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!

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…

All industry experts in the supply chain have been enduring significant hardship in this time of ordeal. However, this period has warranted many valuable lessons that will only drive resiliency and strengthen strategic plans. It is also crucial to note that given the crisis, the available pool of resources has depleted to meet the new level of demands, forcing ports and terminals to cultivate or make further adjustments to their strategy that will drive optimum performance.

Given the current and unprecedented circumstances, ports and terminals are struggling with lessened cargo flow and the reduced size of personnel. In response, the industry has investigated the potential of Cloud TOS and automation. 

A cloud environment that can support TOS users working from home without compromising security has taken a more profound interest. Strict quarantine social distancing measures have compelled port and terminal executives to realize this digital transformation previously dismissed. Similarly, automated CHEs will rise in the upcoming years to reduce costs and errors while maximizing return on investment. Therefore, we can anticipate a positive outlook on advancing technology as port and terminals become accepting of the Cloud TOS combined with automation.

COVID-19, a virus invisible to the eye, is rendering drastic changes to work structures across the globe. For some organizations, the increasing restrictions on quarantine control have forced closures as the nature of the business cannot sustain a work from the home approach.

However, for others within the global supply chain, essential goods still need to be transported. As a result, many impacted sectors such as shipping liners, truck companies, and terminals are under immense pressure to deliver upon the demands. With many fighting on the frontlines, these sectors must consider the alternatives if they seek to protect the wellbeing of individuals and continue operation in the face of the evolving pandemic.

The outbreak has undermined the traditional infrastructure of on-premise systems and liberated the birth of cloud solutions. A TOS in the cloud is the prime example of allowing personnel to enter a secure environment from home and conduct terminal operations without physical or on-premise interaction. Current cloud practices are saving terminals and are even heightened in the breadth of automated equipment, limiting the number of staff required.

More than a third of the world’s population is under some degree of quarantine measure, and workforces are exhausting different avenues to adapt. Arguably, COVID-19 is leading a global business digital transformation, and many terminal operators may reconsider their current TOS infrastructure and nature of the business.

TIC 4.0 was founded in 2019 and brings together leading terminal operators, equipment manufacturers and solutions providers to promote, define and adopt standards. Now, the initiative has been formally registered during a ceremony in Brussels, Belgium.

In a statement, TIC 4.0 said Boris Wenzel, Managing Director, Terminal Link, would be its president and Norbert Klettner, Managing Director, RBS-EMEA, its vice-president.

Frank Kho, who has numerous experience with terminal operators and equipment manufacturers, will become CEO. The current 20 members of TIC are a good mix of terminal operators and suppliers in the industry, who are Hyster-Yale, Kalmar, KoneCranes, Kuenz, Liebherr, NAVIS, Phoenix Lighting, RBS, SICK, TBA, TMEIC, ZPMC, APMT, Bollore, Eurogate, Port of Koper, PSA, Terminal Link, MMC Ports and Yilport, several other organizations have expressed their interest to join this unique initiative.

The goal of TIC 4.0 is to promote, define and adopt standards that will enable the cargo-handling industry to embrace the 4th Industrial Revolution. Therefore TIC 4.0 will also strive to attract more members from the terminals operators as well as industry suppliers.

Its initial objectives are as follows:

• Define and agree on a common semantics and definitions among the companies involved in the cargo handling industry, both terminal operators and port solution providers.

• Develop communication protocols and frameworks that will be adopted by the port industry players for seamless data communication regardless of the manufacturer or type of equipment/machine.

• Facilitate the inter-operability of different information sub-systems of a cargo handling facility.

• Promote the adoption of selected existing standards and those developed by TIC 4.0 by the sector.

“I really feel that both energy and commitment prevail among TIC 4.0 members to achieve the goals we have set. I believe that to achieve these goals, the cooperation between terminal operators and solution providers is a great critical success factor,” said Frank Kho.

“TIC 4.0 members all believe that the work on standardization is of utmost importance for our industry in the context of increased digitalization of the supply chain. It will also enable the adoption of innovative processes and solutions” added Boris Wenzel.

Click here to visit RBS EMEA.

Realtime Business Solutions (RBS) are the pioneers in delivering proven and state-of-the-art solutions for all marine terminals worldwide. The latest breakthrough introduces SmartTrack as a powerful new feature integrated into TOPX TOS, setting the new path for terminals which resolves all areas of inefficiency.

SmartTrack is an incredible tool factoring time, distance and speed to determine the shortest route to move a container from one location to another. However, the function solves the bigger picture. Straddle carriers, trailers, and reach stackers are constantly moving around the yard and are typically given the simple work instructions to transport a container from one block to another. Without SmartTrack, there are indefinite route possibilities to reach their assigned destination, and therefore, the equipment travels more than necessary. When the resources exhausted are placed into retrospect, the amount of equipment active in a terminal can total to thousands, and the amount of fuel required multiplied by the days tells that the terminal is suffering dearly annually.

