Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group selects a port planning solution from software provider Quintiq to enhance logistics and scheduling
October 19, 2012
The Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) has selected a port planning solution from technology provider Quintiq to enhance its existing logistics, planning and scheduling processes.
The Advanced Planning, Scheduling (APS) and logistics optimisation software will aid NCIG’s rapidly expanding operation.
With an expansion program underway to increase capacity to 66 million tons per year, NCIG
recognised more advanced planning technology was needed.
“Planners needed to make better decisions and understand the implications of their decisions,” says NCIG Operations Manager Neill Bell.
“It was clear our existing systems wouldn’t be able to manage the increased planning complexity with the ramp up to our intended full capacity.
“Our procurement process identified a number of specialist vendors and we selected Quintiq.
“The Quintiq team demonstrated a deep understanding of port operations and their current port solution met our existing requirement with the capability to scale to meet our future goals and objectives.”
The Quintiq APS is anticipated to significantly reduce planning time and costs by identifying capacity constraints and bottlenecks, and provide network visibility to enable planners to make informed planning decisions.
The system will manage and optimise the planning of berths, stockpiles, trains, as well as assist in planning maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) events.
Integrating with existing systems as well as sharing information across internal and external customers is seen as critical to the success of the project.
Besides integrating with a number of internal business systems, the Quintiq application will integrate with external data sources from three NCIG partners.
These include
Newcastle Ports Corporation (NPC), Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator (HVCCC) and Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).
About Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG)
In 2004, six companies joined to form the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) with a simple objective – to increase the export capacity of the Port of Newcastle, the world’s leading exporter of coal.
The members of NCIG are significant coal producers who have sufficient coal reserves and projects to materially increase their aggregate coal production by at least 30 million tonnes during the next five to ten years.