There are over 80 vessels berthing at YICT every week. Every day, every hour of every minute, YICT is operating on several vessels simultaneously and several quay cranes will be deployed to handle each vessel. Generally speaking, six or up to a maximum of eight quay cranes are needed for a large vessel. Seven trucks are allocated for each quay crane. At the busiest time, a total of 56 trucks can be working simultaneously on a vessel. 

How do you make sure that eight quay cranes and 56 trucks are available to serve one container vessel on time? How do you complete operating 2,000 TEU within 10 hours for an 8,000 TEU large vessel which is then able to depart immediately upon completion? How do you enable a truck driver to find a designated container in a yard storing more than 100,000 containers? How do you enable a truck driver to leave an exit gatehouse after picking up or delivering the container after less than 30 minutes in the terminal?

The answers to these questions are that thanks to a very smart terminal operation management system, YICT makes all of this possible with an operational rate far higher than anywhere else in the world and an accident rate lower than one ten-thousandth. The system is able to memorise, respond, remind, allocate and complete various complicated terminal operations. It is involved in every aspect of terminal operations. This is the "hero" who works silently behind busy terminal operations and movements of containers, trucks and vessels day and night.

nGen, Core State-of-the-Art Technology
Terminal operations may appear simple. In fact, the operations involve a series of processes including vessel arrival and departure, container loading, unloading and trucking, manoeuvring of large operational equipment, container yard planning and control of operating schedules. Dozens of items of data will be generated in the process of container movement from terminal arrival, container yard delivery, vessel loading and finally to the vessel's departure from the terminal. Each day, tens of thousands of these kinds of data records need to be processed. Facing such a huge amount of information, YICT's Control Tower works like the legendary one-thousand-hand Kwan-yin to control the ceaseless movements of containers, trucks and vessels in multiple, yet orderly ways. All the movements depend on the intricate planning, arranging and allocation of trucks, quay cranes and equipment in advance.

YICT launched nGen, the next generation Terminal Operation Management System, in October 2003. Co-developed by YICT and Hongkong International Terminals (HIT), the system makes use of powerful features in the planning of both the container yard and vessels.

With the help of nGen, the Control Tower is able to plan, allocate and monitor every aspect of the terminal's operations and equipment in real time. For instance, when a large vessel is approaching, the Control Tower makes the necessary preparations in advance according to the vessel size and operation workload. These include pre-allocation of a berth, quay cranes, trucks and other appropriate operational equipment. In addition, current and planned locations of RTGCs are shown on the computer screens in the Control Tower. These provide the basis for yard planning. The computer system automatically allocates equipment according to the different container sizes, making it possible to unload and stack them in the correct place of the container yard. The nGen, which is scientific and precise, and has pre-allocation task functions, enables YICT to provide customers with world-class operational efficiency.

nGen also has another feature: its powerful plug-and-play function. What is a plug-and-play function? Let's say, if the system were not installed at YICT but in Hong Kong or Rotterdam, the system would still be operational after several modules had been replaced according to the specific requirements of the ports in question. This is similar to those slots in a computer's mother board. Though there are different types of computers, you may plug in different memory sticks or sound cards. This powerful and flexible function makes YICT the world leader in current port facilities.

After the system came into use, terminal operation productivity, truck turnaround time and berth utility ratios improved greatly. YICT's average quay crane rate has remained above 35 moves per hour since November 2004.

Radio Data System (RDS), a State-of-the-Art Action Player
The RDS is a vital player in the port's advanced technology. With radio walkie-talkies, computers and communicative terminals installed on trucks, a 'skynet' is created which covers every corner of the port, making real-time communication possible among container yard, quayside and control tower.

RDS enables tremendously complex terminal operations to be run in an orderly way. When operating instructions are issued to over one hundred RTGCs, dozens of quay cranes and several hundred trucks, all onsite operators receive these instructions at the same time. Furthermore, engineers can monitor equipment being used in real time while the operations department can also supervise and manage its operations remotely via the RDS.

Easyport, the Window to State-of-the-Art Technology at YICT
Jointly developed by YICT and Port Administration Departments, Easyport (www.easyport.com.cn) is a Port Community System which allows the terminal, shipping lines, forwarders, ship agents, customs brokers, and the Port Administration Departments including Customs, and the Inspection and Quarantine Bureau to share information. Declaration efficiency and supervision has been improved at the port. The system allows application for declaration and inspection electronically, speeding up the processing of documentation and thus minimising the time required for cargo to stay at the terminal.

