DAKOSY: From ZAPP to EMP in the Port of Hamburg

The IT platform ZAPP – the comprehensive and mandatory IT system for the customs export process in the Port of Hamburg – is being revamped and renamed. All functionalities will henceforth be bundled and further developed under the name EMP. New features include a web application that integrates all current ZAPP applications, a unified login for status inquiries, intuitive user interfaces, and the establishment of the XML standard for all interfaces.

(Hamburg) The Hamburg software provider DAKOSY, operator of the IT platform ZAPP (Customs Export Monitoring in the Paperless Port), has planned a total of four years for this major technical project. The pilot phase is already underway. The future investment is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. The initiative is supported by DAKOSY’s shareholders and thus by the Hamburg seaport economy. “The development is clearly reflected externally by the new naming.

Under the brand EMP, we are bringing together the entire ZAPP family, including all services such as ZAPP@Gate and ZAPP@Status,” explains Kai Stanislaus, who is responsible for the project at DAKOSY. This is about much more than just a new name. It primarily expresses the unification and bundling of the evolved structures under one roof.

Testing Phase with EUROGATE

The central content innovation for users is reflected in the new EMP web application. Stanislaus outlines its advantages: “The web application is the showcase for authorized users to access the export data exchanged via the platform. It offers, among other things, a modern user interface, many filtering options, and a unified login.” Initial results from the testing phase with EUROGATE show easier handling and an improved workflow as a result. The customs office has been fully integrated into the innovations from the start. The Hamburg Customs Office – AG 30 – is already working entirely with the provided EMP web application.

Technical Focus on XML Interface

However, the main part of the project occurs invisibly for the users. Stanislaus estimates that about seven-eighths of the technical innovations are running in the background. A focus is on establishing XML interfaces for data transmission, an internationally recognized standard. The Behlich Customs Agency from Hamburg served as the pilot partner for the important Port Order XML interface in this context.

Working Hand in Hand with the Port Economy

ZAPP was introduced in 1997 by DAKOSY in collaboration with the port economy to ensure the mandatory electronic provision of all export data to customs at that time. Since then, new services have continuously been added for simple, fast, and paperless information flows for exports. All further developments are collaboratively worked on and implemented in the specially established ZAPP working group with representatives from freight forwarding companies, container terminals, packing companies, carriers, customs, and DAKOSY.

Photo: © DAKOSY