Smart Steaming: A New Flexible Paradigm for Synchromodal Logistics

Abstract

Slow steaming, i.e., the possibility to ship vessels at a significantly slower speed than their nominal one, has been widely studied and implemented to improve the sustainability of long-haul supply chains. However, to create an efficient symbiosis with the paradigm of synchromodality, an evolution of slow steaming called smart steaming is introduced. Smart steaming is about defining a medium speed execution of shipping movements and the real-time adjustment (acceleration and deceleration) of traveling speeds to pursue the entire logistic system’s overall efficiency and sustainability. For instance, congestion in handling facilities (intermodal hubs, ports, and rail stations) is often caused by the common wish to arrive as soon as possible. Therefore, smart steaming would help avoid bottlenecks, allowing better synchronization and decreasing waiting time at ports or handling facilities. This work aims to discuss the strict relationships between smart steaming and synchromodality and show the potential impact of moving from slow steaming to smart steaming in terms of sustainability and efficiency. Moreover, we will propose an analysis considering the pros, cons, opportunities, and risks of managing operations under this new policy.

Smart Sustainable City Manufacturing and Logistics: A Framework for City Logistics Node 4.0 Operations

“…The timely implementation of SCs to support operations in a cluster depends on vehicle synchromodality, which provides 'real-time information management, service flexibility, stakeholders cooperation and coordination, and synchronization of the operations' [76]. The synchromodality also allows for a more efficient use of internal and external vehicles, in terms of reducing their downtime and empty runs, as well as CO 2 emissions [49,76,89].…”

“…The timely implementation of SCs to support operations in a cluster depends on vehicle synchromodality, which provides 'real-time information management, service flexibility, stakeholders cooperation and coordination, and synchronization of the operations' [76]. The synchromodality also allows for a more efficient use of internal and external vehicles, in terms of reducing their downtime and empty runs, as well as CO 2 emissions [49,76,89]. The implementation of vehicle synchromodality under uncertainty of SCs depends on the planning of logistics operations, the efficiency and smooth functioning of the DSP, and the timeliness of receiving information about the freights and their location from the IRTs in real time.…”

“…The CLN4.0 is a unimodal or multimodal and synchromodality logistics facility [4,49,76]. Unimodal vehicles, such as light e-trucks, are mainly used for CC transportation [4].…”

“…A smart sustainable approach within the CMFM cluster's activities covers a wide range of economic, social, and environmental issues, including the reduction of lead times; overstocking of cluster enterprises and CLN4.0; freight traffic flows under supply uncertainty by the CCs, which are selected in accordance with their delivery points; the compatibility of the transported freights; and their full handling [5,49,80]. The implementation of such a smart sustainable approach in the framework of these problems is associated with the use of integrated production and SC planning and scheduling [81][82][83] and smart SCM technologies [40,48,76], as well as smart city technologies and indicators for city manufacturing and freight logistics [3,24,46]. Initially, the integrated production and SC planning of the CMFM cluster's enterprises are carried out, considering the compatibility with already planned SCs, both within the cluster and its CLN4.0, and within the megalopolis.…”