Customers
Asia Container Terminal
Asia Container Terminal

The reliability of the Navis software is 99.99%. It is sophisticated and cost-effective. It definitely gets three stars from me.
— Rado Antolovic, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Container Terminal

 

ACT Emerges as Solid Competitor at World's Second Busiest Port
Just one year after opening its doors, the Asia Container Terminal (ACT) has established itself as a highly competitive player at the world's second busiest port. ACT has met many of its operational goals in a short time by achieving a level of success that is competitive with industry icons and neighboring terminals such as HIT and MTL.

"We have been faced with a huge task," said Rado Antolovic, ACT’s Chief Executive Officer, who has more than 27 years of experience in the terminals, port and marine transport industry. "We had a big challenge on our hands. As a new terminal, we had to come in line with and be just as competitive as the other terminals in Kwai Chung, Hong Kong."

And they did.

ACT is one of five operators of the Kwai Chung container terminal, where the bulk of Hong Kong's shipping traffic is handled and recorded throughput is up 11% year to date compared to the same time last year. As a newcomer, the pressure was on ACT to perform well at the port where gross
productivity was one of the world’s highest in 2005.

"We could not have delivered without the Navis™ SPARCS terminal operating system (TOS)," Antolovic said. "The SPARCS TOS has made a very high level contribution to our success."

Software Supports Productivity Goal of 40 Gross Moves Per Hour
In 2005, ACT saw immediate results that are linked directly to the Navis proven software, which was implemented at the terminal in less than three months. ACT met its productivity goal of 40 gross moves per hour–up from 23–just two months after the SPARCS TOS went live, Antolovic said, who also explained that it is usually common to have some hiccups before, during and after implementation. "We had a smooth implementation that yielded us some quick results."

SPARCS enables ACT to institute industry best practices which yields to better results in terms of increased capacity, lower operating costs and higher service levels.

"SPARCS has proven to be a very reliable and cost-savings software," Antolovic said. “The SPARCS TOS adapts to our operational needs to perform our services in the most efficient way. We would not be able to deliver without SPARCS. The software covers a full scope of services, everything from A to Z."

Gate Truck Time Decreases from 44 to 35 Minutes
Antolovic said the SPARCS TOS has ensured that ACT's productivity in the yard and at the gate is at the most efficient level. The RTG crane productivity increased from 11 to 15 moves per hour and gate time decreased from 44 to 35 moves per hour due to the SPARCS TOS, Antolovic said.

"We are on target with our goals and this reflects substantially in our operating cost and bottom line results. I cannot share with you the exact cost savings in terms of numbers due to SPARCS, Antolovic said. "But let's just say I'm a happy man."

SPARCS TOS provides up-to-date information on events throughout ACT that helps measure productivity gains, track lost time on cranes or in the yard, and react immediately to any exceptions. The software promotes more efficient management of terminal operations enabling ACT to reduce congestion and strengthen customer relationships through faster turn times.

Advance Applications Will Help Maintain ACT's Competitive Edge
In 2007, ACT officials expect to use the SPARCS TOS advanced applications in their daily terminal operations to maintain their competitive advantage, Antolovic said. The terminal has already implemented Navis™ SPARCS Expert Decking and Navis™ SPARCS AutoStow. The initial goal is to provide the team at ACT with training that teaches how to use the advance modules to support the terminal’s operation goals.

“We are currently sending our people through training on how to use Expert Decking and AutoStow," Antolovic said. "We're expecting to get more business and need to be ready for the growth. There are a lot of changes in the shipping industry. We know the advance modules will deliver us the results we need to remain competitive."

ACT has aggressive goals for 2007, Antolovic admits. The terminal expects to increase its QGC productivity from 36 to 40 gross moves per hour, increase its RTG productivity from 15 to 17 moves per hour and reduce its gate truck turn time from 37 to under 34 minutes.

"To do this will certainly require experienced human resources, good management, technical adjustments, smooth operations, solid planning and good organization," Antolovic said. "But most importantly, our SPARCS TOS will need to continue to deliver reliable services."

Navis' Business Intelligence Will Turn ACT Data into Actionable Intelligence
In addition to using the advance applications, ACT intends to implement in 2007 Navis™ SPARCS Analytics and Navis™ SPARCS Monitor to measure and analyze the health and performance of the terminal’s operations.

ACT has a need to analyze data and Rado said he was impressed with the positive feedback he received about Analytics and Monitor from officials at sister terminal DP World Constanta South Container Terminal (CSCT). CSCT is the trial site for the Analytics and Monitor, which are being developed in close cooperation with DP World.

"We want to understand Monitor and Analytics to compile reports and make good use of the data," Antolovic said. "Our goal is to turn our data into actionable intelligence. To meet that goal, we plan to implement Analytics and Monitor in 2007."

Designed specifically for marine terminals, Analytics and Monitor will enable ACT management and staff to gain visibility into real-time operations, analyze historical performance, institutionalize best practices and track performance metrics specific to the ACT operation.

Both Monitor and Analytics are Navis native applications, providing the most cost-effective performance monitoring and management solutions on the market for customers of the SPARCS TOS.

"The reliability of the Navis software is 99.99%," Antolovic said. "It is sophisticated and cost effective. It definitely gets three stars from me."

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