A decision support system for integrated container handling in a transshipment hub

The productivity of a maritime container terminal can be improved through a model-driven decision support system (DSS) focused on a better integration among container handling operations occurring across the quay, transfer and yard areas. Integration is pursued to minimize the blocking, locking and other queuing phenomena which are unavoidable, especially when human-operated equipment is shared in a real environment subjected to several random events and activities. An integrated queuing network is proposed in this paper as the natural modeling paradigm for a DSS aimed to highlight and quantify the blocking, locking and other queuing phenomena experienced in real practice. After an in-depth discussion of the limitations of solving the queuing network model analytically, discrete-event simulation is adopted as solution method. Numerical examples referred to a case study for a real transshipment hub return reliable estimates for the above queuing phenomena. They illustrate how the queuing-based DSS may effectively support the operations manager in determining the proper operational policies and equipment management with respect to a proficient integration of container handling operations.