EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Combining the Management Activities of Loading and Discharging with those of the Container Yard in small to medium sized Terminals or Ports to reduce Port turn-a-round Times of Feeder Vessels Authors: Dr F A Schmidt - M & SS (Europe) Ltd, UK Mr M Ausiejus - SONEX CO., Lithuania 1

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 The Paper discusses Work related to:  Reducing the Port turn-a-round Time of Container Feeder Vessels  Suggests Ways to combine Loading and Discharging Operations with Yard Operation suitable for SMPs  The Means of Communication and the Processes required  RTD Work originates in EU sponsored Project TRAPIST  Considerable Implications on eLOGMAR-M 2

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Background Development of Short Sea Shipping in Europe Bottlenecks:  Availability of Information  Port Infrastructure  Port Efficiency  Ship Operational Efficiency 3

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 OBJECTIVE To optimise Port turn-a-round Times by means of Real-Time Pre-Stowage Plans leading to improved Loading Arrangements 4

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 PROBLEM Feeder Vessels carrying unitised Cargoes and calling into several Ports in Sequence can experience Difficulties due to the Unavailability of Cargo- and Ship related Information as well as over-stowing of Cargo 5

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005  How would it be possible to incorporate Loading / Discharging Management into a small to medium sized Terminal’s Container Management System?  How can selected Data be shared between Terminals and other Members of the Port Community? QUESTIONS 6

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Incorporate Loading / Discharging Management into a small to medium sized Terminal’s Container Management System The Cargo Arrangement of a Container Vessel forms a three-dimensional Construct of:  Layers - counting in Container Heights from the Tank Top upwards.  Bays - counting in Container Lengths from the Bow to the Stern.  Rows- counting in Container Widths from Centre Line to Port and Starboard. 7 Rows Bays Layers

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 (Source: Vollharding Shipyard, the Netherlands, 2003) 8

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Incorporate Loading / Discharging Management into a small to medium sized Terminal’s Container Management System  The Intersections of the three Dimensions form identifiable Slots in which Containers are carried.  The Principle of the “Operationally correct Allocation of Slots” according to:  Container Weight  Port of Discharge  Sequence of Destination- or Discharge Ports, combined with the  Knowledge of which Slots in a named Vessel are occupied and which ones are available for booking, at anyone time throughout the Voyage, offers a Solution. 9

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 A Pre-Stowage Plan can be developed in Real-Time as a Result of Cargo Bookings  “How can the Real-Time Data Transfer between Actors, i.e. Ship, Terminal, Shipping Office, Freight Forwarder and Authorities, e.g. Customs, be effected?” and  “How can Booking Clerks be guided to select the operationally correct Slot?” Questions 10

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Real-Time Data Transfer between Actors can be achieved by combining  The Use of Spreadsheets, one for each Dimension, denoting:  Layer,  Bay, and  Row, with  The Use of Hand-held Mobile Computers:  Computers programmed in “html”.  Associated Web-Applications and GUI, for non-IT personnel, programmed in XML. 11

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Incorporate Loading / Discharging Management into a small to medium sized Terminal’s Container Management System  Mobile Computers communicate over the Internet with a Common System connected to a Database.  Ship / Port / Terminal, Shipping Line(s), and other Members of the Port Community, selectively access the Database according to their Privilege.  Using XML and Web-Messaging, mobile Computers and PCs are able to communicate with one another.  As a Result, any Booking and associated Allocation of Slot Space on a particular Vessel and Sailing, updates the Database AND through this, the Pre-Stowage Plan in Real-Time using the Common System. 12

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 The Communication System Status Quo:  Generally, Information Exchange is by means of Phone, Fax or .  Information concerning Ship and Cargo is transmitted by Humans.  Ports have their own Systems Architecture and Systems Platforms differ between Terminals. Status Desirable:  A System “devoid” of Human Factors. A System that can unite SMPs into an “indiscrete” System able to automatically exchange Information. 13

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Mission of such a “Common System”  To track Information on the Vessel and Cargo Traffic.  To enable the Actors of the Port Community to share Information. Two Main Tracking Aspects  Information re. The Cargo Location is available to the Actors at any Time and anywhere.  Information re. The Cargo Arrangement on a particular Vessel is available to the Actors at any Time and anywhere. 14

