The Technology in Maritime Transport and Port Management after World War II - Essay Example

The Technology in Maritime Transport and Port Management after World War II Chapter Introduction The Review of Maritime Transport (2007) reported that “goods loaded at ports worldwide are estimated to have reached 7.4 billion tons. This is equivalent to an annual growth rate of 4.3 per cent. Crude oil accounted for 26.9 per cent of total goods loaded, while petroleum products represented 9.2 per cent” in 2006. Approximately ninety percent of all trade worldwide was completed through international shipping. Without the means to ship import goods on the necessary scale for the contemporary world would not be feasible (Shipping Facts, 2010). Background of Maritime Transportation There are thousands of years of history with ocean transportation, which is the most important mode of transportation in world trade. After World War II, the world economy gradually went to integration. With international trade growing, the rapid development of maritime transport has become the most important means in economic development and trade. The world wars of the 20th century promoted the rapid development of technology, which is brought about by a huge move to marine transportation. The most dramatic changes are with ships, such as the diversity of the ship; the ships’ design and manufacturing being upsized and capable and high-speed, as well as the communication technology and safety equipment of the ship. The seaport development is basic on the shipping raise. In the beginning, ports serviced to shipping docks, Marine cargo handling, storage and transport, et cetera. Nowadays, except for those basic functions, according to the requirement of modern logistics, the customers are regarded as the center, which involve perfect management and the controlling of the logistics services. For example, applying the information systems and other networks to improve the effectiveness to request the consumer demand. Objectives of the Study Just like the way peoples’ lives have changed, there are some important innovations in the ships and ocean transportation that have been made since the 1950s. The purpose of this research is to pay attention to the impact of technology in maritime transport and port management since World War II. . The writer has designed the paper to consist of four objectives to help answer the research question: 1. To find out main community technology used in ships; 2. Focusing on international security situations by using technology to keep the ships or seaport secure; 3. Some plans or technology to solve the pollution in ocean transportation; 4. Case study about the high effectiveness in the Singaporean seaport based on information technology. Outline of Chapters Chapter 2 explores the academic literature about the fast development in ships and seaports after World War II and, at the same time, the changing or upgrading of technology in ships and seaports. In this part of the paper, it will also show some of the reasons why Singapore’s port has become the success that it is. Chapter 3 is about the some common method in research, which is what the writer has used. In this part, the pros and cons of this method, such as primary research and secondary research, are clearly illustrated. Furthermore, the method of research is discussed the method, as well as why the writer has chosen the Qualitative Method and Benchmarking to find and analyze the benefits. Chapter 4 shows some of the findings based on secondary data about how to solve the new problems in the shipping industry and to discuss the development trend about the ships and shipping transport in the future. The result will show the types of information technology used in the seaport operation in Singapore and how these technologies make and keep the seaport successful. Chapter 5 provides the summary for this research. It also discusses some of the changes in ships and in shipping, such as the types of manifolds and the many technologies that are in use; there are some changes about seaports that make Rotterdam port what it is, as per explain. The case study of the Singaporean seaport demonstrates some of the performances by use of the information communication technology. Finally, there are some comparisons about the efficiency between the Singaporean seaport and Rotterdam port. Chapter 4: Finding and Analysis The aim of this chapter is to find and analyze the new challenges in ocean transport and how it will develop in the future. For example, the pollution problem in the transportation process, and what people are doing to control and decrease it. Moreover, this chapter is about the information communication technology impact in Singapore’s seaport, including work principles, their benefits and how they impact to port by Singapore. 4.1 The New Issues about International Shipping The 21st century, and the rapid development of international shipping, not only brought convenience to people while promoting economic development. It also produced a lot of problems, such as air and oil pollution. 