As more large and very large container ships enter the major trade lanes of the world, the opportunity exists for liner operators to optimize vessel utilization, operational efficiency, and maximize voyage profitability.
However, the risks inherent in inadequate stowage are exponentially increased in larger ships, as are safety concerns for crew and vessels. Recent incidents of collapsed container stacks on board large ships have shone the spotlight on safe stowage planning.
In order to create robust, safe, and efficient stowage planning that also enables quick turnaround times at terminals, carriers need to leverage a dynamic interactive solution that takes minutes rather than hours to complete the planning for a multi-port voyage.
“Traditional stowage planning takes too much time, is often strewn with errors and not designed to manage the multi-port long voyages of the mega container vessels,” said Vijay Minocha, Chief Commercial Officer at Solverminds Solutions.
“Demand now is for a system that offers the best optimization of vessel capacity, real-time visibility, and sharing of container data, stability and strength calculations, stress and lashing force conditions. The SVM SONATA (Stowage Optimizer N AnalyTics Assistant) provides an interactive planning interface that enables planners to simulate multiple plans,” he added.
At the heart of SONATA are algorithms that reduce multi-port planning down from 16 hours to 40 minutes and a single-port plan can be available within 15 minutes, delivering best-in-class productivity and information sharing, which ultimately results in faster turnaround of vessels and eventual cost reduction.
Among the key features is the automated segregation of Dangerous Goods in specific bays; the system is platform-independent using Linux, MAC OS, or Windows and can connect to third-party solutions through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). It also includes a function that reads BAPLIE, Movins, Excel, COPRAR, and user-specific formats.
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Xinde Marine News.
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