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There is significant amount of literature tackling different issues related to the port industry. The present chapter focuses on a single business unit of seaports aiming at the documentation of works related to container terminals.

An effort to review, collect and present the majority of the works present in the last 30 years, between 1980 and 2010, has been made in order to picture the problems dealt and methods used by the authors in the specific research field. To facilitate the reader, studies have been grouped under five categories of addressed problems (productivity and competitiveness, yard and equipment utilization, equipment scheduling, berth planning, loading/unloading) and four modelling methodologies (mathematics and operations research, management and economics, simulation, stochastic modelling).

The analysis shows that most works focus on productivity and competitiveness issues followed by yard and equipment utilisation and equipment scheduling. In reference to the methodologies used managerial and economic approaches lead, followed by mathematics and operations research.

In reference to future research, two fields have been identified where there is scope of significant contribution by the academic community: container terminal security and container terminal supply chain integration.

The present chapter provides the framework for researchers in the field of port container terminals to picture the so far works in this research area and enables the identification of gaps at both research question and methodology level for further research.

Information technology has become an essential part of the rapid and accurate transfer and processing of enormous volumes of data processed in international transport firms and port organisations. The proper management of systems, which process this information and communicate it to those who manage port operations, is vital for efficient transport. This explains why container‐tracking systems are given high priority among operational computer applications in ports. Investigates the importance of information technology and its role in improving the operational systems in cargo handling. A computer simulation model is developed to compare two different operational systems – a container terminal equipped with electronic devices versus a terminal without such devices. The importance of information technology in supply‐chain management is also discussed.

This paper examines the port of Mombasa’s attempted implementation of computer-based terminal operating systems (TOS); the challenges faced and the outcomes. In addition to enhancing its operations efficiency, a key motivation for the technology was to facilitate better integration and connectivity to the Belt and Road as a key gateway along the key route. It utilised a qualitative single-case methodology, involving a combination of semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations and content analysis of relevant policy documents and reports provided by the port. The paper finds that the attempt to adopt and implement TOS at the port mostly failed as a result of a complex combination of technological, organisational and environmental factors. Most importantly, the wider business environment was ill equipped with the necessary information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure to support effective implementation. There was also a general lack of appropriately skilled workers to support and drive the same.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework of the potential benefits of asset visibility in the context of returnable transport items (RTI), and uses the framework to examine the effect of asset visibility on the management of RTI systems.

A combined case study and simulation approach was used. A case study was performed to identify and understand how an existing RTI system is managed, while discrete‐event simulation was the method chosen to explore the potential effect of asset visibility.

The paper identifies cost aspects of implementing and operating RTI systems which may be influenced by asset visibility. The study implies that significant cost savings can be achieved through increased asset visibility, and highlights the importance of shrinkage and its impact on the operating cost of an RTI system. However, asset visibility alone is not enough; it requires proper actions and continuous management attention in order to attain the savings.

The results are derived from a single, combined case and simulation study.

The combined methods proved to be an efficient way of assessing and quantifying the potential effect of asset visibility along with the associated uncertainty in the results.

The paper provides an improved understanding of the effect of asset visibility on the management of RTI systems and complements existing visibility literature.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the static behavior of different type of butt joints for application in a timber sofa furniture frame. In timber sofa structure, butt joints are commonly used between plywood and hardwood members but they are normally designed without any regard to the effect of grain directions of the wood members on the joint strength. The focus of the paper is to look at the effect of grain directions on the wooden member properties and on the strength of the butt joint in order to understand the failure mode to establish a more durable and effective sofa butt joint than the one normally used by the manufacturers.

Experiment tests are conducted to determine the mechanical properties of joint members, the maximum load‐carrying capacity of the butt joints, and the types of the failure in the joints in relation to different grain orientations under transverse loading conditions. Plywood and hardwood members are used in construction of the joint tests. Four types of butt joints are constructed with different condition of grain orientation, glue, and screw used in the joint members. The specimens are tested by fixing the plywood member and applying a transverse load to the hardwood member to simulate the conditions in the sofa frame.

Result shows that butt joint with vertical grain orientation and joint with two screws and glue have the maximum load‐carrying capacity compared to the other three cases and compared to the current joint type used in the existing sofa frame design.

The paper is of value to furniture manufacturing industry, in which furniture members and joints are usually over‐designed without regard to grain orientations or applying sound engineering techniques.

To examine the state of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) research in the last five years from the standpoint of existing methodologies. The state of research is assessed by examining the research design, number of hypothesis testing, research methods, data analysis techniques, data sources, level of analysis and country of authors.

The review of SCM and logistics research is based on 442 papers published from 1999 to 2003 in the following three academic journals Journal of Business Logistics, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, and Supply Chain Management: An International Journal.

Major findings show that there is an increase in the direct observation methods like case studies. In general, the research is more interpretive in nature. Survey method is still holding the highest position. More advanced techniques are being used for data analysis in empirical studies and there has been an increase in hypothesis testing. The trend in survey research is moving from exploratory to model building and testing.

