In response to growing traffic through the waterway, the Panama Canal announced today that it will launch a state-of-the-art vessel scheduling and maritime resource management system to optimise costs, improve safety and increase the efficiency of its services.
The new system will be fully integrated into Canal operations over the course of the next two years, with the module responsible for managing the Canal’s vessel scheduling expected to be operational by the end of the fiscal year in September 2017. The recently announced system will transform how the Panama Canal plans and schedules transit operations.
For the first time, the Canal will be able to execute a completely integrated operating plan for all of its critical resources, including tugboats, pilots and line handlers. The new technology will benefit shippers, by shortening vessel waiting times, increasing the number of potentially available vessel slots each day and improving the overall reliability of the route.
Following their expansion last year, the canal has experienced a surge in cargo and the number of transits by larger Neopanamax vessels. In fact, the Canal has set several monthly tonnage records already. At times, the Canal has needed to allocate more resources to guarantee high performance and safety standards amid the influx in activity.
The new system will enable the Canal to more efficiently manage this greater demand and capacity. According to Arnoldo Cano, Panama Canal programme manager for the ACP Renewal of Processes and Core Systems they have used Quintiq, a Dutch company owned by Dassault Systemes, to institute the technology. The company specialises in delivering supply chain planning and optimisation software to the maritime, transportation and logistics industries.
