Brochure-integrated-container-terminal-planning-optimization-EN.pdf

8/17/2019 Brochure-integrated-container-terminal-planning-optimization-EN.pdf

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Fully integratedcontainer terminal

planning and optimization

PORTS & TERMINALS


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SUPPLY CHAIN PLANNING & OPTIMIZATION 2

FULLY INTEGRATED CONTAINER TERMINAL P LANNING AND OPTI MIZATION

PORTS & TERMINALS

Planning for container terminal (CT) operations comes

with its own unique set of challenges. Plans and

schedules require regular revision due to delays caused

by extreme weather, demand and workforce need

fluctuations. Competition is fierce and literally right next

Complex operations,extreme challenges –one customized solution

Container Terminals have extremely complex and

dynamic operations which often require spur of the

moment decisions. Data is generally available, but

rarely used effectively – if at all – resulting in sub-

optimal choices.

Fortunately, the reverse is also true. A good planning

system works with the terminal operating system and

gives end-to-end visibility of your integrated terminal

operations. It allows you to do more with less and enables

quick and seamless decision making by empowering

planners with all the support they need to make the best

decisions. It grows with the terminal to solve problemsand respond effectively as the situation changes.

This, in turn, allows you to plan and subsequently

respond to any conceivable scenario. When planners

have the ability to make optimal choices, operations run

smoothly. This results in increased savings, margins,

efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Increasingefficiency

door. New players are designed to be larger, automated

and very efficient. This creates a need for ver y high

service and planning levels that maximize profit margins.

And this is where the Quintiq solution comes in.


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PORTS & TERMINALS

Your TOS’ ideal partnerWhile the benefits of a terminal operating system (TOS) are clear, so are its limitations. A TOS supports the storage

and delivery of information and can make users aware of disruptions but does little to respond intelligently to

changes in circumstances. Quintiq complements your TOS in order to best advance your operations in accordance

to your business goals.

What a TOS does • Tracks, records and stores data

• Focuses on the past and present

- Records activities done in the terminal.

E.g. records which containers were moved on

which vessel, by which cranes and where theywere stacked in the yard and where they were

sent inland

- Discovers problems only as they occur

What the Quintiq software does • E xcels at using data intelligently to create optimal

plans and what-if scenarios

• Help planners anticipate future needs across all

planning horizons

- On a longer horizon, Quintiq can determineoptimal berth and yard allocation and equipment

assignation for arriving vessels and containers

- Uses up-to-the-minute information to propose

best alternative plan

• Highlights the consequences of a change or

disruption to give the planner options and

additional time to react

• Sends updated plans to planners and oper ators

to allow for optimization across operations

• Informs planners when operations are not going

according to plan

• F ilters information for planners so they have all

the relevant information they need to make

the best plan without being overwhelmed with

unnecessary information


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PORTS & TERMINALS

How optimized

is your system?

Does your current planning system:

• Produce optimal results?

• Generate plans based on realistic forecasts,existing resources and yard capacity?

• Automate an intelligent decision-making processwhen the information flow is too great for thehuman mind to deal with?

• Fit your business rules perfectly?

• Minimize violations of business rules andconstraints?

• Keep your forecast aligned with reality?

• Pr ioritize business benefits?

• Provide immediate KPI-based feedback on thequality of decisions before the decisions are

implemented?• Support planners with fast calculations,

suggestions, alerts and intuitive visualizations?

• Minimize the impact of disruptions?

• Work seamlessly with your TOS?

• Put your planner in charge while offeringsupport in terms of full visibility andautomatically generated optimal planning?

• Swiftly determine the consequences of

changes to the rest of your plan?• Communicate revised plans across operations?


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PORTS & TERMINALS

A new CT is scheduled to start operations later this

year. It is larger, more efficient, fully automated and

built to accommodate larger vessels and has the

ability to handle a greater number of containers.

Operating with thinner margins or even at a loss,

offering lower rates, faster service (hiring people as

needed), etc.

Planning and scheduling reduces operating costs and

increases efficiency and throughput. With a higher

profit margin and stable customer satisfaction, you

remain competitive and profitable.

Intelligent response:

Are you planning in an optimal way?

Competition

Extreme weather forces the terminal or even the por t

to close.

When it reopens, CTs are faced with long queues of

vessels, each demanding to be served.

There is no master plan because it takes too much

effort to create one. Vessels are accepted on a

first-come-first-served basis or priority is given to

whichever vessel shouts the loudest.

Everything is shuffled.

Extra crew members, terminal workers, quay craneoperators are hired to get things back on schedule.

The extra cost is accepted, in order to satisfy

customers.

Planners can incorporate additional information

quickly and easily. This helps planners with

prioritization and with balancing commercial and

logistical issues that arise from such an event. Within

minutes, the most efficient solution is proposed and,

upon acceptance, shared across operations.

Delay

Scenarios Standard response Quintiq response


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PORTS & TERMINALS

The number of vessels and volume of containers you

need to service changes all the time, putting extra

strain on the terminal which needs to be able to adapt

to this ever-changing situation.

Scheduling vessels becomes a challenge when

the exact number and type keep changing.

Unpredictability also affects strategic planning

decisions like whether to invest in an additional quay

crane which may or may not be needed in the future.

Changes are dealt with as they occur and additional

costs are accepted as necessary. However, without

full visibility across terminal operations, the full

cost of the “best” reaction is only seen and felt

later.

The planner takes the information that is known to

create and compare numerous scenarios, how they

affect operations end-to-end and their effect on the

KPIs.

The solution supports the planner’s soft knowledge

and expertise so that optimal plans are found and

the planner is ready for all possible situations.

Demand

Your planner receives thousands of lines of

information that need to be sorted through. Updated

plans then have to be shared with other planners.

