Increasing productivity with TOS

Decision makers across the supply chain are also evaluating smart technologies to identify ways to boost operational efficiency and enhance productivity, safety and sustainability of their operations.

Even before the onset of pandemic-related supply chain challenges, terminal operators acknowledged the necessity of implementing technology and were updating existing processes to modernize their terminals. The increase in container volumes and resulting congestion from the pandemic has heightened urgency around modernisation strategies and put enhanced pressure on terminal operators.

The role of TOS

According to a 2021 report by the International Transport Forum, container terminal operators are the main driving force for terminal automation projects. As a long-term partner of terminal operators and full-service provider of comprehensive terminal operating system (TOS) solutions, Tideworks Technology has seen its customers (terminal operators) turn to TOS as the foundation of their modernisation projects.

In past decades, terminals were not dependent on technology to the degree they are today. Now that story is drastically different. TOS and the ancillary technologies that support terminal operations have become mission-critical components that enable terminals to achieve their business objectives, such as improving efficiency, safety and service.

Through additional automation, TOS solutions are becoming even better equipped to transform the way ports and terminals operate through more sophisticated integrations and data capabilities. And as introduced above, for many terminal operators, their TOS is the foundation to their automation and smart strategies because it can seamlessly integrate with other critical transactions throughout the terminal.

The term “smart terminal strategies” doesn’t have a singular definition and may have different meanings for various industry players. When Tideworks’ customers use the phrase “smart terminal” we’ve found they are often referring to modernisation programmes and efforts to increase technology adoption, integration and automation within their terminal or across their terminal network.

Regardless of the definition or term used, Tideworks is seeing more customers express interest in ways they can modernise operations. However, before supply chain stakeholders invest in new technologies, even TOS, it’s important to set a strategy and understand which aspects of your operations you want technology to address.

Evaluating technology

Implementing any technology platform should involve careful planning and execution. Before making a TOS purchase decision, operators should consider taking the following steps:

Identify current business processes

Before incorporating new technology into existing terminal operations, it is important for organisations to have a clear understanding of their current business processes. Knowing what works and what needs to be improved through new technology can help TOS providers tailor solutions to fit a terminal operator’s specific needs and address existing concerns. At Tideworks, we’ve seen that terminal operators who take the time to understand and deeply integrate us within their current business process see the most significant ROI.

Have a clear objective

Hand in hand with identifying business processes, is understanding your current situation and the goals you have for the near and long-term. Terminal operators do not need to be experts in the latest automation or modernization solutions, but it is important for them to have clear goals that will guide technology providers and streamline integrations. Stakeholders could conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) exercise to help identify any challenges or areas of improvement. Project planning exercises like this will help terminal operators set clear goals that they can share with the technology providers they choose to vet.

Approach new technology through a value proposition lens

When terminal operators evaluate technology to invest in, one strategy that will help ensure ROI is to approach the technology through their value proposition. How will the TOS or gate management solution help differentiate you from competitors? What benefits or new capabilities would the integration of these tools offer to your customers? Would you be able to offer more visibility and share data that you couldn’t before? Looking at the technology through this strategic lens can improve the implementation and results secured.

No terminal is the same, and ROI will be different across terminals, so taking time to invest in strategy will enable terminal operators to implement technology that will drive productivity, facilitate data sharing and encourage stakeholder collaboration to meet customers’ needs.

After terminal operators have created their modernisation plans, vetted TOS providers and gone live with integrations, the benefits can be somewhat immediate. While automation is not a one size fits all solution, it’s helpful to understand some of the common pain points facing operators and how TOS integrations have been beneficial to lessen those strains.

The Benefits of TOS solutions

TOS solutions that connect with other port systems and automation technologies can help terminal operators mitigate congestion, improve collaboration and cut costs.

One of the core objectives terminal operators have for their TOS integrations and modernization strategies is to increase the flow of cargo and information through the terminal. TOS solutions connect all elements of a terminal, allowing for improved container visibility, better planning and enhanced productivity. With a Tideworks TOS solution in place, customers have seen tremendous productivity gains directly connected to increasing throughput. For example, after implementing Tideworks’ TOS, customers have been able to effectively manage higher container volumes and increase turn times, mitigating congestion and reducing emissions from trucks idling in line at the gate.