4.1.1 The environmental management in shipping In the International Maritime Organization (IMO), it was reported that although people were working to reduce the marine pollution over the last 15 years, the totality of oil spilled into the ocean, despite masses of increasing responsible for some 12% of the total pollution in 2005 (International shipping carrier of world trade, 2010), there was still not yield to the amount of pollution due to maritime transportation. Now there are various plans and regulations from the IMO that aim to reduce or decrease the pollution from ships. Air Pollution There is a regulation from the IMO called Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships. The regulation means using some of the compulsory measures adopted to reduce and control the air pollution from ships, especially Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) or Sulphur Oxides (SOx), as well as other air pollutions such, as greenhouse gases. There is a technology shown in the regulation that is the NOx Technology Code; just as the name suggests, the technology is used to control Nitrogen Oxides from vessels whose engines run on diesel. There is a plan that in time, SOX will be reduced from Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships. For vessels that are used globally, sulphide will be reduced from 4.5% to 3.5% before January 1, 2012, which will then increasingly lessen around 0.50 %, which will be effective January 1, 2020, being exposed to a practical review to be compiled no later than 2018 (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships, 2010). Sewage There are some requirements about the sewage on ships in Annex IV from the IMO. In Annex, it is requested that “ships to be equipped with either a sewage treatment plant or a sewage comminute and disinfecting system or a sewage holding tank” (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships, 2010). Oil Pollution IMO provides that oil tankers transfer approximately 1,800 million tonnes of crude oil worldwide, which makes up approximately fifty percent of oil imports to the United States (Prevention of Pollution by Oil, 2010). Keeping the oil tankers, as well as other ships, transportation process safe is the most effective way to reduce pollution. There are some regulations and standards that have been created about the ships operations. For ships: “Protective location of segregated ballast tanks, which is means the ballast tanks are positioned where the impact of a collision or grounding is likely to be greatest. In this way the amount of cargo spilled after such an accident will be greatly reduced” (Tanker safety, 2010). In order to keep in safe, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) requisition states that the oil tanks of 5,000 dwt or more are to suited with double hulls, or the replacement design approved by the IMO (Tanker safety. 2010). There are a variety of inspections for the tankers and bulk carriers that have operating period of more than five years. “The specially enhanced inspection programme is intended to ensure that any deficiencies such as corrosion or wear and tear resulting from age or neglect - are detected” (Tanker safety. 2010) Furthermore, there are criterion about precluding the risk of pollution all throughout oil transfer operations between ships at sea. 4.2 Shipping Industry Development Trend in 21st century (analysis) From the steam engine to the wide use of computers and information technology development, the shipbuilding industry has been tracking the world’s most advanced technology, such as computer information technology and modern communication, new energy technology, et cetera. These are all used in shipbuilding, port construction and international shipping; it will then become more high-tech in ships in applications in the 21st century. There are some reasons as to why this is: the fierce competition in various modes of transportation; customer requirements are improved for time; the social public will pay more attention to security and pollution; and shipping operators will be able to reduce costs and other factors. It has been decided that the shipping technology will develop into large-scale, specialised, intelligent, and quick antifouling properties. Moreover, in time, accurate, complete services will be another main trend of the shipping industry development. The customers’ requirements increase for shipping enterprises services, such as: shipping companies needing to provide more efficient, reliable and flexible supply chain management, furthering to require the carrier to provide completed transport service systems and monitoring the whole process in ‘door to door’ transportation. 4.3 The Information Community Technology in Singaporean Seaport. 4.3.1 The Background of Singaporean Seaport Before the Port of Singapore Authority was founded, Singapore was simply a port consisting of 5 km of harbours and 160,000m2 warehouses, which allowed for warehouse transfer. After 1964, a scale unceasingly expanded in the ports, which included the Sembawang Wharves, Tanjong Pagar Terminal and Pasir Panjang Wharves (Lee-Partridg et al, 2000). However, Singapore is a city state that entered the pot trade and in order to promote the growth of the economy, the government pursued a free-trade policy. There are some free trade locations near the harbour, which are exclusive to alcohol, tobacco, cars and petroleum products that are dutiable on import, as the majority of goods can be freely shipped in and shipped out from Singapore (Foreign trade, 2009). In addition to the strategic geographic location, Singapore has also become one of the worlds busiest seaports. There are over two hundred shipping routes and connections to over six hundred harbours in 123 countries. Some data shows that: Everyday, there are two ships form Singapore’s port to the United States, a total of five ships to Japan, nine ships that are designated for China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, four ships that go to Europe and a total of seventy ships that go to South Asia and South–East Asia Ports (Gordona, et al, 2005). Keep high performances and efficiency are big challenges to Singapore’s seaport. 