Port Users Research Articles

Reshaping of Global Shipping Dynamics: Implications for Strategic Resilience Capabilities, Marketing Capabilities, Supply Chain Orientation Capabilities and Port Competitiveness in Indonesia

The phenomenon of dynamic maritime environment have affected port business and it is substantially changing the business environment in which large-scale container trade growth is being facilitated. In this paper will illustrate the dynamic features of port users, discuss the port competition strategy and analyse the marketing strategic for port business under transformation phases. Using qualitative methods using case studies through a literature review and empirical evidence to prove, deepen and expand the results of the study. In this article, we develop and examine the implication such marketing capabilities approach to the effectiveness of the marketing strategies and strategic resilience capabilities to determine sustainable competitive performance. Based on a discussion among with its managements, this paper could prove a conceptual framework in which strategic resilience capabilities and supply chain orientation capabilities have a profound impact on the company’s sustainable competitive performance.

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF SERVICE QUALITY ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THE CASE OF MERSIN INTERNATIONAL PORT

Port operations play a crucial role in fostering social and economic progress. The effectiveness and reliability of port services wield considerable influence over customer preferences. Nonetheless, additional scholarly exploration is warranted to grasp the correlation between port service quality and customer contentment. With this objective in mind, this research endeavors to scrutinize the influence of service quality at Mersin Port on customer satisfaction. A survey encompassing 215 Mersin Port users was administered as part of the study. In the study, the ROPMIS model served as the tool to evaluate port service quality. This framework comprises resources, outcomes, processes, management, reputation, and social accountability. The amassed data underwent scrutiny via the statistical tool Smart-PLS 4.1.0. The findings divulge that reputation, social accountability, and management notably impact customer satisfaction with port service quality. This study reveals the impact of port service quality on customer satisfaction, aiding port management in quality improvement.

Dry port location selection for integration with inland waterway transport in developing countries: A case study in Northern Vietnam

Dry port has emerged as a critical element of transport infrastructure, eliciting substantial research and investment for its development. The strategic selection of dry port locations not only enhances the effectiveness of connections between seaports and hinterlands but also supports the sustainable advancement of the logistics industry, given that dry port operations can integrate with more environmentally friendly transportation modes, particularly inland waterway transport. Extensive research has been conducted to identify optimal dry port locations within the framework of inland waterway container terminals. Nevertheless, these studies primarily focus on developed economies, leaving a notable research void in developing countries. This paper aims to propose a methodological framework for selecting the most suitable dry port location, with a particular emphasis on integration with inland waterway transport in developing nations. This study implements a combination of the Best-Worst Method (BWM) and Elimination Et Choix Traduisant la Realité III (ELECTRE III) in this domain. An analytical case study of Northern Vietnam, considering five alternative dry ports, is conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed framework. Twenty-seven Vietnamese experts, categorized into three groups—policymakers and consultants, dry port investors and operators, and dry port users—participate in the decision-making process, contributing insights to this case study. An aggregated group decision-making approach is employed. Four principal criteria—economic, accessibility, location, and environmental—are utilized to assess and rank the five alternatives. The findings reveal that a reduction in transport cost is the most critical sub-criterion, while environmental considerations and railway accessibility receive the lowest priority.

Profit and Sustainability Perceptions Related to the Implementation of Blue Accounting in the Fishing Industry in Palabuhanratu

Blue Accounting integrates accounting principles with marine and coastal resource management to support sustainable development goals, focusing on the sea as its ecosystem. This study aims to understand perceptions of profit and sustainability related to the implementation of Blue Accounting in the fishing industry in Palabuhanratu. Additionally, it seeks to shift the common perception that accounting is solely about numbers. The qualitative approach used in this research is the social constructivism framework, often described as interpretivism. The results indicate that fishermen and boat owners have differing views on profit and sustainability concerning Blue Accounting implementation in Palabuhanratu’s fishing industry. The study addresses the problem statement by exploring these perceptions. Profit and sustainability are inseparable points in the implementation of Blue Accounting, generating various arguments and assumptions from different stakeholders who observe the level of awareness among port users in Palabuhanratu. This research highlights the importance of integrating sustainability into profit considerations within the fishing industry.

