Quintiq, a Dassault Systèmes brand and global leader in supply chain planning and optimisation (SCP&O), announced that its software has been selected by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to plan, schedule and optimise all vessels transit operations through the Canal to reduce costs, improve safety and increase overall efficiency and reliability.
“For more than a century, the Panama Canal has enjoyed a proud legacy of innovation,” said Panama Canal Administrator Jorge L. Quijano. “This system will help carry that legacy forward, allowing us to tap the potential of technology to provide better solutions for our customers as we increasingly manage more transits and adapt to shifts in global trade.”
The Quintiq solution will transform how the Panama Canal plans and schedules transit operations. For the first time, the Canal will be able to execute a completely integrated operating plan for all of its critical resources, including tugboats, pilots and line handlers. Improved situational awareness and data can inform better decision-making, which in turn will help mitigate operational risk. Further, Quintiq will help reduce costs by optimising the way in which the Canal plans and programs its resources.
Canal customers will benefit as well. The Quintiq solution will impact shippers looking to transit the waterway by shortening vessel waiting times, increasing the number of potentially available vessel slots each day and improving the overall reliability of the route.
The decision to adopt Quintiq was simple. Following the successful opening of the Expansion last year, the Canal has experienced a surge in cargo and transits by larger Neopanamax vessels and in fact, has set several monthly tonnage records already. At times, the influx in activity has called for additional resources to ensure that the Canal’s high performance and safety standards are met. However, once implemented, the new solution will enable the Canal to manage this greater demand and capacity as efficiently as possible.