4.3.2 The Information Technology in Singapore’s port To determine the port operation efficiency, productivity is an important measurement standard. In working practice, high productivity is essential to allow ports to abide by the firm service stipulations from their clients and to achieve zealous benefits with other ports. In the regulating of terminal or port operations, productivity means “the level of efficiency can represent how quickly containers are handled and how quickly vessels are turned around at ports” (Tongzon and Heng, 2005). The quickest responses to port users’ needs or effectiveness operations are a main strategy in port to attracting customers and obtaining more market share. In order to improve and keep high-speed operations, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) designed and used a plethora of information technology in their seaport operations. As time has turned to computers and web-based applications, PSA created hardware and software to developmental proficiency, which was subsequently put to good use in creating more orderly systems. Focusing on the IT for port operations and management, the PSA has made known and has therefore sorted out these tasks: the handling of cargo, marine operations, and warehouse distributing. In marine operations businesses, the PSA has designed the Integrated Surveying and Hydrographic Information System (INSHIS). This system is a progressive integrated hydrographical information system that contains two main, important parts. Accounting to Wan et al (1992) defined “The Integrated System for Automated Hydrography is installed on hydrographical vessels to provide computer-aided navigation, quality control of survey data, and real-time acquisition of hydrographical data”. As well as the aforementioned, there are some technologies used in distribution with warehousing, such as RFID, as the Port of Singapore used RFID technology connective to EDI system to track and manage the goods from come to go. Moreover, “the port has invested in the installation of thousands of RFID transponders on the asphalt road of the port shipyard in an effort to create a multi-dimensional grid. A centralized EDI system places and locates containers on the port shipyard based on the X, Y, and Z coordinates provided by the unique codes on the tags” (Angeles, 2006). In cargo handing, the PSA used remote-controlled bridge cranes in port operation. “The cranes is the most advanced to handle and stack boxes at the container stacking yards to improve yard utilisation and ships turn round time” (MPA, online). Moreover, there are others cargo-handing equipment in seaport, for instance “fourth-generation query cranes, double trolley cranes and double-stack trailers, are employed; evermore, management is carrying out additional upgrades to its cargo-handling technology by almost entirely automating its terminal operations” (Lee and Cullince, 2005). 4.3.3 Telecommunication Networks In Lee and Cullince (2005, P171) it is stated that “increasingly, vessels choose to hub at ports with good telecommunication networks so that movements of cargo can be tracked and traced easily and the documentation process shortened”. The Singapore government has planned on being a worldwide harbour maintained by an advanced information communication technology infrastructure in 1990s. Five years later, Report by World Competitiveness, “Singapore was ranked first among 48 developed and newly industrialized nations in terms for port infrastructure meeting business requirements” (Airriess, 2001). The reason for the success is one is the many collaborative operation systems that were applied to improve the effectiveness of container terminal procedures; the three most important ones are TELEPORT, Computer Integrated Terminal Operations System (CITOS) and PortNet. TelePort The “TelePort provides port users with advanced shipping information such as docking timetables and comprehensive cargo information before ships and other vessels entered Singapore regional waters” (Airriess, 2005). TelePort aims to electronically link the most important container seaports in the world, which can help Singapore’s port become more competitive to over neighbouring regional seaports. Computer Integrated Terminal Operations System (CITOS) “CITOS is used at the container terminals to plan and direct all container handling operations in real-time. Using expert systems, CITOS plans the use of berth, yard, equipment, and manpower required. From the central Yard Control Computer, work instructions are transmitted to all the machine operators using a real-time wireless data transmission system” (Lee-Partridge et al, 2000). CITOS consists of six parts: Berthing System, Ship Planning System, Yard Planning System, Resource Allocation System, Flow-through gate and Reefer monitoring. Figure 4.1 shows the simple process of CITOS. The systems help PSA to manage the port operations more flexibly and seamlessly. Figure 4.1 The compendious simple process of CITOS (Lee-Partridge et al, 2000). PortNet PortNet is a national system response to the entire shipping community that drives through Singapore. The system resolution is the first of its kind worldwide, “business-to-business(B2B), port and shipping e-community, providing integrated services to shipping lines, hauliers, freight forwarders, shippers and local government agencies”(PORTNET, online). PortNet processes the whole electronic container data through to the PSA Singapore Terminals, and in 2008, the system had to deal with 29.0 million TEUs, which is the worlds greatest transhipment hub in Singapore. TradeNet Besides these information community technologies in seaport operations, there is a software system that cannot be missed, which is TradeNet. The system was