The role of the control tower in increasing the productivity in container terminal operations.

Abstract

Container Terminal (CT) operations are very complex. They play a very important role in overall supply chain management. Increasing competition and impact of globalisation has forced every port as well as container terminal to be the most efficient in its operations. Due to the complexities involved and due to the involvement of various operators and users, it has become necessary to bring end to end supply chain visibility.

With increasing number of private container terminals coming up, the competition amongst the terminals is fierce. The terminal is not only required to be operationally efficient, but also cost effective. Availability of information, as live as it can be,  is very important. Sharing of information is not only important within the organisation but also its sharing with outside stake holders. A robust system of capturing live and accurate information and usage of appropriate software to collate, process and disseminate such information across the board is important. Usage of CT in supply chain in other areas has helped organisations immensely. If implemented in container terminals, CT can play a pivotal role.