The terminal operational rate of Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT) has kept increasing dramatically this year. November 2004 was the first month that YICT broke a monthly quay crane rate of 35 moves per hour on average. The record was made after the completion of all four berths of YICT's Phase III. It not only reflects the fact that YICT has upgraded its operational capacity as a whole, but also results from the upgrading of its service standards as a whole. This is also a significant step forward in the company's drive towards world-class status.
YICT has used the Six Sigma methodology to promote the Process Innovation Initiative (PII) to continuously improve key operational procedures and enhance people development training since 2002. To cope with the commencement of the new berths, YICT purchased eight quay cranes and 35 rubber-tyred gantry cranes this year. In addition, all port administrative departments have taken initiatives to streamline procedures and reduce declaration time. For instance, the Customs has increased its working efficiency by 30% after extending its office hours. From January to October 2004, YICT's average quay crane rate were 32.6 moves per hour, while average truck turnaround time stood within 40 minutes, an enhancement by 8.3% and 12.7% respectively compared with last year.
"These efforts have significantly improved operational efficiency and reduced vessel berthing time, benefiting customers directly. Our goal is to stably maintain this world class operation standard for a long term, especially when we are in the peak season," remarked Mr. Kenneth Tse, Director and General Manager of YICT.
As a major index of terminal productivity in the port and shipping industries, currently the average quay crane rate of the world's main ports stands at 25 to 27 moves per hour.