TOPS: Advanced decision support system for port and maritime chemical logistics

Abstract

This paper presents a decision support system named the Tanker Operations Planning System (TOPS). It is a user-friendly software with an advanced routing and scheduling algorithm to automate and aid the operational decision making process. It considers the key operations constraints faced by the tanker owners. The advanced routing and scheduling algorithm embedded in the decision engine uses heuristics to solve industrial scale problems under actual operating conditions. Besides, TOPS can easily generate the routing, scheduling, stowage plan and the financial reports, and it can process a large number of orders online as well. In addition, TOPS can be conveniently modified for evaluation purposes or to suit the preference of the tanker owners. In essence, TOPS is an effective optimization-based decision support system to assist the parcel tanker carriers to systematically and objectively plan vessel routes and schedules with the goal of maximizing profits and fleet utilization in a structured manner. Drawing from actual data provided by a tanker company operating in the Asia Pacific, our simulation results show that TOPS can generate a cost effective routing and scheduling plan of a large scale problem to within a practically acceptable time of around 10-20 minutes.