RBS enters the new year with a milestone marking our 30th anniversary in operation. Since founded in 1991, we have been humbled by the many valuable opportunities that allow us to connect with fantastic operators and container terminals across the globe.

We have also witnessed a great deal of change in the last three decades since the industry has endured several technology landscapes shifts, fluctuating economies, and evolving standards. Being present and involved in these changes attribute to our expanding knowledge as we are inspired to innovate further and strengthen our partnerships. As a result, RBS has developed unique products over the years, which offer a holistic solution driving innovation and efficiency for our clients. Rolling out the first real-time TOS on the market, achieving powerful automation tools, and followed by developing the first true cloud TOS are few of the most noteworthy achievements over the years.

Our achievements reflect the dedicated efforts of our founder, Harry Nguyen, and developers which continue to push boundaries and nurture ideas that facilitate, streamline, and develop better prospects for our clients. As a company, we have learned a great deal and are devoted to cultivating RBS’s vision of offering guidance that prepares terminal operators alike for uncertainty and a better future.

We thank all our clients for their loyal support and choosing us as your TOS provider – it would not have been possible without you!

Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc Port (TCHP) in Vietnam is one of RBS’ recent TOPS installation sites, and they have just achieved their highest handling productivity rate.

Despite enduring the most challenging of times, TCHP accomplished a milestone on 22 September 2020 that established a record handling capacity of 118 containers per hour on a single vessel. As a result of efficient operations and providing the best service quality with all the while enforcing strict health practices, was able to unload an aggregate of 1,679 containers for its handling capacity, which is equivalent to 2,430 TEUs for HAYDN ship of ONE shipping liner. The achievement reflects TCHP’s constant improvement in port handling capacity, which has attributed massive time and cost savings for shipping liners, especially when their vessels berth at the port for cargo delivery.

For more information, click here.

The airline industry has confronted a plethora of challenges since the onset of the global pandemic, even declaring airline bankruptcies. In a new world living abreast the virus combined with travel restrictions, industries must adapt and adjust to new conditions if they intend to stay afloat. With that in mind, airplanes are now converting passenger seats into space to carry cargo across seas as a response to the increase of air cargo demand.

The sudden upsurge for urgent cargo deliveries, particularly for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has salvaged the dwindling airline industry. However, this brings attention to the question – will air freight surpass sea freight?

Although supply chain channels are shifting to accommodate the new norms for logistics, shipping freight will remain as the predominant cargo transport source. Naturally, sea freight takes longer to move goods, but it allows the transport of substantially higher container volumes, achieving economies of scale. Furthermore, depending on the nature of the goods such as general cargo or livestock, the only form of transport is via vessels.

Depending on what customers value, whether it is time or reliability, which contribute to the overall customer satisfaction, then choosing an air freight service will be the viable mode of transport. In contrast, if price and load capacity is the top objective, then shipping poses as a more cost-effective alternative. Undoubtedly, global logistics is changing and will continue to experience shifts as it tries to establish a stable activity stream.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), at its full potential, can help solve the world’s most significant challenges. Its promises to synthesize, analyze, detect patterns, develop insights, and determine predictions across various dimensions, beyond human capacity is what truly makes us marvel at its constructs. The idea that AI can apply across all industries ranging from health to supply chain further endorses its rising endearment. However, before the world can progress from machine learning into deep learning, it will only prove useful if the foundation already embeds the core blocks required in its current infrastructures and system architectures.

Why is AI relevant to the maritime and container industry?

Nations worldwide have now entered a low-growth economic reality, and the impacts of the worldwide pandemic that were not immediately obvious are now gradually coming to light. While some shipping liners and ports have projected a positive Q1, the epidemic has declared a pandemic in March. Consequently, reports generated for January to March are not accurate indicators, and we are likely to foresee a stark change in results for Q2.

Global trade relationships have had to readjust and implement new reforms to respond to the dwindling supply as crucial players of the supply chain have had to disconnect since the financial burden is too much to bear. Blank sailings, low cargo volumes, and a stark drop in consumer demand are a few of the many impacts ensued from the pandemic. Port authorities overwhelmed at the limited resources on-hand and forced to navigate through such unprecedented events have called for an imminent introduction of technologies like AI.