Incorporating TOS solutions provides terminal operators with the ability to solve problems through shared data. With access to data generated by a TOS, customers can identify where operational problems are occurring. For example, through daily reports, terminal operators can pinpoint peak times of congestion and use the data to refine their schedule of arrivals and departures to better accommodate the flow of activity.

With that said, in order for visibility and access to data to be truly valuable and productive it needs to be timely and connected. For example, knowing where a container is, is not particularly helpful if it’s buried under other containers in the yard and it needs to be picked up in a matter of minutes. As TOS integrations evolve, sophistication of tools that forecast and help anticipate moves will deliver value in modernization strategies.

Maybe the most beneficial result of introducing TOS solutions is the impacts to the bottom line. The increased efficiency from automation and TOS integrations can improve throughput and accuracy of movements that directly reduce downtime and unnecessary moves. In fact, automation at ports has the potential to reduce operating costs by 55%, according to a study by McKinsey & Co. For Tideworks’ customers, decreased downtime and congestion have translated to increased savings and have even attracted new partners and customers.

The future of terminal operations

As TOS technology continues to evolve, the future of smart terminals remains bright. Tideworks is continuing to evolve its solutions, laying the groundwork so terminal operators can hit the ground running with modernization programs. Below are a few elements that will continue to drive terminal operations forward.

Through an integrated TOS solution, every logistics stakeholder can access real-time data concerning all movements across a terminal. Additionally, data sharing can lead to proactive and data-driven decision-making, reducing downtime created by reactive actions. For example, if a specific terminal is experiencing difficulties that could cause delays, operators can see this and plan ahead and route to different operating terminals.

Terminals that bring together stakeholders under one integrated solution can significantly increase productivity and ease of management. We’ll continue to see improved collaboration and data sharing with the recent Ocean Shipping Reform Act and the Federal Maritime Commission’ Maritime Transportation Data Initiative.

The data provided by TOS solutions increases transparency among terminal stakeholders. The ability to track a container’s movements allows for better preparation and more efficient operations. And as teased above, as integrations grow in sophistication, so will the accuracy of predicted transparency tools.

Safety is a top priority for terminals. Through technology and the resulting collaboration achieved in modernization efforts, terminals will have better visibility into container and equipment movements to keep workers out of harm’s way. Additionally, with more fuel-efficient trucks and lift equipment at the terminal, operators on the ground will reap benefits of less emissions and sound pollution.

Innovation is driving the future of terminal operations, with terminal operators and their partners at the helm. Implementing TOS as the foundation of modernisation strategies will help terminal operators deploy technologies that are grounded in core operating needs, while also enabling productivity and predictability as the supply chain evolves.

Genesee & Wyoming Paves Innovation for UK Rail with TOS Integrations  

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W) is a US-based short-line railroad holding company that owns or leases more than 100 freight railroads serving 3,000 customers globally. Its UK subsidiaries, Freightliner and Pentalver, are the largest intermodal rail freight provider and leading container logistics suppliers in the UK. Though Pentalver specialises in road fleet operations and Freightliner manages rail and inland container terminal handling, both brands share a drive to provide end-users with safe and efficient transportation services.  

Freightliner and Pentalver have always had a strategic pulse on innovation, with a proven record of successfully scaling operations and coverage across the UK. However, in recent years, they have experiencing increased container volumes and compounded congestion, posing threats to efficiency.  

And as shipping volumes increased, it became more challenging to ensure timely delivery of goods for beneficial cargo owners (BCOs). Increased volumes led to truck or train bottlenecks at the terminals that became difficult to predict and manage. This congestion caused further impacts down the supply chain, including trucks being delayed in arriving at a warehouse or distribution centre. Truckers were then missing their appointed gate time, meaning they would likely miss their delivery window creating additional backups and delays at the terminal and surrounding communities.  

G&W’s UK team decided it was time to revisit its strategy and explore a variety of terminal operating solutions that could address congestion, embrace automation, and position Freightliner and Pentalver to handle increased freight volume in the future.  

