I read some literature relating port supply chain. Most of them they didn’t illustrate port supply chain clearly. Some of them concluded that port is an extended form of logistics chain, and in some literature, I found it as “Port Service Chain”. But I still cannot get the clear end to end supply chain in a port.
My experience is that in the port there are several supply chains:
- the port itself is a facility owner who needs typicly a small amount of indirect supplies and services, but major capital investments - both construction and equipment (cranes)
- the port stevedoring companies (one or several) serve the logistics companies by moving the goods from incoming transports to the ships and vice versa. They have a supply chain for supplies needed to bind the goods securely to the ship (the timber used is called dunnage). The stevedoring companies have a supply chain for MRO of the machinery and the capital investments for machinery
- the port is also the platform for the supply chain for ships. The passanger ships need a lot of food, goods to sold in supermarkets, laundry for tha cabins etc - and the supply chain for the maintenance of the ships - fuel, spare parts, paint etc
The fourth supply chain is the cargo, where the port operations are a small part of the whole supply chain of the goods owners.
These are just practical experiences from teaching and consulting practice.
Timo Kivistö
Thank you so much for your clear, detailed and meaningful answer. I appreciate the time and effort you spend for my question. I am glad to share your expierence.
If a Supply Chain includes a Logistics Chain, where the Logistics Chain is defined as from source to end consumer, then the movement of goods through a port is not a Logistics Chain. The only logistics chains are those that provide services to the port such as a tug or vessel replenishing. However, the port is a complex node in the logistics chain.
No, I don't think so. Ports are only elements in a global supply chain. Therefore, they haven't their own SC, but they are integrated in a worldwide SC.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Geoscience
- Asia
- India