Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

5-1999

School/College

College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (COSET)

Degree Name

MS in Transportation Planning & Management

First Advisor

Professor Lei Yu

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to present a comprehensive synthesis and comparison of just-in-time (JIT) techniques and their applications in the marine transportation system. The study identifies and synthesizes 12 automated JIT systems that are being used by the marine transportation industry throughout the world. The synthesis strives to provide a description, identify advantages and disadvantages, and specify application locations of each system. Two specific systems CONICS and NAVIS, which represent a centralized versus a decentralized JIT system, are compared. CONICS is used by Fentress Bracewell Barbours Cut Container Terminal and NAVIS is used by SeaLand Services Incorporated, both at the Port of Houston. The comparison has shown that NAVIS is better than CONICS by all productivity measures. It is recommended that CONICS be updated to a centralized setting using state-of-the-art technology. It is also recommended that all existing automated JIT systems used in marine transportation be added a function of Global Positioning System (GPS).

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