SmartTrack is critical for a terminal concerned with cost factors, working towards a green terminal, reducing fuel, and increasing overall efficiency. It is the solution for terminals as it:

• Increases efficiency – Optimum route for equipment is executed as containers are moved within the shortest distance, and provided precise directions to reach the destination, achieving maximum productivity of all CHEs.
• Cost-efficient – SmartTrack protects CHEs against wear and tear, maintaining their value, and reducing maintenance and repair costs.
• Optimum Performance – SmartTrack maps the best and shortest path, tracking all CHE moves and time taken to complete a path, and therefore, achieves maximum traceability to pinpoint when and where a problem can occur.
• 节省时间 – No leeway for error or miscalculation since route incorporates every factor from time, speed to distance.
• 环境的可持续性 – Massive savings from lessened fuel consumption due to optimum route calculation, which also lowers carbon emissions. With SmartTrack, it is a huge step towards greener terminals.
• Heightens Safety – SmartTrack tracks movement in real-time, alerting the CHE operator counteractive directions needed to get back on the correct path. Eliminates all guessing which inherently decreases the number of potential accidents from occurring.
• Congestion Control – Determines and forecasts exact areas experiencing bottlenecks which assists in the yard and resource planning.

“Congestion generates huge financial and environmental losses every year and I fear that terminals are missing the chance to leverage the results they deserve,” says Harry, CEO of RBS. Are you seeing all the above?

Current Landscape

The global supply chain can be alluded to as a network, branching out and connecting several other nodes. Namely, international trade and technological advancements are the underlying sources which influence the overall landscape – extending from the global supply chain to globalization and the entire economy. These two driving forces have formed a pact to pervade other industries, prompting its recognition when conducting business. A grave inference draws these factors as the direct outgrowth of marine terminals. Therefore, the whole economy relies on terminal operations and will plummet if it is exposed to vulnerabilities which may be attributed by an inefficient terminal operating system.

The Problem

Terminals that centralize on a business strategy resisting change end up taking resource intensive routes. A rippling effect will ensue, causing detriment to terminal revenue, magnify inefficient terminal operations, and affect the global supply chain, which is inherent in steering the overall economy. As a result, this should not be the primary goal of any business – this narrow-minded view relays onto a single focus adopting only the necessary actions mitigating change, shackling potential and massive growth. Instead, businesses should retain a reformed perspective on adaptability that responds proactively to changing environments and build various avenues to elevate the economy. An economy that “stays in the expansion phase of the business cycle” is a prolonging and collective goal of many worldwide, whereby technology advancements pose as a substantial factor influencing the decision-making process in every industry. More than ever, the one at large are marine terminals, requiring the cooperation with beneficial technological innovations to engender a thriving economy.

If every business process is stripped down to its resources, the point of supply is terminals. Therefore, they hold a crucial responsibility in adopting a flexible terminal operating system that has the dynamic capacity and innovative functionality to respond to a fluctuation in container throughput. A terminal operating system that is unrepresentative of innovation and fails to incorporate the suite of capabilities that can account for all terminal operations or drive efficiency is a recipe for disaster. Although, advancements in technology may become disruptive, rejecting its presence may deprive avenues that present more efficient methods to running terminal operations, which not only degrades its market position but also drives a downturn in the economy.

The Response

Many avenues strengthen the global supply chain, but the place to start is selecting the correct terminal operating system that cares about your growth, prospects, and objectives. A common denominator that reinforces a viable TOS should include the following innovative technologies:

• 云计算

If the TOS is built on a true cloud architecture, all your data is maintained in a centralized system, granting access from anywhere at any time. A dual advantage is warranted to smaller terminals since they can adopt a pay-as-you-go payment model while larger terminals can achieve economies of scale, which generates extremely low costs for both structures. Enhanced accessibility corresponds to greater efficiency since terminal operators gain better control over operations since resources can be invested to accomplish other business strategies as opposed to maintaining IT facilities which are not needed when using a TOS in the cloud. For more details on cloud technology, click here…

• 自动化

A terminal which experiences many bottlenecks or errors may request the integration of automation into their TOS. Automation, if executed correctly, would render a decrease in error rate and heighten operational efficiency by sustaining the interoperability between a TOS and automated container handling equipment. Due to this nature, an increase in ROI will be achieved. For more insight into the world of automation, click here…

• 优化

Optimization drives functionality that highlights resource, process, and CHE strategy as the core components for efficient operations. An accurate optimization module will make the best possible use of available resources, streamline the execution process, and determine the most optimal number of CHE moves to deliver efficient operations. To gain a deeper understanding of optimization, click here…

• 人工智能 (AI)

A TOS manifesting an infrastructure supportive of a true AI architecture is very rare in the Container Handling Industry. Only offered at RBS, TOPS Expert optimization module integrates AI into berth planning and yard planning to reduce the workload which is practically impossible to calculate manually without entering a trade-off between accuracy, time, and resources. The TOPS Expert AI optimization module exhibits human intelligence in planning to improve reliability in decision-making processes, which intrinsically induces a higher degree of operational efficiency and mitigates error rates. For a more in-depth knowledge of AI, click here…

Ultimately, terminals must comply to a path that leads to a better economy by adopting a TOS that can leverage and proactively adapt to change. Otherwise, a TOS that is unresponsive to new innovative technologies will neglect a terminal from reaching its maximum potential in performance and productivity, putting the economy in a downward spiral.