Dubai Port Case

Situation faced by The Dubai Ports Authority3 4. 1 Manifest and Documentation system3 4. 2 Risk for the Manifest and Documentation System 4 4. 3 Developing the new system:5 5.

0 Conclusion5 6. 0 Reference6 1. 0 Introduction This report is intended to provide a briefing on the DPA (Dubai Port Authority), I will attempt to talk about the overview of shipping industry; the internal/external players in the DPA networks.

And the situation they faced about the problem of manifest as well as Manifest and Documentation System project. Dubai Port Authority is a holding company owned by the government of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. There service contains of Container Cargo, General Cargo, Bulk Cargo, Reefer Facility, Commercial Trucking, Ferry Terminal, Cruise Terminal, Tanker Facility, Container Repairs, Sea-Air Cargo and Long Term Vessel Lay-by.

2. 0 Shipping industry overview Around 90% of world trade is carried by the international shipping industry.

Without shipping the import and export of goods on the scale necessary for the modern world would not be possible. The international shipping industry transported 6. 2 billion tones of cargo in 2003, with a fleet of 26,280 deep sea cargo ships. Poor and inefficient port handling services have become one of the main causes of inefficient logistics in shipping industry.

Such as poor communication, inaccurate paperwork, or inefficient port operation, upset shipping lines greatly. 3. 0 Dubai Port Authority Overview Values of Dubai Ports Authority Commitment to our people and our customers

Profitable global growth Responsible corporate and personal behavior Dubai Ports Authority, which operates Port Rashid and Jebel Ali port, the biggest man made port in the world, won two top awards for the Middle East region as the Best Seaport and the Best Container Terminal Operator at the Thirteenth Asian Freight Industry Awards for 1999. DPA facilities have a total of 102 deepwater berths, 23 container gantry cranes and four Super Post Panamax cranes, covering 10 container terminal berths. More than 100 shipping lines are served by DPA. DPA – the port authority of Dubai port.

Controlling all the daily service of Dubai port including storage, operation, feed back information, excellent infrastructure and so on. Normally DPA is a receiver of benefit through charging merchants or shipping lines for cargo storage, cargo movement within the port based on the information on the BoE(bill of entry) generated by customs or a delivery order issued by discharge agent. 4. 0 Situation faced by The Dubai Ports Authority The Dubai Ports Authority (DPA) wishes to digitize many of the documents it shares with its external partners, including shipping lines and agents, merchants, and the country’s customs authority.

DPA also wishes to automate the many document transmissions related to ships’ manifests.

At the time of the case, the worldwide shipping industry is characterized by low levels of automation, a proliferation of incompatible data standards, and many independent players. All of these factors complicate digitization efforts. DPA decides to write its manifest documentation system itself and must make several other decisions related to system implementation and rollout. The Dubai Ports Authority focuses on staying one step ahead of competition by satisfying consumer needs.

This is achieved through a dual strategy of investing in the latest IT systems, in the state-of-the-art port handling equipment and upgrading the IT system of service to the customers.

DPA has invested in the most advanced cranes in the world. 4. 1 Manifest and Documentation system To keep abreast of the latest global trends in electronic data interchange, DPA has pioneered an electronic manifest system — working with the shipping fraternity and related government departments, DPA developed its own system as a part of an ambitious plan for paperless cargo clearance in the near future.

MDS (Manifest and Documentation system) is one of the most popular techniques used in the port. Using this would reduce the manpower required by DPA for error checking, also benefit the discharge agent. DPA’s Manifest and Documentation System (MDS) was the first of its kind in West Asia.

Its function is to provide customers better service and control, especially in LCL and General Cargo. It can handle 99 per cent of data. To handle Pinpoint Cargo Tracking, the computerization of the Container Freight Station operations is under way; as is a supporting Mobile Data Terminal system.

Benefits of CFS will include tracking of consignments from receipts to delivery, quick response to queries, better turn around time and relay of information via the MDS to enable fast and accurate document clearance. A new sophisticated control system for cargo handling equipment is also planned, to increase efficiency of movement around the port. Shipping lines and agents use DPA Manifest and Documentation System (MDS) to transmit cargo manifest details and all of data is processed electronically.

The data is also interfaced with Customs for processing Bill of Entry and Delivery Order which has helped eliminate input errors and waiting time. . 2 Risk for the Manifest and Documentation System The MDS project may faces some problems such as not perfect fit for the situation of DPA, over budgeting for the whole project and time management (delay of the schedule), even they finished the whole project maybe the feedback from customers will not good. No existing system would meet DPA’ system requirement which means any unexpected problems happen in the designed of system my delay the whole project. On the other aspect customs are reluctant cooperate with DPA which will become an obstacle for this project and may result in delay.

Furthermore Team Size at Peak just 6 people which means the resource may be limited in some periods.

4. 3 Developing the new system: Anglicizing system: identifies and describes the core problem-solving steps for developing new information system. The problem for DPA is that the process was slow, labor intensive and error prone. The objective of solution would be to reduce the amount of time, effort, and errors in the process. In order to identify the information requirements the system must identify who needs what information, where, when and how.

So the project member should negotiate all the players: agents, shipping lines, importers, exporters and Customs and develops a detailed description of the functions the new system must perform.

After all of this, it is necessary to developing alternative solutions to achieve these objectives and meet these information requirements. Then put the solution into practical. Detailed design specification which is the model or blueprint for an information system solution and consists of all the specifications that will deliver the functions identified during systems analysis. 5. 0 Conclusion Modern ports demand the latest IT systems.