Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics最新文献

Trend forecasting shows that Indian container terminals will handle 25 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) by 2025. However, improving operational performance is the best strategy to achieve this target. Many factors have adversely affected the Indian container terminal's operational performance despite the fact that the Indian government has undertaken several initiatives. This study identifies factors and interactive effects of the factors influencing the operational performance of Indian container terminals. A conceptual model is developed using fuzzy qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) encompassing the successful factors. The conceptual model developed through QCA includes the physical characteristics, driving factors, and challenges. This study reveals the combined and individual effects of the identified factors. The results show that the most common factors are the quay infrastructure, yard infrastructure, infrastructure up-gradation, system initiatives, reefer systems, and logistics advantage. This study adds to the existing literature regarding the Indian container terminals' performance and supports the decision-makers in improving the operational performance of container terminals.

The aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic literature review to understand the research trends, identify area of improvements and recommend the future research direction in humanitarian relief logistics (HRL). Using Netminer 4.0, keyword network analysis, keyword frequency analysis, and topic modeling analysis were undertaken. As a result, it has been identified that the number of studies on HRL continuously increased since it mounted in the mid-2010s, with the main issues changing by period. Keyword network analysis and keyword frequency analysis discovered that establishment of the HRL identity and disaster response, preparation and recovery were the main issues from 2005 to 2009. Whereas followed by education and practical logistics flow (2010 – 2014) and provision and coordination (2015 – 2019) to be the main focused area of research. Through topic modeling analysis, nine topics (preparation, coordination, stakeholders, sustainable development, facilities location, recovery, supplying and sourcing, emergent response, transportation, supplying and sourcing) were extracted. Facilities location was the most frequent topic that studied in the number of papers. Meanwhile, recovery, preparation, stakeholders, and emergent response showed downward trends but facilities location, coordination, and supplying and sourcing showing upward. This study is significant in the sense that it suggests research trends in different approach using keyword network analysis, keyword frequency analysis, network analysis and topic modeling which are one of the first attempts in research trend analysis in HRL field. This study will support HRL studies by understanding macroscopic and comprehensive way and set as a steppingstone for future research direction.

This research aimed to design a transportation model for the international trade of agricultural products between Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia, known as the Great Mekong Subregion (GMS). Agricultural products are transported from a farmers’ cooperative to a foreign end market. The mathematical models GA, DE, and VaNSAS were developed to determine the optimal mode of transportation. The objectives of the proposed methods are to (1) maximize the total profit for the entire agricultural chain and (2) minimize the makespan or the arrival time of the containers to the end market in order to maintain the freshness of the agricultural product. The computational result shows that VaNSAS produces a 100 % optimal solution for small-size problem instances, while DE and GA produce a 63.63 % and 72.72 % optimal solution, respectively. For large-size problem instances, VaNSAS shows a profit that is higher than that of DE and GA by 10.53 % and 8.96 %, respectively, while it shows a makespan that is lower by 9.57 % and 7.20 %, respectively.

Several ports want cruise ships to call at their ports for economic benefits. However, the main cause of concern is the complexity of port selection behavior for cruise lines. Tracking cruise ship movement data may help them understand the port selection behavior of cruise lines. This study aimed to examine the structural changes in the cruise network by ship size in Northeast Asia from 2014 to 2019 using network science methods with automatic identification system data. We identified five key findings. First, the number of nodes and edges in the mega- and small-size ship networks was growing rapidly. Second, the small-size network was growing with unique characteristics of low density and average clustering coefficient, and high average shortest path length and diameter. Third, the hub ports of Shanghai in the mega- and Hiroshima and Kobe in the small-size had gained more degrees over time. Fourth, owing to the deployment of new mega-ships in Shanghai, existing large- and mid-ships were shifting to different ports. Finally, modularity of all sizes increased over time, and the community structure became clearer.

Analyses of accident investigation reports show that attempting to simultaneously perform tasks onboard ships to manage workload has led to many accidents at sea. These accident reports point out that seafarers fail to follow procedures as expected by shipping companies when conducting tasks simultaneously. Only a handful of studies that examined such discrepancies between work as imagined by shipping companies and work as actually done by seafarers exist. This study aims to examine why seafarers engage in simultaneous tasks, which may lead to accidents. In an exploratory qualitative study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with selective and targeted seafarers previously involved in maritime accidents. The collected data were analysed using interpretive and descriptive qualitative methods with a socio-cultural approach. The findings of this study show that the substantial regulatory changes over the years in the maritime industry have resulted in increased occupational workload for seafarers. Some of these regulatory barriers designed to improve safety at sea prompted seafarers to engage in simultaneous tasks to perform excessive paperwork and compensate for insufficient crewing. The research also revealed how a poor speak-up culture onboard might encourage simultaneous tasks leading to accidents at sea. The analysis shows that reasons for engaging in simultaneous tasks at sea are varied and complex. Therefore, complex intervention efforts to discourage seafarers from engaging in simultaneous tasks is needed to mitigate accidents at sea.