All this is done manually, which is slow and highly

susceptible to error.

With no better way of doing things, the planner goes

through all the items one by one. The revised plan

is often printed out and delivered to other planners

who then have to enter it into their own systems.

Planning and system data is integrated so different

planning areas – yard planning, berth planning,

gateway planning, workforce planning, etc. – update

each other within seconds. Integration between

areas improves flexibility and the ability to respond to

change.

In addition to the great value this brings in terms of

visibility and reducing labor, it also means planners

can focus on making a good plan rather than one

which is merely feasible.

Visibility



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Uncertain shipping schedules means uncertain

workforce planning.

Matching requested and available competencies is a

time-consuming puzzle in itself. On top of that, you

need to keep track of hours and labor regulations.

Ideally, there would also be early warning of potential

conflicts between parallel interdependent plans, but

things are already complicated enough.

The number of full-time and flex workers hired

is based on history and experience, i.e. on past

experience rather than present or future needs.

Expensive ‘spare’ capacity is reserved as a buf fer

to handle unexpected needs.

Rostering is often done manually (with pen and

paper or in Excel) and decisions on where to place

which employees are largely reliant on the planner’s

personal knowledge and memory.

Employee availability, expertise and even

preference. Depending on what and how many

positions you need filled, the solution puts your

best choices at the top of your list.

Mobility options allow for calls to be placed

immediately to the best candidates.

Shifts can be easily moved or cancelled and any

impact in other departments is immediately visible.

Labor



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PORTS & TERMINALS

Container terminal design/re-design/expansion

What-if scenarios assist in planning a layout that:

• lowers operation costs• improves service quality• increases speed and efficiency of operations• is robust enough to be profitable within a range of circumstances using a fixed or dynamic yard configuration

Roster planning

Planners can ensure that the rightteams – of the right size and right

skill sets – are available, all the waydown to shift level planning.

A forecast labor profile is createdwhich is then turned into one thatis more staff specific, closer to thetime of operation.

Shift strategies and assignmentsconform to labor rules and the exactnumber of crew members needed.

Yard allocation

Zones/stripes for containers arecreated based on the projected flow

profile.Planners have relevant informationto decide on optimal yard stackinglocations for all services and feedersin order to minimize driving distances.

Berth allocation

Liners and their feeders are assignedto the optimal berth location so as to

reduce prime mover costs.Vessel berth time tables are created.These schedules incorporate liners'preferences and allow berthing timechanges.

Quay crane capacity

The optimal number and type of cranesis assigned per liner and feeder to

meet service levels and throughputand productivity targets.

Prime movercapacity planning

Planners are supported in deciding

on pooling versus random primemover strategy. In case of pooling,the solution helps planners decide onthe number of resources per crane inorder to prevent bottlenecks at thequay cranes.

Strategic planning

The success of a container terminal startswith determining the container flow. Fromlayout to handling systems, the ultimate goalis to avoid bottlenecks and keep transportand containers flowing smoothly.

Tactical planning

Due to the unpredictable nature ofworkforce, demand and weather, pro-forma

plans are made with the expectation thatthere will be changes.

Months/Yearsahead

Months/Weeksahead

Planningacross time

horizons




PORTS & TERMINALS

Berth planning Planners have full visibility of andcontrol over: • Assignment of ships to berths• Assignmen t of resources to ships

over time•

Expected time for loading/unloading• Sudden changes that require

the creation of a new plan andidentification of the immediatebest options

Potential costs (demurrage, overtime,etc.) are included in proposed schedulesto allow planners to pick the optimalschedule. All constraints are taken into account,including vessel load and size, tides,quay crane availability, etc.

Operational yard allocation

Yard slot assignation can be optimizedbased on a number of factorsincluding: • Container characteristics

(e.g. reefer assigned to reefer plug)•

Whether container is full or empty• Yard slot availability• Future loading sequences and

time spent in yard• Shortest driving distance for

the prime mover• Avoidance of prime mover

congestion

Plan shift deployment

Working schedules are createdwhich are more predictable and leadto higher employee satisfactionand retention. These schedules arebased on

•

Expected demand• Labor regulations• Employee skills• Employee preferences• Holiday requests• Last-minute changes

Prime mover scheduling

Planners have full visibility of andcontrol over: • Moves in time• Dispatching move to prime mover

Quay crane planning Determine the most optimizedcontainer loading and unloadingsequence based on:

• Quay crane availability• C ontainer position within

the vessel• Container unloading destination• Container characteristics

(size, design, contents) Assign sequence to quay crane whileminimizing quay crane delay. Maximize the time overlap betweenloading and unloading sequences, inorder to reduce the empty r unning ofprime movers through dual c ycling.

Operational planning

Disruption management An accepted component of Container TerminalOperations, inaccurate data (e.g. erroneouscontainer position), equipment failures, delayedvessels port closures, etc. Changes and revisions are delivered into thesystem and very quickly, the solution proposesthe best alternatives (lowest cost, mostefficient, fastest solutions) to maintain asteady flow.

Schedule quay cranes, schedule yard equipment, schedule prime movers

Assigns movement of yard equipment, taking into account: • Quay crane sequence and yard location (factoring in the driving distance between them)• Prime mover capacity per quay crane• Interaction with quay cranes/ locomotives• Interaction with other prime movers• The need to reposition container s (housekeeping) rail and gate• Planned position of containers• Crew availability

Daysahead

Hours/Minutesahead

Planningacross timehorizons




PORTS & TERMINALS

Offices: www.quintiq.com/locations

Email: [email protected] | Web: www.quintiq.com
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Documents

Brochure-integrated-container-terminal-planning-optimization-EN.pdf