The group launched a modernisation programme, Wave 2, to automate operational processes throughout the brand’s terminals with a significant focus on operational optimisation and integration efforts.  

Pushing the envelope on innovation

As part of this executive modernisation programme, G&W had begun integrating technologies that would enhance vehicle booking and gate management. For years, G&W had relied on Tideworks’ intermodal terminal operating systems (TOS); however, after the acquisition of Freightliner and Pentalver, G&W leadership conducted comprehensive analysis of existing vendors, and as part of the Wave 2 programme, new leadership wanted to assess all providers on the market. 

G&W needed a TOS solution that could integrate with the vehicle booking and gate management tools, drive automation throughout the terminal and scale across different sites. This was the first integration of its kind attempted across the company and the UK intermodal rail sector.  

Freightliner and Pentalver also wanted to make better, data-driven business decisions and take the guesswork out of specific tasks like locating containers or keeping track of rail activity, all functions exacerbated by congestion. Integrating terminal operating, vehicle booking and gate management systems would deliver data that could inform decisions across the UK supply chain.  

In 2018, as part of the executive modernisation plan, G&W’s UK subsidiaries launched an extensive RFP process to search for the right TOS provider. The TOS provider G&W selected would serve as the solutions provider across its entire UK rail network, complete the integration and play a critical role to help G&W achieve the automation and scalability goals it had outlined. Tideworks was in the consideration set and G&W kicked off the expansive market assessment.   

G&W’s rigorous evaluation process brought them to different sites across the US to view live deployments of solutions on the market. Here, they spoke with actual users and a variety of terminal operators to get feedback and learn about their experiences with various providers. 

After witnessing live deployments and reviewing various competitive bids, G&W selected Tideworks as its TOS provider, more specifically, Tideworks’ intermodal TOS solutions, Intermodal Pro and Traffic Control. With its demonstrated effectiveness in the market and ability to create a single, unified access point for multiple systems, Tideworks was the best fit for G&W’s modernisation objectives. “Tideworks was the best product out there. For me, it was a no-brainer,” said Chris Cavanagh, program lead with G&W UK operations. “There was also new functionality within Intermodal Pro that appealed to us,” said Cavanagh. 

In addition to Tideworks’ operational proficiency, the group had worked with G&W’s other partners, Advent eModal, the world’s largest port community system, and Camco Technologies (Camco), a technology provider of gate automation solutions for container terminals, rail and intermodal terminals and Ro-Ro terminals. G&W knew that Tideworks’ existing relationships with these providers would support a seamless integration and make it feasible to establish a singular platform for all the solutions. 

Supporting a multi-faceted remote deployment 

Following Tideworks’ selection as G&W’s TOS partner, Tideworks spent the next two years planning and executing the rollout of Tideworks’ intermodal solutions to 24 UK terminals, ten of which would receive the complete integration solution—a massive undertaking that required careful planning. Further, implementing the new systems during the pandemic posed additional challenges as the companies charted unknown territory and various global guidance. Not only did teams need to consider health and safety guidelines, but they had to navigate implementation and communications across four companies and multiple time zones.  

In late 2020, Tideworks’ Intermodal Pro and Traffic Control solutions went live at Cardiff and Birmingham terminals. The go-live included integration with Advent eModal’s vehicle booking system and Camco’s gate management system. It was essential for G&W to integrate its TOS, vehicle booking, and gate management systems so they could seamlessly access and manage all the tools.  

In addition to seamless integration and a single platform view, G&W wanted a provider that would be a long-term partner and drive improvements immediately and in the future. “We asked ourselves questions about where we wanted to be in the future as a business and could these products take us to our vision of optimisation,” said Nick Matthews, managing director of terminal services for G&W UK operations. “We chose solutions that would allow us to say that we have the best, most reliable, and forward-thinking terminals in the UK,” said Matthews. 