The gaps identified in the review were: there are very few inter disciplinary studies; innovative application of secondary data is lacking, (c) research at inter organisation level is scanty; and the current state of research has failed to integrate all the firms in the value chain and treat them as a single entity.

The methodological review will provide increased understanding of the current state of research in the discipline.

The paper undertakes a bibliometric analysis and assessment of journal publications in the field of container terminal operations research (CTOR), in an attempt to identify high-impact papers (HIPs) published in Science Citation Index/Social Science Citation Index (SCI/SSCI) journals of CTOR subject category from 1973 to 2020.

A structured approach for identifying the HIPs is developed based on the utilization of bibliometric and network analyses.

The CTOR papers are assessed in terms of publication outputs, distribution of outputs in SCI/SSCI journals, authorship, institutions and countries, as well as citation life cycles of papers with the highest total citations since their publication until the year 2020. The results show that between 1989 and 2015, there were 82 HIPs in the field of CTOR, which have been cited at least 200 times, with more than 50% of these citations allocated in the second part of paper citation life cycle according to the database of Google Scholar.

The practical implication of the aforementioned reviewing and assessing journal publications of CTOR is that it offers the ability to reveal the tone of its development through addressing main characteristics of the relevant HIPs as determined by the highly cited papers in this field of research.

This paper offers a unique analysis and assessment in the field of CTOR by identifying the relevant HIPs and their associated scientific actors (authors, institutions and countries), thus facilitating the future research effort in the field of CTOR.

This research uses an optimisation model, based on the Six Sigma methodology, which assists marine container terminal operators to minimize trucks' congestions, as a defect in the global containerisation and smoothing the gate activity to reduce trucks' turn‐around times. The main purpose of this paper is implementing the Six Sigma in the landside of marine container terminals to reduce the average number of trucks in queues and average trucks' waiting times in both entrance and exit gates.

This study examines the applicability of the DMAIC method along with the SIPOC, cause and effect diagram, and failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA).

In this paper, Six Sigma methodology is found as an accurate optimisation tool in marine container terminals. Risk Priority Numbers obtained from the FMEA analysis denote that additional control procedures and associated inspections are needed as monitoring tools on the working time and activity of weighbridge operators and truck's drivers. In addition, serious consideration should be given to operator's performance appraisal and improving the administrative systems.

This study was carried out with some boundaries; like the complex operational system in marine container terminals, available data, time constraints, training the team members and controlling the implemented obtained results.

To date, no study has adequately examined the Six Sigma methodology in marine container terminals as an optimisation tool for reducing trucks' congestion. The challenging issues inherent this problem and the limitation of existing research, motivates this study.

The purpose of this paper is to classify research on information and communication technology (ICT) for logistics and freight transportation on the basis of the main themes and methods and proposes directions for future research.

The review is based on 44 papers published from 1994 to 2009 in international peer‐reviewed journals. The academic papers are analysed and classified according to the research methodology adopted and the themes addressed.

While there are many contributions taking the “public transportation” perspective (i.e. the viewpoint of public stakeholders), papers focussing on the “private transportation” perspective (i.e. the viewpoint of the private companies offering logistics and transportation services) are fewer and relatively more recent. Additionally, even though in recent years researchers have also started to examine the decision‐making process of ICT adoption, many themes are under‐represented in literature, such as the subject of integration among different application types, empirical research on ICT adoption and the role of technology providers in the adoption process. As far as the methodology is concerned, the review revealed that many of the papers examined are either conceptual papers or empirical studies (i.e. mostly based on surveys, or else on case studies or interviews), while simulation and modelling are rarely present.

While efforts were made to be all‐inclusive, significant research efforts may have been inadvertently omitted. However, the authors believe that this review is an accurate representation of the body of research on ICT for logistics and transportation companies published during the specified timeframe, and feel that confidence may be placed on the resulting assessments.

The paper offers a guide for the review of previous research on this topic and identifies the most important issues that need to be addressed in future research.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the benefits of integrating IT tracking and routing systems into last-mile distribution operations. The paper also demonstrates the role of field experiments as a valid approach for improving the rigour of logistics research.

The study employs a field experiment approach. Data were collected before and after the experimental treatment from 16 participating vehicles, which were used as inputs and outputs to calculate vehicles' efficiencies using data envelopment analysis.

Through employing manipulation and random assignment to investigate causality in naturally occurring contexts, the study results show statistical evidence for the role of vehicle tracking and routing systems in enhancing fleet efficiency. Furthermore, results show that field experiment is an appropriate method for capital budgeting of deploying IT systems in the distribution function.

Distribution managers can use a field experiment setup to assess the potential impact of installing IT solutions prior to large-scale implementation or prior to purchasing.

The study fills a gap in the literature through the application of a field experiment approach to establish causality relationships in distribution and logistics research. This study should encourage new research on the role of field experimentation in evaluating the benefits gained from, and the capital budgeting of, the modern disruptive technologies in supply chains.