Transportation system models to analyse ports competition and cooperation

Some global drivers of the shipping market, such as the carriers’ alliance consolidation process and the growing ship sizes have determined critical conditions in standalone ports in the XXI century. The traditional attitude of each port during the XX century was to consider other ports, even if they belong to the same territorial system, as competitors following the postulate of the natural monopoly of access to a territory. However, the necessity to respond to the binding requests of port users and of the ship gigantism brought to different experiences between ports belonging to the same territorial system. New forms of cooperation and competition took place at different levels. The paper presents a theoretical equilibrium model to analyse the competition and/or cooperation scenarios of two, or more, ports belonging to a territorial system. The model is based on the consolidated topological-behavioural paradigm of Transportation System Models (TSMs). The proposed equilibrium model allows to simulate the condition inside a port system, which moves from a competition attitude between ports to a cooperation one, within the same modelling framework. The model could provide to the port authorities, managers, planners and researchers a quantitative tool to understand the competition-cooperation scenarios and to define alternative strategies in relation to the decisions taken by other actors of the market.

복합가치항만 성장을 위한 인천항의 물동량 인센티브 제도 개선방안 연구

Purpose : In order for Incheon Port to grow into a complex value port, this study intends to propose ways to strengthen the feedback function of the incentive system from a long-term perspective, flexibly manipulate strategic area incentives, and support Sea&Air multimodal transportation through the analysis of the current status and effectiveness of Incheon Port's volume incentives. Research design, data and methodology : This thesis adopted a literary focused research method. In order to deal with the contents determined by the scope of the study, a theoretical approach targeting the current status of domestic and foreign port incentives, support systems, and related theses was used. Results : Effect analysis showed that incentive systems influenced the decision of port users regarding which port to use. Each port user was found to have a very positive perception of the financial effects of offsetting future logistics costs through port incentive systems. Conclusions : As an improvement plan, first, it seems necessary to strengthen the feedback function of the incentive system. Second, flexible adjustments of incentives in strategic areas are needed. Third, Sea&Air incentives must be improved. Fourth, there may be need for review of incentive system standardization.

EVALUASI KINERJA PELABUHAN PANTOLOAN KOTA PALU

The city of Palu is located in a very strategic area which making it a gateway to connect Central Sulawesi with Kalimantan Island. Pantoloan port developed as a support for the movement but even with the strategic location and enormous potential, this port tends to be quiet with activities that should be present at ports in general. This research aims to determine the level of satisfaction of port users and to analyze the factors that influence its performance. This research using a descriptive method with qualitative approach through distributing questionnaires to respondents which later be analyzed using the Customer Satisfaction Index and Importance Performance Analysis methods. The results of the evaluation study on the performance of Pantoloan Port are that port users are quite satisfied with a percentage reaching 52%. Other factors that greatly influence the level of satisfaction and are priorities in developing port performance are timeliness, accessibility and affordable rates.

ANALYSIS OF THE UTILIZATION OF THE HARBOR AREA AT THE PORT OF TANJUNG PERAK

Tanjung Perak Port is the initial gateway to Surabaya which handles more than 40% of international goods trade. In this case, the Kertosusilo Gate Area (GKS) has a very important position with its sea area having the busiest shipping lanes in Indonesia with 15,409 vessels operating at the end of 2021. The dense distribution of port activities in sea transportation creates complex problems which impact on delays in cargo delivery in Tanjung Perak Harbor. Problems that arise include sedimentation due to the construction of the Maspion Indonesia Port terminal, narrowing of sea water and changes in sea area which causes narrowing of the Madura Strait sea area, as well as complaints from port users regarding shipping lanes, anchoring areas in terms of depth, area, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), services. ship guidance and security. Based on these problems, research was carried out on the utilization and needs of the anchorage area at Tanjung Perak Port. Starting with conducting research preparation, collecting data by compiling data related to the general picture of economic growth, especially in the East Java region as well as operational technicalities and conditions of the Tanjung Perak port. So that we can obtain the results of utilization research for a docking area capacity of 20,330 ships per year with a utility value of the docking area at Tanjung Perak Port of 73.5%.

Factor analysis method for delay dynamics in Nigerian Tin Can Island Port for sustainable development

The effect of efficient and effective port system on the economy viability of any nation cannot be over emphasis. This study investigated factors that could be termed as delay causative factors in Nigerian ports industry using TIN CAN Island port complex as a case study. A well-structured questionnaire was developed for this research and 72 respondents, who are port users (custom officers, employees, and customers), were asked to rank the variables perceived to be causing delay at the port according to their respective perception of the effect of each factor on delay factors at the port. The validity of the research instrument was done using Cronbach Alpha. There are several factors that were thought to be working together in reducing efficiency in Nigerian ports and these factors were analyzed using factor analysis method. It was discovered from the analysis that Lack of Government Authority, Ullage Constraint, Inadequate Berthing, Logistics Delay, Financial Constraint and Equipment Breakdown are major factors that cause delay at Tin Can Island Port Lagos. These highlighted factors should be paid special attention in order to reduce delay in Tin Can Island port which will in turns lead to more revenue for the country.