Efficient operations and faster turn times 

Since implementation, G&W UK operations have increased automation and efficiency across their terminals. Most notably, Tideworks’ solutions and the integration have helped ease terminal congestion—one of the supply chain’s most significant challenges but also a primary goal for G&W. One factor that eased congestion right away was gate check-ins and turn times. For example, before deploying the new TOS, it took the Birmingham terminal two hours to clear the gate queues at the start of the week. With the automated solution in place, the task can be completed in only 20 minutes.  

“We’ve certainly seen a massive improvement around congestion. Rather than having 60 or 70 trucks turn up within an hour, we’ll have 40 trucks one hour and then 40 trucks the next hour, which is a lot more manageable,” said Jason Williams, operations manager of Freightliner’s Birmingham terminal.  

Further, G&W is now able to use data generated by the integration to better manage operations. Using Tideworks’ TOS, teams can tap into key performance indicators to understand where problems occur. For example, G&W can generate a daily report showing the number of trains that arrived at a terminal, how many arrived on time, how full they were, and how quickly trucks could turn.  

“In a week’s time, G&W’s Birmingham, Cardiff, Doncaster, and Liverpool terminals handled over 4,000 truck visits. The average turnaround time across the four terminals was below 26 minutes,” said Matthews.  

Recently, the groups put the integration to the ultimate test.  

“One of our cranes was out for the day, and we had roughly 450 vehicle visits at the Birmingham terminal throughout the day. Despite this setback, our turnaround time maintained at 32 minutes. In the past, if a crane had gone out, we could have witnessed delays between three to four hours,” added Matthews.  

The integration’s ability to drive productivity despite equipment downtime was evidence of success to G&W UK operations and users at the terminal that day. 

The new systems and integrations also provide G&W UK operations with increased visibility and planning accuracy, enabling improved gate management and other planning processes. Instead of tracking down the container’s location, the new TOS allows teams to see exactly where the container is and the precise time that it will be collected. The team can use this data to ensure operations are running smoothly within the ebb and flow of traffic that day, week, or month. The combination of these efficiency improvements has allowed Freightliner and Pentalver to gain savings elsewhere in their operating and technology budgets. “We’ve managed to make significant operational savings,” said Cavanagh. “And we believe that the project will repay itself within five years,” he added.  

Long-term modernisation partners 

Even during logistical and safety challenges resulting from the pandemic, Tideworks helped G&W UK operations navigate the ups and downs of a complex implementation. G&W leaders appreciated the high level of support that Tideworks provided to ensure a seamless integration that would achieve Freightliner and Pentalver’s goals and drive business development efforts across the brands.  

The impressive results have been integral in providing the G&W UK sales team with the data they need to attract new customers. “The ability to tell a major customer we can turn their trucks around in 26 minutes consistently is of value and makes it easy for our sales team,” said Williams. 

For Birmingham and Cardiff, Tideworks served as the connective tissue to link Advent eModal and Camco’s tools and successfully deploy an automated, integrated gate and TOS solution that supports advanced appointment needs and facilitates predictive container planning.  

Though the scope and breadth of the project were significant, the integration continues to perform well.  

“It’s been transformational. I believe that G&W is leading the way in the UK because no one is trying to optimize their terminals the way we are. We are trying to build a product for the future, not for the present, and Tideworks is helping us do that,” said Matthews. 

Focus on the future 

G&W UK’s focus on innovation, customer experience, and improving the sustainability of its operations continues to drive the project forward. 

Tideworks is rolling out its Intermodal Pro TOS and Traffic Control solutions across G&W’s UK-wide rail and intermodal terminals. The VBS and GMS integrations are already live at Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool, Doncaster, and Leeds. Still ahead are Manchester, Cannock, London Gateway, Felixstowe, and Southampton terminals, which will be complete by the end of 2022. 

With Tideworks’ solutions deployed, G&W’s UK terminals will be able to leverage the most reliable and forward-thinking technology to solidify their position as a leading rail freight operator. 

Through its ongoing partnership with Tideworks, G&W UK is eager to add additional layers of automation within the TOS processes across its terminal network. With Tideworks’ continuous upgrades and integrations, G&W UK operations are poised to remain a strategic terminal operator that will support customers as the supply chain evolves.