Efficiency management is increasing its importance in the improvement of the chain sustainability. As such, this study aims to assess the performance efficiency of retail stores in fashion industry. The integrated approach of Delphi and DEA techniques was employed to address the performance efficiency assessment problem. The Delphi method was used to define the input and output variables, whereas the DEA was applied to evaluate the performance efficiency. The proposed approach was then applied into a fashion company in Hochiminh city of Vietnam to assess its retail chain performance. The results showed that labour, operational costs, size of store, number of customers, and sales revenue are considered as input and output variables in the retailing performance efficiency evaluation. Besides, it is also concluded in the study that most of efficiency retail stores are located in the dynamic districts and the efficient stores can be at any size. The proposed approach verifies its usefulness in the retailing sector. Therefore, it can be applied to the performance efficiency of retail stores in all industries. In terms of theoretical contribution, the input and output variables proposed in this study may devote to the literature in the concept and assessment of the performance efficiency. Moreover, comprehensive and multi-variable assessment of retailing sector may bring lots of benefits not only to the decision-making units but also the authorities or association with constraint funds.

Unlike commercial vessels, training ships have the unique purpose of providing students attempting to become ships’ officers with the onboard training education referred to in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW code). More than 100 people, including students, are usually aboard these internationally seagoing vessels. Despite training ships requiring strict safety management to prevent maritime accidents and protect lives, they are excluded from the application of key international rules and regulations concerning the safety of these ships due to an ambiguous legal status. Furthermore, there is no comprehensive safety management system at the central governmental level over training ships as they are operated by individual maritime institutions despite them being national property. Against these backgrounds, this research analyses current regulatory issues of training ships at the IMO level and the domestic level by referring to South Korean case. This research conducts a doctrinal legal study to understand the current legal status of training ships the application limits of the IMO regulatory instruments. The research concludes by referring to the necessity of the development of training ships Code to enhance he safety of training ships in the future.

The inventory routing problem arises when inventory management and vehicle routing decisions are integrated instead of treated as separate problems. The technique of combining such decisions could lead to solutions that are better than merging the optimal solutions of the smaller subproblems. Hence, the problem is prominent and has been the focus of extensive research in recent years. When the products considered in such a problem are perishable, the importance is intensified; the current paper presents a literature review of the inventory routing problem for perishable products. This review classifies papers according to five attributes, namely, the number of products, the type of product (including the types of product perishability and types of perishable products), the type of demand, the number of objective functions, and the solution approach. A comprehensive analysis is performed based on these five attributes. Finally, based on 89 relevant reviewed papers, directions for future research on the perishable inventory routing problem are presented.

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) will lead to future changes in the structure and supply chain operation of businesses. While prevailing studies focus on qualitative assessments, this study quantitatively estimates 3DP impact on the maritime shipping volume and fleet type by (i) estimating the shipping volume reduction due to the mainstreaming of 3DP, and (ii) identifying the shipping fleet types that might be impacted by the change in the supply chain. The supply chain of the automotive industry in the Middle Eastern (ME) region was considered, and different statistical forecasting tools and linear programming models were applied to predict the demand for vehicles and quantify shipping volume reduction. Using a range of 3D printers (1–10), a 26–39% reduction in ton-miles of shipping by 2040 was predicted. Additionally, a 29–45% possible change in the volume of shipping from car carrier (roll-on/roll-off) fleets to bulk cargo fleet types was also predicted. This study also identified potential 3DP plant locations in the ME region ascertaining the potential loss and benefit that can be gained by the maritime shipping industry. It helps shipping manufacturers, operators, and owners consider future demand in terms of the quantity and types of fleets.

The purpose of this work is to explore the international humanitarian relief organizations in Taiwan, and find the most crucial performance indicators of humanitarian logistics, according to the experience and opinion of those large NGOs in Taiwan. The research gathered detailed information on situations from literature and collected the data by questionnaire. Based on the information gathered from questionnaires, quantitative weight was calculated through the participation of experts by using AHP in this research. According to the humanitarian relief organizations' experiences and opinion in this research, the most critical performance indicators in humanitarian relief logistics is responsiveness, and the following is agility, reliability, cost, and dialog with authorities. Although the AHP method has been applied in many research of performance indicators chosen, there is no research using AHP to prioritize the performance indicators in the humanitarian logistics field, especially in Taiwan. Future research could include the smaller or reputable organizations in Taiwan to get more comprehensive opinions. Besides, the chosen indicators could be utilized in the actual case of humanitarian rescue action.