Comprehensive, integrated, modular and proven, MACH, CMC's container terminal management system is the undisputed champion of port solutions, comprising planning, operations and freight station systems

Port Penang Sdn bhd (PPSB), a company owned by the government of Malaysia, manages Penang Port, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year with a rotation of three shifts. Since PPSB took over the operations of the port, ferry facilities and services, it has consistently tried to create and maintain a commercially responsive environment, and to serve port customers effectively and efficiently.

The problem
To meet the increasing demand for container terminals and berthing facilities, Penang Port Commission (PPC) constructed a new container terminal at North Butterworth (NBCT). The new facility was set up to accommodate expected container growth. It also provided capacity for expansion in line with increased demand. The PPC also upgraded the existing container terminal at Butterworth, by adding modern equipment such as cranes and container handling equipment.

The application software being used by the port at the time was the Pelkon I system, built by the Mitsui Engineering and Shipping Company (MES), of Tokyo, Japan. But the addition of modern facilities at NBCT and the enhancement of the existing infrastructure at the existing Butterworth container terminal began to exert severe pressure on the computing systems initially installed at the port.

The Pelkon I system could not cope with the increased load, and the port was unable to offer efficient services and quick turnarounds to incoming ships and cargo vessels. There was a need for a more advanced system to handle the increase in data and information. PPC decided to look for a modern but proven computer system which could manage the present and future needs of the port.

The assignment
In 1992, Penang Port SB released a global turnkey tender for the complete design, development, supply, implementation and maintenance of a container terminal management system.

CMC was chosen as the prime contractor for PPSB's computerised container terminal systems project. It was to implement the project in close association with Komputer Sistem Malaysia Sdn Bhd (KSM). The project included supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance of hardware, application software, networking, radio data terminals (RDTs) and system software.

The analysis
Ports entail huge investments in infrastructure development — to dredge channels, build berths and container yards, as well as buy cranes and other cargo moving equipment. But port managements are also faced with increasing service demands from shipping lines, who themselves have invested in increasingly sophisticated and larger vessels. Increasing competition from neighbouring ports and rapidly changing vessel / container handling technologies, only compound the problem.

CMC's solution for PPSB had to ensure:

	Faster turnaround times for calling vessels
	Shorter dwell times for containers and cargo
	Optimal use of port resources like yard space and cranes
	Safe handling of cargo (particularly hazardous cargo)
	Enhanced facilities and services for users
	The ability to deal effectively with large volumes of information

The solution
CMC's Marine Container Handling System (MACH) — a comprehensive container terminal management solution — is designed to address all operational issues of a container terminal in a totally integrated manner. MACH is a highly user-friendly decision-support system, and enables effective coordination between various operating points, ensuring greater efficiency and productivity.

MACH broadly comprises planning, operations and documentation / control systems. Its modular structure allows incremental growth as well as planned implementation in phases. CMC proposed the use of MACH software to cover the major functional components of planning, control and documentation. The MACH. plan for PPSB included berth, ship and yard planning.

Radio data terminals
CMC recommended extensive use of radio data terminals (RDTs) for port operations, to speed up the flow of information and for recording data in real-time. An RDT is a hand-held terminal with a small screen used to confirm operations at the quayside (ship-side) and yard-side. Each worker carries an RDT. If the worker is located on a vehicle, then a vehicle-mounted terminal is used. Instructions for operations appear on the terminal screen.

On the completion of a job, a worker can transmit the results through the terminals to a base station located within the port, which relays it to the system controller. The system controller translates the radio message back into readable data for the software application to understand and store. After the database is updated, the next instructions are sent from the computer, along the same route, to the worker.

The control sub-system oversees the operations and documentation aspects of the MACH system. Information for the senior management comes through the MACH.EIS module, while external communication is through MACH.EDI. The hardware provided by KSM included application and database servers with high-availability and a mirrored environment.

Implementation
Project implementation methodology:

	Launch of the project
	Customisation study
	Functional specifications preparation and submission
	Functional specifications approval
	Customisation
	Unit testing and integrated testing
	Pre-shipment inspection and packaging
	Installation of hardware, RDTs, system software, network, etc
	Implementation
	Interfacing
	Acceptance testing
	Training
	Parallel run and going live
	Warranty support

CMC provided the necessary documentation at the end of each relevant stage, such as functional specifications, AT test plans, user manuals, etc. After the completion of warranty support, we provided remote maintenance support, including the enhancements requested by PPSB, from India for almost two years.

We extended support during the year 2000 to ensure that the system was Y2K compliant. Based on PPSB's requirements, CMC added functionalities and enhanced the system. We regularly send updates about the latest IT and communications trends in container handling to PPSB.

The integrated MACH system has improved PPSB's overall operations:

	Optimal use of port resources like yard space and cranes
	Enhanced facilities and services for users
	Ability to deal effectively with large volumes of information

Technical details
The project team comprised a project manager and 10 engineers from CMC. They completed the entire project within 15 months from the date of award of the contract.

For the analysis / customisation study, they conducted a demonstration of the MACH base product at the PPSB site. This helped PPSB personnel understand MACH functionalities as well as the associated operational procedures. The team discussed and finalised PPSB's operational requirements, as well as identified customisation areas and workarounds that would be needed. This exercise helped in mapping MACH's functionalities with PPSB operational procedures and requirements. The team also noted the changes required in the MACH software. CMC incorporated these changes and implemented the software as per the project plan.

The latest version of MACH comprises the following sub-systems:

	MACH.BP, the berth planning sub-system
	MACH.SP, the ship planning sub-system
	MACH.YP, the yard planning sub-system
	MACH.RP, the rail planning sub-system
	MACH.CTA, the container administration sub-system
	MACH.MRN, the marine operations sub-system
	MACH.EDI, the electronic data interchange sub-system
	MACH.OPS, the operations sub-system (with RDTs)
	MACH.OCM, the operations control and monitoring sub-system
	MACH.ORM, the operations resource management sub-system
	MACH.CFS, the container freight station sub-system
	MACH.INV, the invoice sub-system
	MACH.EIS, the executive information sub-system
	MACH.ADM, the system administration sub-system