Digital Management Of Container Terminal Operations

This book presents a comprehensive study on intelligent container terminals. Based on the development experience gained to date with container terminals, it analyzes information flows and their interactions with container terminals; illustrates the operation management process from information collection to resource planning and from equipment scheduling to field operation; highlights several dynamic decision-making problems concerning digital operation processes and container terminals; reveals the basis of the discrete logistics system; and discusses the future of intelligent container terminals.

Container Terminals (CT) operate as central nodes in worldwide hub-and-spoke networks and link ocean-going vessels with smaller feeder vessels as well as with inbound and outbound hinterland transportation systems using road, rail, or inland waterways. The volume of transcontinental container flows has gained appreciably over the last five decades -- throughput figures of CT reached new records, frequently with double-digit annual growth rates. Stimulated by throughput requirements and stronger competition between terminals settled in the same region or serving a similar hinterland, respectively, cost efficiency and throughput capabilities become more and more important. Nowadays, both terminal capacity and costs have to be regarded as key indicators for CT competitiveness. In respect of this steady growth, this handbook focuses on planning activities being aimed at “order of magnitude improvements” in terminal performance and economic viability. On the one hand the book is intended to provide readership with technological and organizational CT basics for strategic planning. On the other hand this book offers methodical assistance for fundamental dimensioning of CT in terms of 'technique', 'organization' or 'man'. The former primarily considers comprehensive information about container handling technologies representing the state of the art for present terminal operations, while the latter refers to methodological support comprising in particular quantitative solutions and modeling techniques for strategic terminal decisions as well as straightforward design guidelines. The handbook includes an introductory contribution which gives an overview of strategic planning problems at CT and introduces the contributions of the volume with regard to their relationship in this field. Moreover, each paper contains a section or paragraph that describes the impact of findings investigated by the author(s) for problem-solving in long-term planning of CT (as an application domain). The handbook intends to provide solutions and insights that are valuable for both practitioners in industry who need effective planning approaches to overcome problems and weaknesses in terminal design/development and researchers who would like to inform themselves about the state of the art in methodology of strategic terminal planning or be inspired by new ideas. That is to say, the handbook is addressed to terminal planners in practice as well as to students of maritime courses of study and (application oriented) researchers in the maritime field.

Planning and Operation of Container Terminals provides methodologies to optimize the design of container handling systems. The book offers various optimization models and details how to apply the models. In addition, it captures key points of academic research to provide a thorough and up-to-date guide on this rapidly changing field. Sections cover various aspects of terminal operation and propose key issues for their optimization. In addition, the relationships among various operational problems are described, along with tactics for the efficient utilization of resources. Students and professionals alike will find this a useful resource for getting up-to-speed in this dynamic field. The efficiency of a container terminal highly depends on the design of handling systems and operation methods of the terminal. In recent decades, the development of ports has become large-scale, modern and automatic, so it is necessary to learn about the design and operation of modern ports quickly and to understand the research hotspots, research frontiers and research status in the current field, as well as the use and innovation of research methods. Provides a well-organized overview on the optimization of design and the operation of container terminals Covers nearly every issue related to terminal operation Includes algorithms that will be especially useful to those in industry, particularly those involved in the automation of terminal equipment

This book provides an overview of the operation of container terminals and the associated risks with such operations. These risks are often ignored or not properly investigated by both scholars and practitioners. Operational Risk Management in Container Terminals explores and discusses the decision rationales and the consequences for these operational risks handling process, with in-depth investigation on the container terminals in the Asia-Pacific region. The topics covered include the history and development of the container terminals, the operation of the terminals and risk incurred, the risk-management theories and concepts, rationales and consequences of the risk decisions in the container terminal operations, common practices and recommendations on terminal operational risk handling.

Maximizing reader insights into the challenges facing maritime supply chains and container port logistics service providers in Asia, this book highlights their innovative responses to these challenges through real-world case studies. With a focus on mathematical modeling, simulation and heuristics approaches, this book provides academics, engineers, container terminal operators, students in logistics and supply chain management with the latest approaches that can be used to address the planning and scheduling problem in large container terminal yards. This book can be used on a self-contained basis as teaching cases in an undergraduate or specialist class setting, or on techniques applied to maritime container operations for port operations.