Ensemble digitises workforce scheduling at ABP’s Port of Newport

Ensemble has signed a contract with Associated British Ports (ABP) to modernise workforce planning at the Port of Newport using its AI-driven scheduling platform, Athena. The deployment marks a key step in ABP’s ongoing digital transformation.

Athena uses machine learning to create optimal workforce schedules in seconds, ensuring the right people with the right skills are assigned at the right time. Purpose-built for the complexities of port operations, the platform accounts for variable demand, multiple skill sets, and safety-critical requirements.

By digitising the scheduling process, Athena enables Newport’s planning team to make faster, data-led decisions while improving shift balance and operational efficiency. Since April 1, 2025, the Port has been using Athena daily to manage labour deployment.

“Athena has given the team the ability to plan labour by lunchtime for the following day and beyond,” said Craig Stephen, Head of Operations at ABP’s Port of Newport. “This provides the management team with the time and insight needed to make better decisions.”

Katie Pearce, Operations Planning Manager, added: “Setup took less than a day, and by the end of that day, we were already testing schedules. The Ensemble team were responsive, open to feedback, and quick to adapt the tool as we used it.”

Cato Davies, CEO of Ensemble, said: “The Port of Newport deployment has been a great success thanks to the support of the ABP team. We’re proud to help streamline operations and look forward to further enhancing workforce efficiency.”

The collaboration follows a successful trial under the UK Department for Transport’s Freight Innovation Fund (2024–2025). Ensemble continues to work with multiple UK ports to optimise workforce scheduling, addressing the sector’s challenges of fluctuating vessel arrivals, multi-skilled teams, and complex shift patterns.

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