Evaluation of Compulsory Regulatory Port Services and Revenue Generation of Onne Port Nigeria

Compulsory regulatory services are those port services which are required by Port Authority to provide to port users and/or vessels that call to the port. These services are by port statutory requirement that the Port Authority provides such services and collect revenues from the port users who benefits from such services. Such revenues collected include pilotage fees, lease fees, berth rent, MOWCA, contingency deposit, ship dues etc. This study evaluated the impacts of these compulsory regulatory port services on revenue generation of Onne Port Nigeria. In carrying out the study, secondary data consisting of time series data on port revenue covering a period of six years (2016-2020) of Onne port obtained from NPA Onne annual reports. The data collated were analyzed using multivariate statistics of stepwise regression method with the help of computer aided software SPSS version 22. The results inform that the mix of the independent variables have significant impacts on revenue generation of Onne Port Nigeria. The findings further show that unit increase on pilotage and other services have positive significant impacts on revenue generation while, unit increase on lease and throughput fees have negative significant impacts on revenue generation due to discounts offered to port users for increase in unit patronage. The study recommends that the port authority should ensure adequate pilotage and maintenance of other services to satisfy potential port users to earn loyalty and increase patronage by port users in order to generate more revenues and adopt an optimization approach to manage discounts on unit increase on throughput and lease fees to minimize the effect on the overall revenue generation specially in a long run.

Sustainable planning: the case study of the Strait of Messina ports

The energy and environmental policy carried out by the Port System Authority of the Strait (AdSP), in charge of the management of the ports spread along the Strait of Messina, is reported. The Environmental and Energy Planning Document of Port Systems (DEASP, the Italian acronym) is the document explaining the AdSP sustainable strategy to reduce GHG emissions. It defines specific measures, in order to improve energy efficiency in buildings and infrastructures, promote the use of renewable energy in the port area, and confer environmental benefits for the citizens of neighboring territories and port users. The main actions developed are as follows: photovoltaic solar plants and tidal energy systems, electrification of the docks to allow the shore supply of ships, and the construction of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) storage plant to replace more polluting marine fuels, together with awareness campaigns on “green” issues, involving the 3 million users of these ports. Starting from the socio-economic and environmental analysis of the territorial context managed by AdSP, the DEASP analyses all the activities carried out inside port areas and reports the energy consumptions of the concessionaries, in the way to calculate the carbon footprint and develop an environmental sustainable strategy to reduce pollutant emissions. The interventions foreseen are assessed through the cost-benefit analysis and allow reducing the GHG emissions in 2030 up to 46%.

Post Concession and Users’ Perceptions of Seaports in Nigeria

Seaports in Nigeria are gradually moving away from being publicly operated to engaging the private sectors in terminal operations through concession contracts. This paper examined the Users’ Perceptions of the Pre and Post Concession of Nigerian seaports. The study employed qualitative and quantitative research method with data spanning between 1994 and 2019. The results showed that; the performances of Pre concession was perceived poor by the users in Onne seaport (mean = 1.84) while it was graded good at Post concession (mean = 3.49). Port users Perceived the performances of Apapa seaport at Pre concession as poor (mean = 1.88) while it was perceived as good at Post concession (mean = 3.11). Port users Perceived the performances of Warri port at Pre concession as poor (mean = 1.75), while it was perceived good at Post concession (mean = 3.09). However Port Users in all the ports perceived level of corruption lower at the pre concession (mean = 1.64) than the post concession (mean = 2.87). In all the selected ports, users rated relevance of ICT in cargo clearance as most perceived good while the satisfaction of the port services was perceived least at concession (mean =3.64, 2.75). The paper concludes that there was an improvement in the provision of adequate & modern critical infrastructures at concession. The relevance of ICT in cargo clearance improved at concession as well as the managerial competency of the terminal operator. However, at the period of this paper, levels of corruption were perceived positive and significant at concession.

