Decision Support System for Container Port Selection using Multiple-Objective Decision Analysis

Ports are essential for maritime transportation and global supply chains since they are nodes that connect the sea- and land-based modes of transportation. With containerization and supply chains stimulating global trade, ports are challenged to adjust to changes in the market to create value to their customers. Therefore, this dissertation research focuses on the container port selection decision analysis to provide information to help shipping lines select the best port for their shipping networks. Since the problem is complex, dynamic, and involves multiple and conflicting criteria, the research proposes to use the multi-objective decision analysis with Value-Focused Thinking approach. The first chapter analyzes the port selection literature by timeline, journals, geographical location, and focus of the studies. Also, the research identifies the multiple criteria used in the port selection literature, as well as the models and approaches used for the analysis of the port selection decision problem. The second chapter develops a container port selection decision model for shipping lines using ports in West Africa. This model uses a multi-attribute value theory with valued-focused thinking and Alternative-Focused Thinking methodologies. The third chapter develops a port selection decision support system for shipping lines to select the best port in the U.S. Gulf Coast considering the impact of the Panama Canal’s expansion. The decision support system uses the multi-objective decision analysis with Value-Focused Thinking approach, incorporating the opinion of an industry expert for the development of the value model. It also includes a cost model to quantify the cost of the alternatives. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to help decision makers understand the value and cost risks of the decision. The contribution of this research is that it provides a tool to decision makers of the shipping lines industry to improve the decision making process to select the port that will add the most affordable value to the global supply chains of their customers. In addition, researchers can use the proposed methodology for future port selection studies in other regions and from the perspectives of other stakeholders

Schedule Reliability in Liner Shipping: A Study on Global Shipping Lines

Due to the complex structure of the transportation systems, disruptions in transport operations may occur from time to time. In liner shipping, it is seen that shipping lines frequently deviate from the transit times announced in their vessel schedules, and this leads to schedule unreliability. This leads to schedule unreliability and affects all stakeholders. Based on actual transportation data, this study aims to evaluate the transit time reliability performance of shipping lines and the factors that may affect transit time reliability to investigate schedule reliability in liner shipping. To evaluate the transit time reliability of shipping lines’, transit time deviations were calculated based on observations containing 5080 transport data of shipping lines and current performances are discussed. Hypotheses were tested with independent sample t-test and Welch’s ANOVA to examine the factors affecting transit time reliability. Tamhane’s T2 post-hoc test was used to determine the difference between groups. Results show that transit time reliability of shipping lines is low. It has been observed that the type of service, season, vessel age, and TEU capacity of the vessel factors affect the transit time reliabillity. With this study, shipping lines can evaluate their reliability performances according to the competition. At the same time, lines can use these results to understand, evaluate and manage factors that affect their transit time reliability. In this direction, suggestions have been made to the shipping lines to contribute to improving transit time reliability and service quality. This article is regarded to close the gap in evaluating transit time reliability in liner transportation because it relies on actual transportation data

A STRATEGIC CHOICE MODEL FOR ASIA-PACIFIC SHIPPING

The importance of strategy to an organisation's competitiveness is widely acknowledged in the strategic management literature. However, although strategy research has become substantial in other areas, the same cannot be said with the shipping industry. Very littie is known about how shipowners choose competitive strategies or what strategies they pursue under certain environmental conditions. Of what is available, most focus on Northern Europe and Northem America, with scant regard for the Asia-Pacific, which has become a major shipping power in recent decades. This study was, therefore, conducted to address these gaps in the literature. It analysed the strategic choices made by Asia-Pacific shipowners at the corporate level, compared actual shipowners' behaviour with strategic management theory on strategy selection, and developed a strategy selection model that was applicable to Asia-Pacific shipowners and consistent with strategic management theory. An extensive review of the literature was initially undertaken to develop a generic strategic choice model, which then served as the basis upon which information from Asia-Pacific shipowners was collected. A multi-method approach, called triangulation, was used to guide data collection and analysis. Data was obtained from two sources (shipowners' representatives and shipping experts) and through several methods (mail survey, interviews, simulation, expert and document review), and the extent to which these various sets of data were congruent had to be established. Because of the exploratory nature of the study, data was analysed using a qualitative approach. There was a high degree of congruence in the data collected. Out of the analysis, two primary findings emerged: (1) there was strong support for the strategic choice model, which implied greater inter-industry applicability than originally expected; (2) however, modifications to the model were needed to reflect a general tendency among Asia-Pacific shipowners to use other strategies in combination with or as a substitute to those offered by the model

MCDM Bunkering Optimisation in a Hub and Spoke System: The Case of the North Adriatic Ports

Choosing an optimal bunkering port that minimises the increase in the operating costs in a hub and spoke system is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. Furthermore, the criteria are related to the port particularities, the environment, fuel price, and some criteria are quantitative while others are qualitative. It is therefore necessary to create a model that takes such features into consideration. Firstly, in this paper a set of the most used criteria will be defined. Then, a method to choose suitable criteria for a hub and spoke system will be proposed. Secondly, using a Fuzzy AHP, weights will be defined and used in a multi-criteria goal function. The outcome is a bunkering policy MCDM model based on the aggregation of fuel consumption and price to criteria related to port characteristics, local aspects and service particularities. All these factors must be considered by a chief engineer (superintendent) in the process of defining a sustainable bunker policy. A case study based on the North Adriatic port system demonstrates the applicability of the proposed model. In addition, the case study highlights that in hub and spoke systems with short loops, feeder ships can regulate cargo capacity and stay at a port with bunkering policy planning.</p

Development of Decision Making Techniques for Analysing the Designation of the Northern Sea Route (NSR)

The prospect of being able to shorten the route between Europe and the Far East using the NSR as a permanent shipping lane is attracting increasing interest. This is why the use of the NSR is now a major topic, especially in financial circles, amongst politicians, and shipping operators. Numerous assessments to determine the potential cost advantage of using the NSR as a transit route have been conducted throughout recent years. These are, however conflicting in their conclusions and a final answer to the question is therefore lacking. The primary aim of this research is the application of decision-making tools to analyse the current routes of the NSR. Accordingly, this will lead to the development of decision-making techniques that will formulate a tool for shipping companies to select the most cost-effective route(s) for travelling between the Far East and European regions