designed by Harvard University and is applicable to nationwide electronic data interchange (EDI) in Singapore in 1989. TradeNet connects 35 government departments that are related to external trade that include: “Customs clearance, duties and taxes, export and import, permits and certificates and collecting trade statistics (Wulf, 2004)”. All procedures are in the trade throughout TradeNet, and the network is capable of working for 24 hours, which can auto-receive processing, and the return of electronic declaration. So the time is drastically decreased in trade transactions, for the companies can finish all declaration formalities in ten seconds on the computer terminals, and within ten minutes they can know the answers. The figures show up the seaport operation before TradeNet and after. Figure 4.2. The Operation before TradeNet in Singapore’s Port (GCNet, 2010) Figure4.3. After the TradeNet in Singapore port.(GCNet, 2010) Before TradeNet, no such system existed to arrange all processes and the trade licenses hand out was done by hand. “TradeNet aims are reduce the interfaces required by the shipping community with the systems belonging to different government agencies” (Singapore, 2010). So TradeNet established some standard interfaces, such as flat file transfers, ftp, and so on. After a year of operation, “TradeNet was serving 800 of the calculated 2400 trade related organizations in Singapore and was being used for approximately 45% of trade document transactions” (Singapore TradeNe: The Tale Continues, 1993). Accounting to some report to illustrate “the TradeNet system handles approximately 30,000 permit applications per day, amounting to some 9 million transactions a year. 100% of the total trade permit applications are processed by the TradeNet system. The Singapore government has mandated the electronic submission of trade permit application. The TradeNet system is used by approximately 2,500 companies with 8,000 users” (Singapore, 2010). Now, in Lee et al (2000) to show up TradeNet, everything was linked to PortNet, which reduces the documentation process about a cargo exporting from thirty-five to sixteen steps, and the processing operations decreased from two to four days to fifteen to thirty minutes. In fact, the EDI system is widespread in its use in primary ports in the world, with another success case being the International Transport Information System (INTIS) in Rotterdam port. The system was built in 1985, and its purpose involve communications networks and information structures, which are the main services for Mail box, EDIFACT, GDCS, DGIS, Port-EDI, Customs clearance. Now there are 140 registered users in INTIS, allowing all relevant information exchanging with trade and shipping in the INTIS. TradeNet, what Next Based on the soft update, customer requirement enhances unceasingly and the more intense competition around Singapore’s port, the new software that is coming is called Tradexchange. “TradeXchange will be a neutral and secure platform and work to exchange the information between shippers, freight forwarders, carriers and government agencies, to facilitate the flow of goods within, through and out of Singapore. This trade infrastructure will be able to provide seamless inter-connectivity among commercial and regulatory systems for Singapores trade and logistics businesses” (Manufacturing & Logistics, 2010). 4.3.4 Other Network in Singapore’s port Marinet Marinet is an e-commerce system designed and built by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore in 2001. There are four main services with the system, firstly, online submit statutory declaration; secondly, “the system offers a one-stop facility for shipping agents to order navigation and towage services from the pilot and tug service providers” (MPA Launches Marinet, 2010); thirdly, the system supports real-time information to ships and up-to-date locations of the ships in port; finally, “Marinet also offer EDI facility for the bunker suppliers to submit monthly bunker operations information to MPA” (MPA Launches Marinet, 2010). Now the MariNet database includes shipping lines, shipping agencies, bunker suppliers and other information about maritime, coming from 1,500 accounts from over 370 companies (MPA Launches Marinet, 2010). 4.4 Advantages with Information Communication Technology in Singaporean Seaport With the increasing of goods, the benefits from CITOS and PortNet are easy to figure out, such as maximising the use of land and optimising retrieval; being capable of tracking the location of every container container, regardless of where it is at or has been; maximising the resource productivity by being prepared for the future (COTIS, online). Advantages of TradeNet The figures show some benefits or changes after TradeNet was launched. Figure 4.4 Benefits of TradeNet. (K Sathasivam, 2009) Characteristics Previous Manual process TradeNet Submission of document Via expensive dispatch clerks/ couriers Submit and retrieve Electronically from comfort of office (or home) Time of submission Within office hours Avaiable 24hrs×7 days Trips per controlling agency per document At least 2 trips or more No trips required Copies of document Multiple copies Single copy Turnaround time for approval From 4 hours to 2-7 days Within 10 minutes Dutiable goods handing Separate documents for customs processing Same electronic document routed to customs for processing. Controlled goods Handling Separate documents sent to different controlling agencies for processing Same electronic document routed to controlling agencies for processing. Customs duties collection By cheque Automatic bank account deduction. Trade documentation fees S$10 per