Terminal Operating System
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A Terminal Operating System, or TOS, is a key part of a supply chain and primarily aims to control the movement and storage of various types of cargo in and around a port or marine terminal. The systems also enables better use of assets, labour and equipment, plan workload, and receive up-to-date information.
Terminal operating systems generally fall under one of two categories depending on supported cargo type, namely, containerized or non-containerized. Large container terminals typically require yard management functionality in a TOS, whereas bulk dry and liquid cargo terminals do not.
Terminal Operating Systems often use other technologies such as internet, EDI processing, mobile computers, wireless LANs and Radio-frequency identification (RFID) to efficiently monitor the flow of products in, out and around the terminal. Data is either a batch synchronization with, or a real-time wireless transmission to a central database. The database can then provide useful reports about the status of goods, locations and machines in the terminal.
The objective of a terminal operating system is to provide a set of computerized procedures to manage cargo, machines and people within the facility to enable a seamless link to efficiently and effectively manage the facility.
Terminal operating systems can be stand alone systems, managed as a service or use cloud technologies.
In its simplest form, the TOS can data track cargo in and out of a terminal.
Functions
[edit | edit source]A Terminal Operating System may be used to do some or all of the following functions:
Shipping
[edit | edit source]Terminals requiring various types of ship transport
Container terminals using Containerization for LO-LO (lift on Lift Off) operations such as these require plans for efficiently loading and unloading Container ships docked within their Terminal.
A port using RO-RO ships require plans for efficiently loading automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels.
Rail
[edit | edit source]Terminals that require the arrival and departure of cargo on trains such as container trains or bulk cargo.
Road
[edit | edit source]Handle the receival and release of Cargo for transshipment from other modes of transport or storage.
Yard management
[edit | edit source]Creating Shipping list or keeping track of Warehouse levels. Tracking machine moves around the terminal.
Invoicing/Reporting
[edit | edit source]Invoicing and providing reports for internal and external use.
Inventory
[edit | edit source]Keeping track of Inventory and storing its movements.
Cargo Type
[edit | edit source]Various types of cargo can be managed dependent of terminal type. This includes containers, dry bulk, liquid bulk, break bulk and vehicles (roll-on/roll-off).
External Clients
[edit | edit source]Terminals may wish to communicate with the following through their Terminal Operating System:
- Terminal operators
- Freight forwarder
- Shipping line or shipping agent
- Container operators
- Port authority
- Pilots, tugs and mooring gang
- Cargo owner (e.g. oil companies)
- Customs office
Vendors/Suppliers
[edit | edit source]There are several suppliers of Terminal Operating Systems available.
- Autostore TOS, TBA Group [1]
- Cofano[citation needed]
- CommTrac[2][3][1]
- ContPark[2][4][1]
- TCS' DynaPORT[5]
- GullsEye[4][6][1]
- Hogia[4][1]
- INFORM[7]
- Infyz[4]
- iPortman[4][1]
- LynkGrid[8]
- Mainsail[2][4][1]
- MarineBerth[2][1]
- Master Terminal[4][1]
- Navis[4][1]
- Octopi (by Navis)[4][1]
- OPUS Terminal[4][1]
- OSCAR[4][1]
- Realtime Business Solutions (RBS)[4][1]
- Solvo.TOS[2][4][1]
- Softpak
- Tideworks[9]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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