Jack Kie Cheng

Understanding the complexity of container terminal operation through the development of system dynamics model

The competitiveness among container terminals is growing due to the positive growth of containerised shipping. The ability to provide efficient services very much depend on the overall efficiency of the container terminal. However, the operation of the container terminal is complex and consists of many subsystems such as the berth and yard. Moreover, the planning and decision making of the berth and yard are usually conducted separately, not as a whole. Therefore, with the lack of integration between these two major subsystems, terminal managers fail to see the impact of the decision made at the berth to the yard and vice versa. This paper presents the application of system dynamics simulation into capturing the operation processes of the berth and yard. The system dynamics model is able to enhance the understanding on the interdependency and relationship between these two subsystems, thus assisting the terminal managers in decision making.

A system dynamics approach to operational and strategic planning of a container terminal

Modern container terminal faces the pressure of providing both efficient services and adequate facilities parallel with the demanding needs from the customers. This paper presents the application of system dynamics simulation in addressing both the issues at the operational and strategic level. The operational level model is used to aid terminal operators on daily planning by understanding the relationship and interdependency between the berth and yard. The strategic level model on the other hand is used for capacity planning. This study bridged the gap between the literatures by integrating both operational and strategic level issues in a system dynamics model.

Interactive Microworlds for container terminal

Container terminal face the pressure of servicing large vessels within the shortest time period and providing adequate facilities to service them. System dynamics was applied to understand, evaluate and model the operation of a container terminal. A Microworlds or management flight simulator was developed in this study to capture both the operational and strategic level processes of a container terminal. The operational level model was used to evaluate the relationship and interdependency between the berth and yard operations while the strategic level model was used for capacity planning.

Public acceptance of residential solar photovoltaic technology in Malaysia

Purpose Gaining independence from fossil fuels and combating climate change are the main factors to increase the generation of electricity from renewable fuels. Amongst the renewable technologies, solar photovoltaic (PV) is believed to have the largest potential. However, the number of people adopting solar PV technologies is still relatively low. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the household consumers’ acceptance of solar PV technology being installed on their premises. Design/methodology/approach To examine the solar PV technology acceptance, this study uses technology acceptance model (TAM) as a reference framework. A survey was conducted to gather data and to validate the research model. Out of 780 questionnaires distributed across Malaysia, 663 were returned and validated. Findings The analysis revealed that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and attitude to use significantly influenced behavioural intention to use solar PV technology. Research limitations/implications This study contributes by extending the understanding of public inclination towards the adoption of solar PV technology. Also, this study contributes in identifying the areas which need to be examined further. However, collecting data from urban peninsular Malaysian respondents only limits the generalization of the results. Practical implications On the policy front, this study reveals that governmental support is needed to trigger PV acceptance. Originality/value This paper uses TAM to analyse the uptake of solar PV technology in Malaysian context.

Modeling Energy Efficiency As A Green Logistics Component In Vehicle Assembly Line

This paper uses System Dynamics (SD) simulation to investigate the concept green logistics in terms of energy efficiency in automotive industry. The car manufacturing industry is considered to be one of the highest energy consuming industries. An efficient decision making model is proposed that capture the impacts of strategic decisions on energy consumption and environmental sustainability. The sources of energy considered in this research are electricity and fuel; which are the two main types of energy sources used in a typical vehicle assembly plant. The model depicts the performance measurement for process- specific energy measures of painting, welding, and assembling processes. SD is the chosen simulation method and the main green logistics issues considered are Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission and energy utilization. The model will assist decision makers acquire an in-depth understanding of relationship between high level planning and low level operation activities on production, environmental impacts and costs associated. The results of the SD model signify the existence of positive trade-offs between green practices of energy efficiency and the reduction of CO2 emission.

Improving Energy Efficiency for the Vehicle Assembly Industry: A Discrete Event Simulation Approach

This paper presented a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) model for investigating and improving energy efficiency in vehicle assembly line. The car manufacturing industry is one of the highest energy consuming industries. Using Rockwell Arena DES package; a detailed model was constructed for an actual vehicle assembly plant. The sources of energy considered in this research are electricity and fuel; which are the two main types of energy sources used in a typical vehicle assembly plant. The model depicts the performance measurement for process- specific energy measures of painting, welding, and assembling processes. Sound energy efficiency model within this industry has two-fold advantage: reducing CO2 emission and cost reduction associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The paper starts with an overview of challenges in energy consumption within the facilities of automotive assembly line and highlights the parameters for energy efficiency. The results of the simulation model indicated improvements for energy saving objectives and reduced costs.

Green manufacturing and logistics in automotive industry: A simulation model

This paper investigates the concept of green logistics and manufacturing in automotive industry, in particular to manufacturing logistics and material handling involving the process of automobile assembling. This is based on actual case study of automotive assembly plant. An efficient decision making model is proposed that capture the impacts of strategic decisions on production costs and environmental sustainability. The model will assist decision makers acquire an in-depth understanding of relationship between high level planning and low level operation activities on production, environmental impacts and costs associated. The modeled problems are within the manufacturing facility of automotive assembly line and inbound logistics. The research method used is system dynamics (SD) simulation technique. The main green manufacturing and logistical issues considered are Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission, waste generation, water and energy utilization. The results of the SD model signify the existence of positive tradeoffs between green practices (CO2 reduction, water and energy conservation) and operational costs.