DCT container terminal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdn8tMgAGOc

Container Terminal The Dutch Container Terminal (DCT) is situated in a port. Ships dock at the terminal, loading and unloading containers. The containers are temporarily stored in areas at the DCT premises and moved to and from the shippers by trucks. Any truck visiting DCT wishes either to fetch some container (an empty container or a specific filled container), to bring a container (empty or filled), or both. The numbers of B and F trucks are equal in the long run, but F trucks occur more frequently in the morning and B trucks in the afternoon. truck direction storage areas keeper

Containers are moved off and on trucks by a crane Containers are moved off and on trucks by a crane. Before, the driver presents his papers to the keeper for checking and calculating commands for the crane. When a truck arrives, it first queues at the keeper’s desk. If the papers are approved, the truck queues for the crane. If not, the truck is set aside and the driver may try to set the papers right through telephone and fax. If this succeeds, the crane queue is entered and otherwise the truck returns without being serviced. Trucks in the crane queue wait their turn; then the container either is taken from a B truck and moved to a storage area or fetched from the storage area and put on an F truck or the container is taken from a BF truck and stored, after which a stored container is put on it.

Business is increasing Business is increasing. As a consequence, during busy hours, long truck queues may appear. DCT is prepared to invest money to improve matters. A consultancy team of which you are a member is hired to make suggestions for improvement. Is simulation an option?

Classwork Classwork: Study DCT case. Prepare (in groups) a list of questions pertaining to the case, discuss with stakeholder(s) obtain and document answers