항만 선택 및 경쟁 모형

Port competition is a complex phenomenon that is inextricably linked to the port selection decisions of hinterland and maritime port users. To effectively analyze port competition and formulate strategies, it is essential to adopt a holistic perspective that considers the entire port system through a supply chain lens. Existing research on port competition has largely focused on constructing separate port choice models for hinterland and seaward considerations, or developing unified port choice models that do not distinguish between user groups. However, these approaches fail to account for the interdependent relationship between the port choice behaviors and port competitiveness of hinterland and seaward port users within a single port. In this study, we address this gap in the literature by proposing an integrated model that leverages port choice models of hinterland and maritime port users, along with their respective port preferences, within a multicriteria decision analysis-non-cooperative game theory framework. This integrated model enables a comprehensive examination of port selection and inter-port competition from a unified perspective. In addition, we construct a two-player, three-strategy non-cooperative game theory model in which hinterland and maritime perspectives are considered distinct game participants. Applying the proposed integrated multi-criteria decision-making port competition theory model to container ports, we find that Busan Port exhibits the highest overall competitiveness, followed closely by Yeosu Gwangyang Port and Incheon Port. The Nash equilibrium solution for all participants in both simultaneous and sequential games is confirmed to be the choice of Busan Port for both hinterland and maritime considerations. These findings suggest that Incheon Port and Yeosu Gwangyang Port, which benchmark the Nash equilibrium solution, should prioritize the enhancement of port selection factors according to their relative importance, particularly those where they fall short compared to Busan Port. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of port selection and a game theory-based port competition framework from the perspective of port users in the context of container ports. The findings of this study can support the strategy formulation of port authorities and port operators. However, future research could build more realistic models that categorize inland shippers by region and ocean carriers by route to obtain more practical outcomes

Exploring the importance of the perceived value of port users: evidence from the public port system in Ecuador

PurposeThis article aims to explore the concept of chain value of the public port system in Ecuador from the perspective of importing/exporting companies, analyzing how perceived value in the use of port services affects customer satisfaction and the intermediate links of the influence of trust and commitment on customer loyalty.Design/methodology/approachRelying on a survey of 634 Ecuadorian companies with experience in international trade as port users and a theoretical framework well-established in the literature on consumer behavior, the empirical study found evidence of a positive and significant relationship with the knowledge of chain effects.FindingsThe findings confirm the chain effect and reveal ways to maintain an ongoing satisfactory, trust and committed relationship with users, thereby ultimately gaining and maintaining their loyalty. The conclusions suggest how this postulate can help to close the gap referred to the effective management of port services, and point out that port managers should be concerned with a continuous in-depth understanding of the perceived value and its chain effects.Originality/valueThe authors add evidence of the use of the postulate of the chain of effects on these dimensions, whose applicability is very well established, tested and consensual for the doctrine in industrial marketing. In contrast, it is scarcely present in the port relationship with its users.

Managing noise from port operations via the use of automated noise monitoring systems

Ports are key pieces of infrastructure that enable the transportation of goods and passengers. Bays Port, Sydney NSW is located in close proximity to communities and balances the increased demand for Port facilities and services with community expectations, environmental requirements and regulatory approvals. For noise generated from Port activities at Bays Port, historically, individual port users have been required to monitor and evaluate noise under different environmental requirements and planning approvals, which can lead to inconsistent reporting, noise limits and regulation between operators and a lack of clarity for the community. Port Authority of NSW has implemented a first of its kind policy in Australia for the management of Port noise from both individual vessel and landside noise sources. To achieve these objectives, an automated directional noise monitoring system has been implemented to provide real-time measurement and analysis of noise contributions from vessel and landside activities. The system utilizes live data of individual vessel tracking locations, meteorology and an array of 6 direction microphones located around the port infrastructure. This information feeds into a live platform to facilitate management of port noise operations. This paper provides an overview of the Port Noise Policy and the use of unattended directional noise monitoring systems to meet the policy’s aims. Case studies are also provided to illustrate the benefits of real time monitoring systems in pro-actively managing port noise.

Revisiting marine services pricing in South Africa’s ports

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is the landlord and sole provider of marine services in South Africa’s eight commercial ports. Historically, TNPA set port prices for marine (nautical) services below full cost recovery. Price regulation has improved the situation, but substantial reforms are still required. This paper revisits marine services pricing in South Africa’s ports. The methodology employed content analysis to analyse 99 stakeholders’ submissions to the Ports Regulator of South Africa from financial years 2013/2014 to 2021/2022. The results are discussed under four categories of themes: concerns about the above-inflation price increase, suggestions on alternative marine services pricing models, concerns about marine services provision and productivity, and the disputed cross-subsidization between ports and port user groups. Despite above-inflation price increases for marine services, tariffs remain 44% below the global benchmarked mean, whilst revenues from cargo owners subsidise port tenants and shipping lines. The relatively low prices for marine services may exacerbate the sub-optimal levels of investment and maintenance in marine services. The study recommends that marine services pricing reforms incorporate the user-pays principle, be founded on activity-based costing, and adopt a dual-till model. Activity-based costing is considered the international best practice, and it is the preferable approach recommended by several port users in South Africa.

