IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY IN U.S. MARINE CONTAINER TERMINALS

Committee on Productivity of Marine Terminals

Marine Board

Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems

National Research Council

National Academy Press

Washington, D.C.

OVERVIEW

• State of the Art: U.S. vs. Foreign Marine Container Terminals

• Measuring Productivity• Using Capital Investment to Improve Productivity• Using Operations Research/Systems Analysis• Improving Human Resources• A Process for Improving Productivity

STATE OF THE ART IN MARINE CONTAINER TERMINALS:

U.S. VS. FOREIGN

• Engineering & Design

• Operating Systems

• Interface with Truck & Rail

• Information Systems

• Labor-Management Relations

• Influence of Government Policies

MEASURING PRODUCTIVITY - PRECONDITION TO IMPROVEMENT

• Need to Gather Productivity Data

• Possible Uses of Data to Improve Productivity

• Profile of Productivity Measures

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH CAPITAL INVESTMENT

• Automated Cranes• Automated Container Storage & Retrieval

Systems• Automated Guided Vehicles• Buffer Systems• Multi-Trailer Systems• Cell Guides for Deck Storage• Automated Trim & List Control Systems

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH OPERATIONS RESEARCH/SYSTEMS

ANALYSIS

• Terminal Layout & Planned Equipment Flow• Effect of Outside Forces• Organization & Assignment of Terminal Work

Force• Operations Planning• Handling of Non-Routine Container Flow• Operation of the Gate• Operation of Yard Handling Equipment

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY BY IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCES

• Employment Continuity

• Multi-Skilling

• Flexible Hours

• First-Line Supervisors

• Achieving Mutually Supportive Labor-Management Relations

A PROCESS FOR IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY

• Establish a Profile of Productivity Measures• Standardization of Automated Terminal

Container Identification & Management Information Systems

• Joint Labor-Management Cooperation in Addressing Human Resources Aspects of Improving Productivity

PROFILES OF PRODUCTIVITY MEASURES

Crane Net Crane Productivity Gross Crane Productivity

Moves [gross gang hours-downtime]

moves

gross gang hours

Berth Net Berth Utilization Container vessel shifts worked/yr Container berths

Yard Yard Throughput Yard Storage Productivity

TEUs/yr. gross acre

TEUs capacity Net storage acre

Gate Net Gate Throughput Gross Gate Throughput Truck Turnaround Time

Containers/hour Lane

Equipment moves/hour lane

total truck time in terminal number of trucks

Gang Gross Labor Productivity Number of moves Man-hours

Element of Terminal Measure of Productivity