STOS vs Navis N4

Navis N4 from Kaleris is the reference terminal operating system for large deep-sea container terminals. This is an honest look at where it leads, and where a Navis N4 alternative built for Pakistan Customs, off-dock terminals and dry ports makes more sense.

If you run a high-volume deep-sea container terminal with complex berth, vessel and crane planning across multiple gantries, Navis N4 is a proven and capable platform. If you run an off-dock terminal, dry port, CFS, bonded warehouse or empty yard in Pakistan and need native WeBOC customs reporting, Pakistan Single Window and PortVerse connectivity, mixed cargo in one system, local implementation and a lower total cost of ownership, STOS is the better fit.

At a glance

Navis N4 vs STOS: side by side

Evaluation criteriaSTOSNavis N4 (Kaleris)
Primary design targetOff-dock, dry port, CFS, bonded, empty yardLarge deep-sea container terminals
WeBOC customs EDI reportingNativeLocalisation project
Pakistan Single Window and PortVerseNativeLocalisation project
Berth, vessel and crane optimisation at scaleTerminal scopeCategory leader
Mixed cargo: CY, CFS and break bulk togetherNativeConfigurable
Shipping line EDI: CODECO, Maersk, Hapag LloydNativeNative
Unlimited users and rolesIncludedAsk vendor
On-premises and cloud deploymentBothBoth
Implementation team locationKarachi, PakistanGlobal and partner network
Implementation timelineQuickEnterprise programme
Support model and relative TCOLocal 24/7 / lowerGlobal / enterprise

What is Navis N4?

Navis N4, now part of the Kaleris portfolio, is one of the most widely deployed terminal operating systems in the world and the long-standing reference platform for large container terminals.

Its strength is depth at scale: vessel and berth planning, yard strategy, crane and equipment optimisation, and the operational control that a high-throughput deep-sea terminal needs across thousands of moves a day.

Notable strengths

  • Deep vessel, berth and yard planning for high-volume terminals
  • Equipment and crane optimisation with a long operational track record
  • Large global install base and a broad partner and integrator ecosystem
  • Mature extension and automation framework for complex terminals

What is STOS?

STOS (Smart Terminal Operating System) by Ciphertronix runs the whole terminal from one platform: cargo, gate, shed and examinations, finance and accounts, and analytics, with real-time visibility across every module.

It was written around the way Pakistani facilities actually work, so import CFS and CY flows, transhipment, export loading programs and the customs EDI messages that go with each step are product behaviour rather than a customisation.

Notable strengths

  • Gate-in, grounding, de-stuffing and gate-out reported to customs automatically
  • Containerised and non-containerised cargo in one gate, yard and billing system
  • Multi-currency tariffs, storage, waivers and bill-to-line built into the invoice flow
  • Unlimited users and roles, device-agnostic access, local 24/7 support
Why STOS

Where STOS fits better than an enterprise platform

  • The Pakistani market is mostly off-dock terminals, dry ports and ICDs, CFS, bonded warehouses and empty yards, not mega container terminals, and STOS is scoped for exactly that
  • Customs reporting is native, so you are not funding a localisation project before you go live
  • You pay for the terminal you run, not for deep-sea planning capability a smaller facility will never use
  • Implementation, training and support come from Karachi, in your time zone and your working week
  • Unlimited users and roles, so gate clerks, tally clerks, weighbridge operators, billing and management all work in the same system
  • Workflow customisation for niche operations without a global change-control queue
Local integration

Pakistan customs and community systems

This is the clearest difference between STOS and a global platform. In STOS, every operational event that customs needs to see is an automatic EDI message: vessel arrival and IGM detail come in, and gate-in, grounding, de-stuffing with the tally sheet and per-index detail, weighment and gate-out go back out. Terminal staff work the operation, and the reporting follows.

STOS is built and maintained for WeBOC, Pakistan Customs' Web Based One Customs platform, for Pakistan Single Window (PSW), and for PortVerse, the national Port Community System developed by Pakistan Single Window (pcs.gov.pk). As Pakistan's customs environment moves on, including PACE, keeping pace with it is Ciphertronix product work rather than a change request you have to raise, scope and pay for. Alongside that, STOS exchanges OPIA, OGDE and OEHC messages and connects to CODECO, Maersk, Hapag Lloyd and weighbridge systems.

Balanced view

When Navis N4 is the right choice

No single terminal operating system suits every facility. Navis N4 is the stronger option in these cases:

  • High-volume deep-sea container terminals with heavy berth, vessel and crane planning
  • Automated or semi-automated terminals needing a mature equipment control layer
  • Global operators standardising every terminal in the group on one enterprise platform
  • Facilities with the budget, internal IT capacity and timeline for an enterprise programme
Due diligence

Questions to ask any global TOS vendor

  • Is WeBOC EDI reporting shipped product, a partner adapter, or a bespoke integration on this deployment?
  • Who builds and pays for the change when the customs message specification is updated, and how quickly?
  • Is PSW and PortVerse connectivity in scope of the licence, or a separate professional services line?
  • Can the same instance run CY, CFS and break bulk, plus bonded and empty yard movements, without a second system?
  • Where will the implementation and support team physically be, and what are their hours in Pakistan Standard Time?
  • What does the licence cost as user count, facilities or throughput grow?
Deployments

Which terminals use STOS?

STOS powers terminal operations at Fasttrack, Baywest Terminal, Supreme Terminal, Sky Media (SKM), ICT Terminal and AICT Terminal, across Pakistan and international locations.

FAQ

Navis N4 vs STOS: FAQ

Is STOS a good Navis N4 alternative?

For a Pakistani terminal, yes. Navis N4 is the established platform for large deep-sea container terminals. STOS is a Navis N4 alternative aimed at the facilities that make up most of Pakistan's terminal market: off-dock terminals, dry ports and ICDs, container freight stations, bonded warehouses and empty container yards. It ships native EDI reporting to Pakistan Customs, integrates with Pakistan Single Window and its PortVerse Port Community System, and is implemented and supported from Karachi.

Does Navis N4 support WeBOC and Pakistan Single Window out of the box?

WeBOC, Pakistan Single Window and PortVerse are Pakistan-specific systems, so on any global platform they are normally handled as a localisation or custom integration project rather than a shipped feature. If you are evaluating Navis N4, ask Kaleris directly whether WeBOC EDI reporting, PSW and PortVerse messaging are delivered as standard product, as a partner-built adapter, or as a bespoke integration, and who owns the change when the customs specification is updated. STOS ships that customs reporting natively.

Navis N4 vs STOS: which is better for a Pakistani terminal?

It depends on the terminal. For a high-volume deep-sea container terminal running complex berth, vessel and crane optimisation across multiple ship-to-shore gantries, Navis N4 is a proven choice with deep planning capability. For an off-dock terminal, dry port, CFS or bonded facility that needs native Pakistan customs reporting, mixed cargo handling, local implementation and a lower total cost of ownership, STOS is the better fit.

What kind of terminals is STOS built for?

STOS is built for mixed operations rather than a single cargo type. It handles CY (full container load) and CFS (less than container load) flows, break bulk handled piece by piece, cross stuffing and transhipment, and empty container movements, all in the same gate, yard, billing and reporting system. That mix matches off-dock terminals, dry ports and ICDs, container freight stations, bonded warehouses and empty yards.

Which terminals use STOS?

STOS powers terminal operations at Fasttrack, Baywest Terminal, Supreme Terminal, Sky Media (SKM), ICT Terminal and AICT Terminal, across Pakistan and international locations.

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See STOS in action

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