How can AI help achieve goals and visions?

AI may well be our savior, guiding us to answers we have been struggling to construe. Gathering data is an easy task; it is making sense of the masses of data that proves to be a challenge. Now that the world is adopting a more liberal approach towards technology, AI is gradually gaining traction and will soon deploy more intelligent integrated tools that combat problematic areas within operations. The availability in computational power doubling every three and a half months allows software providers to expand on AI applications and close the gap to achieving deep learning.

Port and terminal operators can heighten operational visibility by introducing predictive analytics. It is a subset of AI that resonates with machine learning and contributes significant value to TOS operators by determining the possible scenarios when dealing with bottlenecks and supposes the best alternative while factoring in specified parameters. Processing the data, then learning, and devising predictions at a magnitude and detail level impossible for an individual human to comprehend, inherently achieves optimization in operations, processes, and resources – something all ports and terminals desperately need in this time of uncertainty.

AI capacity broadens from its ability to draw on a substantial database of scenarios instantly, develop responses to questions, and devise a decision or device that can challenge a way that a human cannot. Its ability to naturally learn from previous answers, and continually improve its learning approach to meet requirements, further reinforces the power of AI. If this is the beginning of AI, imagine the possibilities as it progresses…

Significant efforts invested in retrofitting terminal equipment to increase service quality and business capacity reflect their recent accomplishments. TCIT, as a result, maintained its title for holding the largest market share in Cai Mep – Thi Vai area while almost reaching 2 Mil TEUs container throughput: a 20% increase from 2018. Read more here.

Tan Cang – Cai Mep International Terminal (TCIT), yet again has broken another record on 24 November 2019. The achievement of handling 10,590 TEUs per one container ship has even surpassed Vietnam’s seaport industry’s former 9,947 TEUs handling capacity.

At TCIT, the average volume totalled 1,400 TEUs while the maximum was 2,900 TEUs per vessel at the initial operations. The recent breakthrough is four times larger. The constant growth trend will presumably continue hereafter, as the terminal plans to expedite cargo operations and upsize the container cranes in the next two years. TCIT’s continuous improvement strategy is the reason they are never settling on a standard level of efficiency. Instead, their proactiveness in innovation has allowed them to harness the title and remain as the top deep-water terminal in Vietnam. RBS would like to applaud TCIT on this success and hope to see more breakthroughs this new year!

How did it all start?

Over the centuries, the constant hunt for groundbreaking discoveries attributes to the astronomical improvement in both the quality of life and quantity of life. The First Industrial Revolution throttled into full force since water, and steam power was introduced to automate production, while electricity powering mass production instigated the Second Industrial Revolution. Subsequently, technological advancements instituted the Third Industrial Revolution, whereby electronic and information technology served as a primary source of production becoming automatic. Unlike the previous industrial revolutions, there is a palpable correlation between the Third and most recent; the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as technology demonstrates its continual evolvement as cultivation for its power to transform the economy, lifestyle, and how businesses operate.

There is a stark contrast emanate from the Fourth Industrial Revolution as it is “evolving at an exponential rate rather than a linear pace.” The expanse of the Fourth is so significant, it has penetrated and disrupted every industry across the globe, compelling a complete change in systems of production, management, and governance.

What does the Fourth Industrial Revolution compose of?

It is governed by the limitless possibilities in “billions of people being connected by mobile devices with unprecedent processing power, storage capacity, and access to knowledge.” These possibilities will intrinsically grow with technological breakthroughs in fields such as AI, robotic, IoT, autonomous vehicles, 3D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage, and quantum computing.

AI was a mere novel concept in the earlier days but has now become a practice of reality. With deeper and true understanding of AI, products ranging from self-driving cars to virtual assistants in software that translate, or assist have finally come to fruition. The impact of AI on the Fourth Industrial Revolution is credited by the substantial growth in computing power and the availability of Big Data.

