Simulation-based Resource Pooling at the Baltic Container Terminal

The aim of the article is finding an optimal set of resources for the BCT container terminal. The pool of available resources consists of three types: quay cranes, trucks (tug-masters), and yard cranes. The article illustrates applicability of BCT logistical model based on Arena simulation package for choosing a resource set with known resource productivity values, initial prices and operational costs that would maximize terminal operating income. Comparison of obtained results with the traditional approach shows 18-20% average improvement in calculation precision. INTRODUCTION A set of available resources leads to the problem of an optimal choice of resource units for a given technological chain. Since any resource unit is involved in a logistic chain along with other resources, inevitable delays in technological operations as well as queues between resources units during load and discharge operations bring overall efficiency to a certain level, which sometimes is rather different from the efficiency of each separate resource unit. Obviously, the upper productivity boundary of the whole logistic chain will not exceed productivity of the slowest resource in the chain. In order to know what the real predicted productivity value would be, we can use an adequate model of the processes to be studied. The data obtained from the model allow estimating the real-life expected productivity and its statistical distribution for each combination of the resources in focus. Then, as a closer approximation for reality, for economic calculations the modeled productivity rather then nominal input resource productivity characteristics can be employed. The paper is aimed at demonstrating power of simulation in finding an optimal resource