Ports offer a wide range of ships, cargo, and inland transportation services. Majorly, the level of satisfaction from shippers can indicate the level of port performance. The ports must provide extremely good service to vessel operators by improving port lead time. Moreover, the infrastructure construction should fit in with the type of vessel and cargo the port is handling.
Factors affecting port efficiency
Various factors depend on assessing port performance. Some of them are metrics of time length a vessel remains in a port, speed of cargo loading and unloading, storage quality, and inland transportation. This set of measurements and the numerous port performance indicators influence port efficiency. The major elements of port performance are effectiveness, resilience, and port efficiency.
Efficiency frequently refers to the effectiveness of ports' operations and maximizing output produced with available resources. The production of a specific output with the fewest resources possible can be the port efficiency too. Berth occupancy, revenue per ton of cargo, capital equipment investment, port lead time, and the number of crews used in the cargo operations are indicators to evaluate terminal operations efficiency.
Performance metrics include maritime operations, hinterland activities, and terminal operations. Facilitating goods arriving, remaining, and departing the terminal through multiple bundled services is essential in integrated transportation chains. Hence it's too critical to measure this performance at the port level.
Understanding the elements that affect the number of moves per hour is crucial to improving the efficiency of port operations. Such influences can often be split into two categories: internal and external. Internal factors directly impact how the port operates, possibly spot areas for improvement and take immediate action. External influences are indirect and prevent taking more efficient action.
External influences on port efficiency
Here the external factors are generally uncontrollable natural causes. So the port operation can't act directly on them to prevent them. Such risk factors must be mapped to identify ways to lessen their effects. The external influences are weather conditions, hatches, tides, and shipment vessels waiting for the external cargo's arrival.
Internal influences on port efficiency
Internal factors are operational source problems that require measurement and monitoring to produce a valid database supporting specific improvement efforts. One of the major factors here is the obstruction of internal flows that can majorly impact the port lead time. Obstacles can extend the time it takes for the logistics to arrive at the port vessel. As a result, it impacts the cycle time of the internal carousel, leaving the container crane.
During the employee shift changeover intervals, the number of moves per hour typically drops sharply. This can reach less than 50% of its optimum capacity. Equipment failure is one of the obvious issues that can result in poor port efficiency. This is a result of a lack of preventive instrument maintenance plans. The productivity of activities using older equipment might fluctuate by up to 40% due to the differences in operator skills.
Strategies to increase the efficiency of a port operation
In general, external factors cannot be directly tackled; hence internal factor improvement is the target for improving port performance. Depending on the internal component affecting the operation, some effective steps can help boost efficiency.
Evenly distribute the cargoes for loading and unloading from the ship in the rear area to prevent a concentration of commodities. Prevent the blocking of pathways and a reduction in the operational capacity of the vehicle by keeping the entry and exit of vehicles in the port in balance.
One strategy to encourage healthy competition among operators is continuously analyzing their performance and publicizing their productivity rankings. The simple knowledge that they are being monitored and measured against one another significantly improves port performance. Assess the in and out gate procedure to recognize the opportunity for automation and better efficiency of these operations.
