Information and Analytical System of Transport & Logistics Nodes

Most of the technological operations, carried out in transport & logistics centers (TLCs), which primarily are nodes of the core TLCs’ network, are provided as an integrated service. Thus, a provision of ‘shipment of goods’ service to be rendered as per one confirmed request, also means a provision of technological operations of two TLCs at least (and number of TLCs could be more if there will be several transshipments of goods).

The Information and Analytical System of Transport & Logistics Nodes (IAS TLN) envisages on-line interactions of the Automated System for Coordination of Goods Traffic (AS CGT) with Automated Management Systems of TLCs.

Interactions of IAS TLN with other Information Systems:

Each particular loading unit is considered to be an object of technological operations of a particular TLC engaged in provision of service, and has its start- and end-status, fixed in the Automated System for Coordination of Goods Traffic (AS CGT). At the TLC site such loading unit is characterized by the parameters of time, location and status:

• Time characteristics: time of a train’s arrival, time of start of movement, time of beginning and of completion of processing (lift, shift, loading / unloading, cross-docking and/or re-palettizing);
• Location: a warehouse place / cell, a location in wagon of a train, a place in the loading / unloading zone, a location at autodocking facilities, a location in a body / trailer of a vehicles, another.
• Status: this characteristic includes “being in a certain place without movement”, "being in a queue for processing", “being handled”, or “being moved after completion of an integrated freight processing operation."

Basic technological operations, which process objects with changes of that time periods, statuses or locations of goods, are carried out technological resources of a TLC.

The following types of TLC’s resources are used to carry out operations in accordance with consignees' requests:

• Loaders
• Reach-stackers
• Cranes
• Warehouses and open storage sites
• Time slots to enter a TLC passing check-points (*)
• Auto docks of warehouses

(*) Time slots and auto docks are pre-booked time periods to drive into a TLC, and numbered docks / gates of warehouses, respectively.

Each of these resources is a limited, measurable, identifiable and managed TLC’s resource. While planning the use of IAS TLN resources, it was envisaged availability of appropriate functionality to identify and manage resources according to the AS CGT standards. The electronic queue management system is one of the key components of the IAS TLN. The management of time-slotting at terminals is to optimize traffic loads on checkpoint, on intra-terminal road network, on parking lots and on auto docks. Traffic management of vehicles will also reduce the traffic loads on connections of terminal’s access roads to public roads. Typical technological operations at TLCs’ terminals (i. e., high-speed freight, container and contrailer) are basically similar.

The IAS TLN is required to optimize the allocation of proper lifting and transport equipment for technological operations. It is designed to receive appropriate information on the TLC’s forthcoming tasks from the AS CGT and to transmit this information to the appropriate management systems of the TLC, ensuring feedback flows to display in the AS CGT system appropriate data on changes in the statuses of the technological operations’ objects.

At any moment TLC operators via open APIs should be able to obtain the following data on their working stations or automatically directly from information systems:

This information is transmitted by the IAS TLN to TLC information systems for execution, recording and planning activities, including operational control systems for technological handling equipment, warehouse management systems (WMS), time-slotting management systems at TLC checkpoints, and the terminal's management & control systems (CRM, ERP).

Thus, the main requirements for the prospective IAS TLN systems of each terminal are to ensure the operative reception and processing of incoming data, to transmit data with the maximum exception of the human factor to the terminal management systems, and to provide prompt data from management systems to the AS CGT system.