairs and maintenance section; this ensures that machines are always available.

Computerisation of operations

The computerisation of handling operations was introduced to SOBEMAP in 1987 and was boosted in 1993 through the addition of logistic and complementary aspects that are continuously updated.

 This is the case of the Vessel Computer processing method (VCPM), which makes it possible to quickly assess the precise cost of loading and offloading a vessel. This new method ensures the computerised management of the ships stopover processed by SOBEMAP, their cargo, and the resources used to accomplish the task. All these information make it possible to obtain reliable statistics about tonnage per vessel, per ship-owner, and according to goods.

With this computer revolution, time management of handling operations can be controlled and consequently, this ensures that ship-owners do not stay too long at the Cotonou Port.

The other innovation is the fact that this computerisation programme was extended to the most sensitive sectors of the container terminal. It is necessary to stress here that all that is required is to mention the name of the vessel and the number of the container for the computer to display the position of the container in the storage park.

The mechanic workshop benefits from this innovation through a software that makes the management of spare part supplies more efficient.

The Financial Department was not left out in this computer revolution. Today, it edits all the financial statements in record time. The Financial Department was consolidated by a new and efficient IBM As 400 hardware because of increased traffic.

As for the Marketing Department, many reforms have been undertaken at this level to replace the archaic information processing system. The lowest of SOBEMAP's bills is computerised today, thus ensuring rapidity in the processing of all accounting documents.  

All these computer arsenal have made waste of time a thing of the past, and to strengthen the mans of taking action and increasing the profits of the company

Marketing Activities

The different marketing activities undertaken by SOBEMAP in the past few years include:

  • Sales promotions to attract new customers in order to increase SOBEMAP's  customer portfolio.

  • Adverts inserted in national newspapers  and international magazines.

  • SOBEMAP's financial contribution to the realisation of some national and international cultural, social and humanitarian events  .

  • Activities to ensure that customers remain faithful through the application of very attractive tariffs

 

 


bd de la marina Cotonou / Tel:(229) 31 41 45 / 31 36 07 Fax: (229) 31 53 71
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