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 The Common System Operates with two Objects: ‘Vessel’ and ‘Cargo’ 15

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Information Flow  The Vessel arrives:  The Terminal’s Communication System sends Msg.1  Vessel’s Name, Time of Arrival, and  Ship and Cargo related Information.  The Common System:  Receives Notification of the Vessel’s Location  Ship and Cargo related Information, and  Allows Actors to query and amend this Information.  The Vessel has been served and leaves the Terminal:  The Terminal’s Communication System sends Msg.2  Vessel’s Name, Time of Departure,  Port of Destination and ETA,  Cargo Arrangement at the Time of Departure. 16

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 The Common System notifies other Terminals or Ports, along the Ship’s Route, of the State of the Vessel Information Flow 17

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Information Flow Assumption: Port A = Port of Departure; Port D = Port of Destination Activities:  The Ship is in Port A.  The Terminal’s Communication System sends Ship specific Information to the Common System.  The Common System makes this Information available to the Port Community for querying and amending. Scenario 1:  The Terminal or Port initiates the Information Retrieval from the Common System on the Terminal’s Request. Scenario 2:  The Common System spreads the Information for the Terminals or Ports along the Itinerary of the Vessel. 18

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Information Flow Scenario 1:  The Terminal or Port initiates the Information Retrieval from the Common System on the Terminal’s Request.  Increases Administrative Costs. Scenario 2:  The Common System spreads the Information for the Terminals or Ports on the Itinerary of the Vessel.  Increases the Hardware and Software Costs. 19

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Information Flow and the Common System  The Dependency of Terminal Systems on Hardware Platforms:  Will cause Difficulties in the Selection and Imple- mentation of the Unified Software installed in the Communications Module of the Common System.  Demands a Communication System and Software specifically developed for the Task. 20

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Communication between the Terminal and the Common System The Terminal’s Container Management System:  exchanges Data with the Common System by means of the Combination of a:  Data Transmitter and  Data Connector.  The Data Connector:  takes account of the External System and its Architecture used by the Terminal.  serves as a Data Abstraction Facility.  The Data Transmitter:  communicates with the Terminal’s Container Management System by means of the Data Connector. 22

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Communication between the Common System and the Actors of the Port Community  The Actor makes his Request for Information.  The Common System accepts the Request after checking the ‘Authorisation’ of the Actor.  The Common System analysis the Request by extracting information re. Actor Type and Device Type.  The Common System decides:  if the Information can be returned or not;  what kind of Data Transformation should be applied to suite the receiving Device;  ensures that the returned Information is represented in the appropriate manor. 23

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Implementation of the Common System A three-Layer Model comprising:  A Communication Level, i.e. the Entry Level Server dedicated to the Communication Purposes.  An Application Level, i.e. the Middle Level Server dedicated to the Processing of Requests.  A Data Storage Level, i.e. the Middle Level Server in a Cluster Environment. 24

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Industrial Application to Problems and Communication System demands:  A Distribution of Container Weights - ‘Layers’.  A distribution of Containers according to Port of Destination – ‘Bays’.  A Distribution of Container Weights – ‘Rows’.  The proposed Communication System in conjunction with the above Distributions enables correct Slot Allocation as part of the Booking Process and results in a Real-Time Pre-Stowage Plan. 25

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Distributions according to Weight and Destination 26

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Results  Real-Time and correct Information available prior to the Arrival of the Vessel.  Reduced multiple handling of Containers due to Over- Stowing, Access Requirements and Stability / Trim.  Reduced Distances travelled by Container Handling Equipment on the Terminal.  Block Stowage and the possible Combination of Discharging and Loading Processes.  Better Utilisation of the Terminal’s Assets and increased Container Throughput in the Port / Terminal.  Fewer Delays due to missing Information and a commercially more attractive Port / Terminal.  Fewer Changes to the Pre-Stowage Plan during Discharging and Loading avoiding associated Delays.  Reduced Port turn-a-round Times.  Less Uncertainty in ETAs and ETDs. 27

EC- Bridge Conference Beijing 17 th – 18 th March 2005 Thank You for Your Attention 28