SAP Yard Logistics Implementation for a Large Port in Europe

The LeverX team implemented scenarios for effective planning of berths and resources in the port based on SAP YL.

leverx group

The LeverX team implemented scenarios for effective planning of berths and resources in the port based on SAP YL.

Customer

A large European port.

CHALLENGE

The customer needed to improve a range of processes to reach efficient management of the growing number of port units. Among them were load planning of berths and routes and load planning of human resources.

SOLUTION

The LeverX Group team customized a standard SAP Yard Logistics solution by adding a new functionality that solved the required tasks.

The existing IT solution of our customer, a large European port, did not answer all the requirements. Our objective was to expand the standard SAP Yard Logistics product, by adding a new functionality that will help:

Improve the load planning of berths and routes

Place vessels according to the time of their departure/arrival and the size of the berths
Book berths
Minimize the risks of abnormal situations (lack of space for vehicles or resources for their loading/unloading; the berth unreadiness for the arrival of the vessel, etc.)

Improve the load planning of human resources

Automate the process of data input
Accelerate the processing of loading and unloading operations
Arrange the tasks for a particular period of time

The solution that the LeverX team implemented in the customer's business processes is a tool for optimal resource planning ー Planning and Control Center Tool.

Solution Description

Berth planning

Creation of the requests in SAP YL systems for the placement of vessels in the port
Arrangement of the berth space for loading and unloading of the vehicles
Automatically making the best path for vessels to reach the parking area
Route planning by the means of MRS dashboards
Real-time reporting (that is integrated into the inner system)

Human resources planning

Optimal distribution of work among employees according to the number of available teams, the number of people in them, and their qualification
Reduction of the manual activity while entering data
Integration with a berth scheduler
Time-saving visualization of reporting

How did our team improve the implemented standard SAP Yard Logistics solution?

Improved the functionality of SAP YL by adding the option to choose the Berth Position
Developed the Yard Schedule app from scratch
Added Planning Groups to SAP YL
Advanced existing UI components and created new ones
Created reports for batch processing
Developed data entry services
Integrated CAR Center, a third-party system, with SAP Yard Logistics
Integrated SAP Yard Logistics with MRS and Solver

Solver is a third-party application that helps with time management and resource allocation for unloading vehicles; prioritization of unloading, etc.

Integration of YL and MRS with Solver improved the visualization of planning results.

Technology Stack

SAP Yard Logistics

Web services for integration with CAR Center

IMDB for planning

HANA DB

SQL database

Document Management

Document Release
Material Master Release and Extension
Sales Order Release
Manufacturing Instruction Release

Request Management

Procurement Request
Tooling Change Request
Shop Floor Issue Request
Customer Issue Request
Plant Maintenance Work Request
Request for Quote

Thanks to the development and implementation of a tool for planning berths and resources, our customer has managed to:

Reduce the time of loading and unloading vehicles from the vessel (now the places of Loading and unloading vehicles are as close as possible to their parking place).
Enable optimal planning of human resources: the work between employees is distributed equally; the implemented solution also avoids resource shutdown.
Eliminate vessel shutdown in the port.