An assessment of the capacity and the performance of marine services in South Africa’s ports

Background: With about 80% of world trade being seaborne, seaports’ capacity, efficiency and associated services are vital to ensure seamless, sustainable global supply chains. A lack of investment in marine services capacity and performance in South African ports remains a concern for port users and supply chain practitioners.Objectives: This study examines the capacity and performance of marine services in South Africa’s ports. The primary example examines marine services performance data for the Port of Durban.Method: This study uses Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) data and descriptive statistics to analyse marine fleet performance, bollard pulls and human capacity in South Africa’s ports to identify causes of shipping delays in the Port of Durban from 2014 to 2021.Results: The 8 years analysis show five most prominent sources of shipping delays in Ports as; tugboats occupied, shift changes, shipping movements, tugs out of commission and adverse weather conditions. Other factors identified were pilot-boat availability, overbooking slots, port meetings, etc. The performance of marine services are impacted by outdated wet infrastructure and a shortage of marine crafts and critical skills.Conclusion: There is a clear and justified need to increase physical and human capital investment in the provision of marine services and improve maintenance spending on critical infrastructure to reduce shipping delays and costs of conducting trade in South African (SA) ports.Contribution: The study compiles, analyses and provides a contextual understanding of the number of marine crafts, average bollard pulls, human resources capacity and causes of shipping delays in Republic of South Africa (RSA) ports.

An evaluation of the governance structure of marine services in South Africa’s ports system

Port governance structures are a vital factor impacting port investments, efficiencies, effectiveness and productivity. An important determining factor is the port management and whether it is centralized under the national government as a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE), decentralized to the municipal level, or alternatively privatized. Reforms in port management indicate that ports either subscribe to a public service port, tool port, landlord port or private port approach. Several inefficiencies exist in the governance, pricing and performance of marine services in South Africa. This study aims to evaluate the governance structure of marine services in South Africa’s ports. The research methodology included observations, a focus group with six participants and semi-structured interviews with twenty participants that included port managers, harbour masters, port experts, port agents, terminal operators, and cargo owners. The main findings confirmed the need for the participation of private service providers in the provision of marine services in South Africa’s ports and additional regulations on marine services to advance investment, performance and protection of port users. Although there is a need for private sector participation in the provision of marine services in South Africa’s ports, participation should enhance the country’s economic and developmental agenda, including job creation, investment in infrastructure, improved service provision and transforming the ports system.

Enhancing Fishing Port Services Quality to Support Fish Supply Chains of the Island Fisheries at the Belitung Island

Fishing ports are crucial to the sustainable management of fisheries resources and enterprises that depend on the fishery. The objective of this study was to analyze the levels of facilities availability and service quality of fishing ports in the islands through a case study of Tanjungpandan Islands Fishing Port in Belitung Island. This study was conducted by combining survey methods, observation, as well as in-depth interviews with the port users and managers. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, field research was conducted in two periods: from September to October 2020 and from January to February 2022. Respondents were selected by applying the snowball sampling method and resulted in 70 selected respondents, consisting of fishermen, skippers, traders, factory managers or fish processing units, and port managers. Structured questionnaires were used for data collection. It proceeded into descriptive-qualitative analysis and combined with SERVQUAL and IPA (Importance Performance Analysis) methods. The study demonstrated that six port facilities failed to meet the Nusantara (inter-island) fishing port standards as outlined in the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries' Regulation No. 8, year 2012. Eight port services that were considered important indicated low performance to support the island’s fish supply chain. The total score of basic, functional, and supporting facilities was 60.46% (within 0 – 100% scale) and considered as relative “good”. Therefore, given that the port is the main hub of marine fisheries activities on Belitung island, it is crucial to increase the accessibility, quality, and services of fishing port facilities in order to support the fish supply chain in the islands.

A systems approach to developing a port community system for South Africa

Port community systems (PCS), as electronic platforms enabling the intelligent and secure exchange of information between public and private stakeholders in ports, are central to port supply chains. PCS drive productivity, efficiencies, and competitiveness whilst improving the port’s attractiveness. They connect port users and supply chain participants and allow them to share information efficiently on a single platform by drawing data from different enterprise resource management systems. Port systems are complex networks of functions integrated to deliver cargo services to port users. Developing countries’ ports have suffered adversely from their slow adoption of PCS; consequently, their performance improvements have stagnated over time. This article uses Soft Systems Methodology and applies it to the case of South Africa’s ports that are particularly affected by the absence of PCS. The article also presents a framework for implementing PCS. Primary data was gathered through 24 interviews and two port stakeholder workshops. The findings show that port users are operating on fragmented and different platforms, lack integration and collaboration, and no single platform is used to share critical shipping information. Nevertheless, the interviewees all supported the creation of a PCS, and this article develops and recommends a framework for implementing a PCS in South Africa.