Page 28 - Sphere No.11 (Apr 2004)

C O V E R S T O R Y

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PHERE

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ituated in the world’s busiest container port, Hongkong

International Terminals (HIT) is the flagship operation of

Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH). Here, outsized cranes do

most of the heavy lifting while computers do the thinking.

Every hour, hundreds of heavy containers are moved with the

precision of pieces on a chess board. In a two-way cycle, the

boxes are collected or delivered by trucks, stacked at the

quayside and transferred from ship to shore or shore to ship with

mind-boggling efficiency.

To the untrained eye the entire operation resembles the random

chaos of toys spread out in a child’s playroom, but on

a gigantic scale. In practice, however, each container, each truck, each

crane and each ship is carefully monitored and controlled with the

help of specially designed computer technology.

With a yard capacity of over 80,000 containers, HIT not only

needs to carefully track each container but also needs to place the

boxes in the most appropriate position to swiftly be moved along

the logistics conveyor belt.

“The terminal keeps getting more efficient,” says Patty Wong,

General Manager of IT.“We set another new record in July, loading

272 containers in one hour on to a single ship.That’s more than nine

containers every two minutes and it beat our previous record by 36.

“In fact,” MsWong adds,“HIT has increased productivity by over

70% and seen business growth of over 40% in the past ten years

without any increase in land or berth — all due to the introduc-

tion of highly efficient operational procedures supported by

advanced IT solutions.”

One such solution is the

Productivity Plus

Programme (3P)

, which has significantly improved

stacking capacity, increased handling capacity

and expanded overall yard operations, translating

into quicker turnaround times for all users of

the terminals.

“Before vessels even berth at HIT, key informa-

tion, such as the number, weight, size and type of con-

tainers is sent to the terminal via the

Electronic Data

Interchange (EDI)

and

Customer Plus

systems,” MsWong

explains. “Using this information, the ship planning system, called

Guider

, designs an effective game plan for loading and offloading con-

tainers in the most efficient order, and this is implemented as soon

as the vessel arrives. Moreover, planners are able to determine the

most appropriate yard areas for grounding containers according to

their designated vessel, weight class and port of discharge. This is

made possible via the latest

Yard Planning and Advanced Grounding

Strategy

system, which maximises the efficiency of container flow

through HIT’s container yard.”

The hub of operations is HIT’s Control Tower, which commands

and co-ordinates activities throughout the terminal. The Control

Tower is equipped with the

Operations Monitoring System (OMS)

and

supported by closed circuit television, providing an overview of ter-

minal activities and productivity — all on a single computer screen.

Due to the dynamic requirements of the supply chain, the key ele-

ments of all of these systems are versatility and speed. HIT is able to

handle all unanticipated changes, whether they are last-minute cus-

tomer requests or adverse weather conditions requiring well-exe-

cuted contingency plans.

Besides facilitating the smooth flow of con-

tainers into and out of the port, IT is also used

extensively for the flow of information, keep-

ing relevant parties connected.

Customer Plus

is

an on-line platform that provides a direct link between HIT and its

customers, enhancing HIT’s communication with all terminal users

and enabling business information to be exchanged electronically.

“The system has the benefits of streamlining business processes

and reducing procedures while improving response time and accu-

racy,” says Wong. “It also provides customers flexibility and control

over information.”

Using

Customer Plus

, shipping lines can retrieve vessel and contain-

er reports, access updated information on vessel schedules and con-

tainer status, input data and transmit instructions. General terminal

users can use

Customer Plus

to get terminal information and make

general enquiries while barge operators can access

information on barge schedules, make ID enquiries and download

barge EDI templates.

HIT further streamlines its barge operations using the

Barge

Identity Card (BID)

system, which automates identity authentication

processes and facilitates the flow of information between barges and

the terminal.

To streamline the flow of road traffic, external truck drivers can

make appointments using HIT’s

Tractor Appointment System

, thereby

minimising waiting time and reducing terminal congestion.The sys-

tem uses interactive voice response and the driver’sTractor Identity

(TID) card. Upon arrival at the terminal, vehicles are recognised

through TID scans then directed by the

Mobile Terminal

Message

system to the exact location in the yard for pickup or

grounding of a container.

“This not only speeds up pickup and drop-off times, but also

enhances safety as the driver can remain in the vehicle throughout

the procedure,”Wong explains.“The entire process is monitored by

HIT’s

3P

system. At the exit gate, vehicles can record their move-

ment confirmation from inside the cab simply by swiping their TID

card at the checkpoint computer. A terminal receipt is printed out

and the vehicle is free to leave.”

It’s not just at HIT where information technology plays a major

role. IT streamlines operations at all the 32 ports where HPH oper-

ates, with individual ports deploying appropriate technology to

enhance their efficiencies.

Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT), for example,

developed the

Integrated Community System

to provide users with

real-time information on container movements, vessel schedules and

customs inspection status.

In another initiative,YICT, together with Dapeng Customs office,

jointly developed a

Customs Electronic Inspection System

that

transmits real-time information on customs inspection require-

ments, processes and results, replacing the previous practice of

manual document interchange.

In the area of container security, HPH

has been a leading player in the global devel-

opment of

Smart and Secure Tradelanes

, a

radio frequency tracking system that

deploys technology that was first devel-

oped by the US Department of Defense.

P

ROGRESS THROUGH

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NNOVATION