Optimisation ports and terminals
all processes on the terminal need to be efficient, not only some of them!
It is a good practice to review the layout, the operational system, the organisation and the processes on a regular basis. The entire system needs to be adapted on a regular basis in order to cope with the changing operational environment.
These changes can be related to significant changes in capacity demand, service requirements, labour costs, age and/or capacity of handling equipment, changes in vessel arrival patterns…
An operational review will give you an answer to the following questions:
- How much more volume can I handle on the available land?
- How will my equipment be able to sustain the growing volume?
- How does my terminal perform compared to other terminals in the region?
- How much additional vessel calls can my terminal handle?
- How can I save costs, and how many costs can I save?
- Where are operational bottle-necks, and how can I solve these?
- How is the staff performing? What are the training requirements for the staff?
During an operational review or audit, current operational procedures will be evaluated and compared with best-in-class practices.
The processes on the terminal will be followed, monitored and evaluated. The monitoring focuses on the entire import and export cycle: administration, gate handling, interchange handling, stacking, equipment usage, labour efficiency, vessel loading and discharging…
Special attention will be given to the handling of exceptional situations that may arise during your operations.
During the review the terminal operating system usage will be monitored in detail: business rules definition, stacking strategy, equipment planning, invoicing, reporting and communication with business partners.
Often, small changes in procedures and processes result in significant performance increases and cost reductions. Usually the optimisation can be implemented at a limited expense.
From an Operational Review, proposals to adapt and fine-tune processes will result.
Typically the deliverables include: process descriptions, monitoring results, advice for improvements, benchmark comparison… The advice for improvement may be oriented at various areas: layout, operational strategy, changes to operational processes, guidance for making better use of the TOS, advice to implement additional technology solutions, definition of training requirements for the workforce…
Evaluate operations, identify bottle necks and areas of improvement and implement optimisation to keep up with changing requirements.
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