It is important for truck drivers, one group of the users of Easyport, to obtain information when they need to pick up containers. Thus, YICT has developed various channels for them to enquire about such information, including mobile phone text messaging, telephoning, and the Internet. They can check the information by making a phone call, as well as logging their mobile phone number into the Internet to get the exact location of containers. Easyport also offers the different formats of PDF, EXCEL and WORD for users to download and transmit reports, avoiding any delay arising from transferring formats.

Easyport allows the public to check information on containers and vessel schedules. Making a simple phone call, customers need only input the shipping line's code and container numbers to find out whether there are any containers they require and the exact location for pickup.

Launched for trials in 2003, Easyport's six functions are: port movement tracking, international trans-shipment, shipping lines operation, Customs declaration, confirmation of the paperless Equipment Interchange Receipt (EIR) and pre-declaration of import-empty containers. Currently, the system is under further development and upgrading with the aim of achieving round-the-clock, paperless and remote-control declaration. By then, the terminal and the Port Administration Departments will handle pre-declaration electronically, enquire about and handle real-time data, and download various electronic reports all within the same data platform.

Technologically Equipped Gatehouses
A gatehouse is one gateway for containers and trucks to enter or leave the Port. A series of procedures including registration, inspection, release and record must be carried out because the Port is under the jurisdiction of Customs therefore the Port's gatehouses must have full and efficient functions.

Fast in and Fast out with the Port Community Card (PCC)
YICT launched the Port Community Card (PCC) for the entry and exit gatehouses in May 2003. With the help of the card, EIR can be read and printed automatically. Service charges can be transferred electronically. The PCC is also an ID card as it contains all the truck's information for entering and leaving the terminal. The driver can obtain clear operation guidelines within minutes simply by scanning the card. It greatly reduces waiting time at gatehouses for drivers.

With the implementation of the PCC, automatic gatehouse operations are getting closer and closer. The card is currently in use at three container terminals: YICT, Chiwan Container Terminal and the Shekou Container Terminal. This convenient service is very helpful to drivers for delivering and picking up containers.

E-seal, the Ever-Present Eye
This inspection technology is well received by drivers. E-seal is an electronic lock installed on a truck. It automatically records every opening and closing movement of container doors in transit from warehouse to the port. With the help of E-seal, it is now possible to monitor container transportation in real time. Like an ever-present eye, E-seal helps Customs closely supervise and watch containers in order to guard against smuggling, stowaways and acts of terrorism.

Weighbridge
To ship large quantities of containers at sea, it is necessary to scientifically arrange vessel spaces according to their weight. When a truck passes through Gatehouse B of YICT's Phase III, it is automatically weighed, showing the net weight of the cargo, exclusive of the truck and container's weight. This helps ensure scientific stowage and planning for vessels to safely sail at sea.

Paperless EIR
EIR is an electronic certification issued by the terminal to a customs broker, which was previously just a piece of paper. This is but one of the documents required for declaration. As a result of constantly upgraded technologies, the paperless EIR has become a reality. Related electronic data will be automatically transmitted to Customs, saving time and labour for customs brokers, and ensuring the safe and punctual receipt of information.

RFID, the 'Security Eye' of the Port
With the help of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) installed in gatehouses and quay cranes, it is now possible to monitor cargo transportation from warehouse to stowage onboard. RFID reads all the information on the container's movement from leaving the warehouse, to entering the terminal and being loaded onboard. The RFID is used in conjunction with e-seal, the former for reading, the latter for locking. Double checks are done when the container enters the terminal and is uploaded onto a vessel, ensuring safe transportation throughout.

IT Systems Don't Need a Break
It is important for a container terminal to guarantee the stability and continuity of its terminal operations, and a safe and secure computer system to avoid possible system breakdowns and potential loss of data due to accidents. When any system breakdown occurs to a large terminal with an annual throughput of more than several million TEU, the daily losses can be catastrophic.

YICT, a world-class container terminal, provides customers with round-the-clock non-stop services. The requirements for efficient terminal operations place a tremendous challenge on computer systems, which must be highly stable and always available. Taking such situations into account, the Information Services Department continually renovates its technology to ensure an 'always-on' system support and that the computer system does not adversely affect terminal operations under these circumstances. At YICT, 'unplanned system down time' is contained to within 2.5 hours for the whole year while in any one single scenario it is limited to less than 25 minutes.