document S$2.88 The Key Benefits of TradeNet: In Lee et al (2000), it was provided that “TradeNet is a system that integrates documentation in the maritime community. In a community system, data are sent once, are routed to partners and are shared among them. Therefore, the user needs to provide the cargo or shipping details only `once’. Information will be stored in the TradeNet database for use by parties who need it”. Wulf (2005) pointed out: “TradeNet there an approach that provides the dual benefit of speeding up trade transaction without jeopardizing Government revenues, while streamlining the processes of trade transaction by bringing the various members of the trading community into an integrated network.” PORT 2001 2001 2002 2002 NAME DEACCR Rank DEABCC Rank DEACCR Rank DEABCC Rank Singapore 0.8380 8 0.9425 8 0.8751 8 1 1 Rotterdam 0.3645 23 0.3664 26 0.3756 23 0.3814 25 “Cut the cost of trade documents; decrease waiting time for trade documentation; enhance authorities’ processing effectiveness with a streamlined process flow; Attract foreign direct investment as a result of operational efficiency and transparency” (Singapore, 2010). In the TradeNet operate process, total cost savings are evaluated at over four million dollars in US currency in annual (Lee et al, 2000). Nowadays, there has been confessed as a major contribution from TradeNet is rising in efficiency and lesser commerce costs to port of Singapore. The Advantages of MariNet For MariNet, these are some benefits to help seaport operations become more efficient, reduce costs and ease the work of users. For customers, they can go anywhere for an electronic submission declarations but through Marinet, they only need Internet access. Marinet is a link between the shipping agents and licensed tug, and it can better manage the information, and in turn raise the overall service levels of the operators (MPA Launches Marinet, 2010). The system can decrease time with vessel entry or departing port. The use of the EDI system and electronic submissions is the paperless workflow that can reduce costs in operations. Now there is a form base on DEA-CCR and DEA-BCC model to compare the efficiency between Singapore’s port and Rotterdam port. Just as the figure provided shows, Singapore’s port is on a high efficiency level and is also constantly improving compared with Rotterdam port operations. Figure 4.5 Efficiency Scores of DEACCR and DEABCC Models in Singaporean port and Rotterdam port (Lin et al, 2005). Notes: the CCR is the Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes DEA method. Additive is the additive DEA model of Charnes et al.(1985). A score of 1 indicates that the port is efficient. (Lee and Cullinance, 2005). Banker, Charnes, and Cooper set BCC model relaxes this restriction to be variable returns to scale model, and evaluates technical efficiency and scale efficiency (Lin and Tseng, 2005) Summing up these facts, in the Singaporean seaport there are huge amounts of information communication technologies in operation processes that have replaced manual operations and paper documents that have been replaced by electronic processes. According to technology influence, the Singaporean seaport has become a convenient and efficient form of the supply system. Moreover, the information communication technology also helps Singapore’s port in moving to electron logistics development. Chapter 5 Conclusion This is last chapter in the research, which sums up the most important points in the literature review and finding and analysis. These points also answer some of the questions that the writer wanted to know about international maritime and seaport operations. 5.1. For Ships and Shipping As can be seen, the shipping industry has being changed greatly after World War II. Due to the expanding of industrialization and the international trade of global economies, the requirements for transport process to continuously improve. The technology has helped to make shipping progressively more methodical, as well as providing competition and a quicker option of transportation. “In the last four decades, total seaborne trade estimates have more than quadrupled, from less than 6 thousand billion tonne-miles in 1965 to the latest full- year figure of 25 thousand billion tonne- miles in 2003” (World Maritime Day, 2005). There is a big change about the ships, and not only about the manufacturing of ships, but also for the communication and security facilities in the transport process. Accounting to consumer demand and the diversity of the ships, the most common ships are Container Ships, Oil Ships and Bulk Ship. Container Ships carry most manufactured goods and products in the world; Oil Ships and Bulk Ship carry the fuel, minerals, grain and other commodities. Evermore, the changing communication and security skills have been spread more widely distant and provide more stable performance. Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies can be beneficial in tracking goods, and not only in a wide scope, which can help them work smarter, faster, and cheaper, as they always want to increase efficiency, save money, and maximize resource usage (Aydin and Sarman, 2010). GPS is full of use in shipping, playing a significant role about carrying out safe and efficient shipping missions. There is another security technology application for shipping, which is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The technology is keeping the high-resolution supply chain of the future (Aydin and Sarman, 2010). After September 11, the public increased security technology in shipping transport, except RFID and GPS, which also included Smart Box Initiative, which is an essential part of the containers used by CSI, which are smart and tamper evident transport containers that will help to improve secure containerized shipping” (Secure Seas, Open Ports, 2004); another is Non-intrusive Inspection (NII), “it is uses large-scale gamma ray and x-ray imaging systems to safely and efficiently screen conveyances for contraband, including weapons of mass destruction” (Secure Seas, Open Ports, 2004). In addition, the research also provides some problems with ships and ocean transportation, which regards the environment effect. As pollution is a new global issue in recent years, there are some changing factors for ships, such as: in order to reduce emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) or Sulphur Oxides (SOx), people have set more stringent standards to fuel-related components. In order to reduce the pollution by oil, there some rules about facilities in regard to the storage and transportation of oil. 5.2. For Seaport To meet the increasing demand of maritime transport, ports also had to work to expand and innovate, using Rotterdam port an example. There is a long history with Rotterdam port, but the large-scale expansion began in 1960; even now, the expansion and port infrastructure development is still in progress. There are three major ship-sides in Rotterdam port: Botlek, Europoort, and Maasvlakte, and there is a plan “sum of 600 million NLG was involved for infrastructure plus, in the case of the Maasvlakte project, to be recovered over a period of 25 years” (Baird, 2004). To keep customer loyalty, Port authority built a high speed and efficiency supply chain from ship or port to track and from ship or port to railway. Now there are more than 2,000 firms generating 61,000 jobs in port clusters. Another element to keep Rotterdam port in a high speed level is the International Transport Information System (INTIS), which is an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system that was designed in 1985. The INTIS are the most important linkages between the port, ships and other customers. In Garstone (1995), he gives the opinion that “the development of EDI standards was closely monitored by the industry and a message development group was set up early in the life of the EDI Association to consider new Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transportation – or trade standards for the shipping industry”. 5.3. The Singaporean Sport In the case study, it is shown that Singaporean’s seaport is the most successful port in the world, as well as the most important seaport in Southeast Asia. Several reasons to the seaport’s success include the strategic position, and the geographical advantages in Singapore. However, the most significant reason is a large number of applications for the technology, which is special information communication technology. Focusing on the infrastructure level, such as cargo handing, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) applied to it remote-controlled bridge cranes, fourth-generation query cranes and other equipment. In the seaport, cargo-handling consists of almost entirely automated operations (Lee and Cullince, 2005). For monitoring the cargo, PSA uses RFID, which can follow the goods in real-time. In the last two decades, the telecommunication systems supporting the Singaporean seaport came to the top. Such as Computer Integrated Terminal Operations System (CITOS), which allows commands to be distributed to all of the machine operators by means of a real-time wireless data transmission program (Lee-Partridge et al, 2000); PortNet is another form of an EDI system. It is support to the entire shipping community that drives through Singaporean port. Contrasting the network system with TradeNet as the most important one in seaport operation. TradeNet was launched in 1989, making it the first nationwide EDI technology used for the removal of trade documents worldwide. “The last system upgrade was conducted in January 2003. In 2006, the TradeNet system processed over nine million permits, with over 90% processed in less than 10 minutes” (SINGAPORE CUSTOMS MEDIA RELEASE, 2007). And TradeNet greatly improved the efficiency of the port, reducing the vessels into the port of procedures and waiting time, while at the same time saving costs for ports and operators. Take a simple comparison between the current day to life before TradeNet: TradeNet can work for 24 hours in 7 days, yet before TradeNet they would only be able to function within office hours; The turnaround time for approval: TradeNet was less than 10 minutes, yet before TradeNet they would need 4 hours to 2-7 days; Copies of documents and costs: TradeNet just needed a single copy and would pay $2.88, but before TradeNet, they were able to prepare a number of documents and pay only $10 for each one. Focusing on the collected data that has shown up, the Singaporean and Rotterdam ports, both of the busiest ports worldwide, the quantity of TEUs can still be seen as increasing in recent years. Figure 5.1 Annual Statistical Data of Singapore and Rotterdam Port Authorities (Lin and Tseng, 2005) PORT AREA 2002 (TEUs) 2001 (TEUs) % Singapore Singapore 16,800,000 15,520,000 8% Rotterdam Nederland 6,515,449 6,096,502 7% Efficiency Scores of DEACCR and DEABCC Models in Singaporean port and Rotterdam port in 2002 (Lin and Tseng, 2005) In addition, there are other comparisons between the Singaporean seaport and Rotterdam port. By summing up the data that is based on the DEA model, it is possible to find out some of these differences with the ports. Singapore’s port is more successful because there is a rapid and efficient operation of power within the Singaporean seaport. Read More