Impact of the Fourth on the Container Handling Industry

Despite AI being relatively new with many professionals in the Container Handling Industry lacking a deep understanding of its infrastructure, there are little to none terminal operating systems on the market with AI capabilities that can truly exhibit human intelligence to predict different scenarios and determine the best solution to optimize berthing, processes, and resources. Although immediate results are highly valued and critical to a terminal’s success, it is imperative to select a TOS that is not only best fit for a terminal but is accepting of enhancements and is responsive to new capabilities.

How do we respond?

A collective of beliefs, values, ideas, and knowledge derived from human behavior and decisions has characterized each revolution. Similarly, the direction of each revolution is influenced by a community response. Therefore, it is citizens, consumers, and investors that hold the most significant power in driving this revolution onto the next.

To ensure that future revolutions adhere to only empowering the quality of life and quantity of life, we must develop a comprehensive and undivided perception of how technology continues to impact our lives and reform our economic, social, cultural, and human environments.

Conventional logistics no longer sustain growing pressures to meet customer’s demands of immediate delivery. As a result, terminals are turning to automation as a strategy to accelerate cargo flow. The steep decline in inefficient operations, costs, injuries, and environmental impacts are the primary benefits derived from the employment of automation. However, only 3%-13% of terminals worldwide are either partially or fully automated. So why do terminals refrain from such an opportunity?

Inefficiencies in terminals cost the Container Handling Industry a massive $17 billion a year, and yet most of the advantages of automation are left disregarded. Consequently, ports and marine terminals are inhibited from reaching their full potential in operational efficiency and may confront the risk of becoming obsolete.

The problem is, terminal operators, omit to automation due to reasons varying from unions to costs. A large portion of terminal operating executives and managers favor more equipment as opposed to intelligent IT software which is another factor constituting to the resistance to automation. Reduced transparency in terminal data is a repercussion that arises in the absence of automation. This is because data recorded for when a container is being loaded, discharged, stored, and moved, will not be entirely accurate or standardized if exercised manually.

However, the initial finances required to invest in the implementation of automation in terminals remain as the biggest deterrent. Most terminal operators are unfamiliar with the scalable aspect of automation. It is critical to note that automation modules can be scaled accordingly to match the budget provided while still satisfying all set requirements. Therefore, if terminal operators can endorse a prospective outlook, a substantial spike in cost savings, operational efficiency, and ROI, can be recognized.

Don’t let the budget define the limits to your cost savings. Take control, let automation do all the hard work and witness the success.

Realtime Business Solutions (RBS) is a private company founded by Harry Nguyen in 1991. We opened our first office in Sydney, Australia and over the 27 years of working diligently in the Container Handling Industry, we have since grown to power over 35 terminals worldwide. RBS was able to withstand and prevail over the pool of well-established TOS providers in the market, despite starting as a one-person company. By delivering the only true real-time TOS on the market, we were able to achieve the impossible and prove all odds by landing our first contract with Evergreen’s main terminal in Taiwan, 1996. Now our team consists of over 200 professionals from our office and partners around the globe, expanding our offices into Europe (RBS EMEA UG), South America (T2S – Tecnologia), and Asia (PT. Primus Indonesia and RBSVN).

Throughout these many years, we have never deviated from our core values, adhering to delivering a second to none TOS. Our TOPS solution operates “in memory real-time” and is the most advanced solution for terminals of any size, handled in a single server. We focus on constant evolvement and are the pioneers in offering state-of-the-art software in conjunction with premium support services. We also believe working closely with our clients to address their requirements, goals, and vision, cultivates optimization and operational efficiency.

We spend extensive efforts in research which indicated a poor system infrastructure as the root cause of inefficiency in terminals. As a result, RBS developed TOPS Expert Cloud which operates in a single server, of a cloud-based, and real-time architecture. This solution works in parallel to our dedicated professional services which cover the full terminal spectrum. TOPS Expert Cloud is the first complete, real-time TOS available on the Cloud. The comprehensive and integrated TOPS solution has warranted breakthrough results as now we are operating over 36 million TEUs globally, including manual and automated terminals.