Maintaining control

It goes without saying that to be effective, terminal maintenance needs to be efficiently timed and well performed. But as both are governed by the effectiveness of maintenance management, selecting the right supervision tools needs careful consideration.

Ever-mindful of minimising expenses, port operators have to ensure any outlay on external service provision delivers a justifiable balance of quality over cost. Equally, there is the consideration of whether externally-driven changes will streamline or complicate a terminal’s existing processes.

Speaking from the software provider’s perspective, Soft Marine’s Boris Kokorev is certain that port operators can handle terminal maintenance requirements internally, provided they source appropriate software.

“A consultant is not required to streamline maintenance,” he says.

“The software company can implement the system and also fill in the required industry data into the planned maintenance software. The software company must be aware of all industry requirements and be able to assist the terminal with regard to all maintenance consultancy and industry best practice.”

Watchful eye

Planned maintenance software is developed to monitor and control terminal equipment and systems maintenance. The software is then connected with terminal equipment and system counters in order to plan maintenance work, or data can be manually imported.

“Terminal specialists should complete all required information into the planned maintenance system in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions,” says Mr Kokorev. “The technical team is usually able to manage maintenance.”

Cargotec terminal project and offerings senior vice-president Frank Kho, whose company provides outsourced terminal maintenance contracts, agrees that a terminal will benefit from a computer-based maintenance management system.

“To optimise maintenance in a high-volume operation, there is more and more need for converting data into good information in order to be able to fine-tune and make good decisions,” he says.

“There is no need for a strong integration [with other software on the terminal]. However, a good interface will certainly improve the effectiveness.”

Hired help

However, Mr Kho also sees definite benefits in a terminal seeking both consultancy assistance and having the maintenance work undertaken by a third-party contractor.

“There are certainly many terminal operations started up decades ago, very much used to their way of working. An external consultant can bring clarity to the current structure … it is important that the consultant is familiar with the maintenance needs in the ports and terminals industry, and able to apply industry-specific best practice.

“A co-ordinator/project manager has an important role and it is important to make sure they really understand the specific needs of maintenance for the terminal operation. The third party will also help implement the new process and system in the existing maintenance organisation, who are of course the ultimate users.”

Commenting from the perspective of a terminal maintenance consultancy and management service provider, Royal Haskoning Middle East senior projects director Tim Bownes recommends that a terminal does adopt a standalone computer-based maintenance system.

“In many cases a client has already implemented his own computer-based maintenance system,” says Mr Bownes.

“It is difficult to envisage a port running a large amount of cargo-handling equipment without a proprietary system, given all the ‘bolt on’ benefits, such as control of spares stocks.

“It is a matter of policy whether items such as quay walls, drains and heavy-duty pavements are integrated into this same system; a large degree of pragmatism should be brought to bear and it is possible the spreadsheet approach may work better for such areas.”

Case by case

Mr Bownes believes evaluating the use of a consultant will be very much driven by an individual terminal’s circumstances. Factors can include the age of the assets, degree of complexity, the extent of the assets to be maintained (single wharf or an extensive port), the extent to which maintenance information is already available, the extent to which the assets are used, the criticality of the assets to the owner’s business, the owner’s attitude to maintenance activities (including the number and experience of internal staff) and the way these assets are financed.

“It can also be the case that the future introduction of new legislation pushes an owner to consider amendments to his current procedures. Each aspect will push the case for consultant involvement one way or the other,” he says.

“Not least is the cost of implementing an upgraded maintenance programme. The client needs to be sure he will get better value for money from the process. A consultant needs to take time to understand the criteria by which the client will determine value for money, the appropriate level of complexity anticipated and the role the consultant is expected to fulfil.”

Given such factors, Mr Bownes says the consultant’s role can be quite varied.

“In the case of an existing facility which is developing, it is important the consultant’s work fits with the existing policies and practices as this is likely to incorporate the new facilities in the most streamlined way. Of course, the role may be to update and overhaul the existing systems.”

In the case of the latter, the work will require a “greater degree of sensitivity”, he says, as there may be practices which have been in place which the consultant is being asked to review, perhaps rejecting it in favour of a newer system.

Broken thinking

“Maintenance of old assets is frequently done in a particular way for a reason; the adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ is alive and in many cases works well. A consultant who proposes an IT-based system which tells a fitter to change something every year which has worked well for 20 years is unlikely to save his client money and these matters will overshadow the positive aspects of the new system.

“Having said this, there is a danger of being pushed into ignoring potential problems. Of course, for the unwary the above adage can be mistaken for ‘if you don’t fix it, it ain’t broke’,” says Mr Bownes.

He adds that, in his view, the most important factor in any consultant’s work is therefore to have practical people involved who can work well with existing staff and who can make the distinction between the two, as well as being able to envisage the benefits of changing an existing system.

“Experience suggests this cannot always be done with existing maintenance teams who have their day jobs to undertake and who may be perfectly satisfied with their existing practices.”

Regarding the use of other external service providers, Mr Bownes says it is “probably essential” to use a software company to implement a proprietary system.

“Experience suggests it is wise to involve a consultant to help ensure the correct parameters are incorporated into the system. Of course the use of a software company itself introduces a risk, as does the ‘big bang’ introduction of a new system. The consultant (with his practical advice) should be able to rationalise the various factors and provide sensible guidance on the correct route to take. Of course this must be done prior to the selection of the software company!”

In this respect, a third-party contractor’s input is essential, if that organisation is already undertaking the maintenance. “They will undoubtedly have to work with the new system and getting their ‘buy in’ is very important.

“Experience is that a forward-thinking maintenance contractor will see this as an opportunity to provide a more efficient service with benefits to himself and his client. Alternatively, the new system can be used in conjunction with changing the way maintenance work is procured, providing an opportunity to retender against new criteria and with the new system.”