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The new Mobile Harbour Crane series – Liebherr

 

Port of Port of Spain

Greater focus on customer service in 2013

PPOS-01

The Port of Port of Spain (PPOS) intends to raise its standards of customer service in the year ahead.

The strategy is to greatly improve customer satisfaction in 2013 and the PPOS plans to do this through a series of measures including a deepening of the communication process with all stakeholders. If customers are satisfied, it means the company is meeting the expectations of those it serves. The underlying philosophy is sound. 

The year ahead will see the start or completion of upgrade, maintenance and developmental tasks in the Operations Department, the Equipment Department, in Information Technology and in the Marketing and Public Relations Department.

Operations Department:

• The Shed 9 project is to be completed by mid February, providing an additional 500 ground slots. As a result, PPOS will be in a
position to operationally handle 500,000 teu per annum as a result of increased storage capacity.

• Efforts will be focused on improving performance: at the Gate side to a target of 40 minutes; and on the Vessel side to a target
of 25 berth moves per hour and 17 crane moves per hour (to be achieved in the first quarter).

• PPOS will also be working towards regaining general cargo operations.

Equipment Department:

• STS002 crane – upgrade of crane control system with a PLC system to improve safety and efficiency.

• Non-revenue vehicles – award of contract to provide non revenue vehicles. Tenders are being evaluated.

• Terminal tractor trucks – award of contract for supply of 15 terminal tractor trucks. Tenders are being evaluated.

• STS003 crane – one-week shutdown for preventive maintenance to improve safety and efficiency.

• STS004 crane – one-week shutdown for preventive maintenance to improve safety and efficiency.

• Human resources – hiring of additional technical staff, mechanics and electricians to fill existing vacancies, thus improving production.

IT Department:

• Upgrade of telephone service to provide efficient and uninterrupted communication.

• Continuous training of internal staff and external stakeholders in the use of NAVIS.

Marketing and PR Departments:

• Stakeholders’ Forum will be held every quarter in order to maintain ongoing contact with customers and other stakeholders. The main objective is to encourage interaction and feedback, thus helping to improve standards of service and customer satisfaction.

• Employee initiatives will be rolled out to foster an internal culture of inclusion and engagement. The aim is to improve employee job satisfaction and productivity. These initiatives will be a combined effort of the Marketing, PR and Human Resource departments.

At the end of May last year, PPOS unveiled its new world-class terminal operating system, NAVIS SPARCS N4. The system is used for receiving, storing and  retrieval of containers as well as billing. The IT Department held training sessions on use of the system for brokers, agents, truckers/hauliers and port employees.

The terminal’s preventive maintenance programme was managed to ensure that key performance indicators for various items of equipment were achieved: STS cranes - 95% (achieved); mobile harbour crane MHC002 - 95% (average of 80% achieved ); RTG cranes - 85% (average of 71% achieved). 

The crane control system was upgraded with a new programmable control system that improved the safety and efficiency of the crane. A new preventive maintenance workshop was completed and commissioned into service. The new workshop provides a covered workspace that allows repairs to be carried out in all weathers. A new Cummins QST30 engine has been installed in this crane. Two new empty container handlers were also commissioned.