ENHANCING THE EFFICIENCY OF MARITIME AGENCY OPERATIONS THROUGH THE USE OF NETWORK PLANNING

Abstract

Introduction. One of the most important elements of efficient port operations is maritime agency, which ensures interaction between all parties involved in the transport: shipowner, crew, port authorities and state regulatory bodies. The timely and high-quality performance of the agent's functions has a significant impact on the speed and quality of ship handling in the port. Due to the complication of the cargo delivery process during the period of ship handling in the port and the current demand for automation, there is a need to implement modern management methods, in particular, network planning. Purpose. The aim of the study is to increase the efficiency of the agent's work during the period of ship handling in the port by using network planning, i.e. to develop a network model of the process of ship handling by the agent to identify critical operations and take into account the execution time and identify reserves, as well as to justify the feasibility of introducing digital tools to support agent activities. Results. After the analysis and calculations, a structured network model was built, which includes all the main stages of ship agent services: from receiving a notification of the scheduled arrival of the vessel to completing the documentation after the vessel's departure. As a result of the calculations, the critical path of 34 hours was determined, and time reserves for some operations were calculated. The author also offers practical recommendations for improving the efficiency of the process, including the introduction of digital document processing systems, the use of standardized procedures and artificial intelligence to predict possible delays. Conclusions. The network planning method makes it possible to predict the process of servicing a vessel in the port and allows to increase the efficiency of the maritime agent. Its application reduces the risk of errors, shortens the time of vessel handling and increases the overall level of operational performance of ships and ports. The results of the study may be useful for practical use in Ukrainian ports, taking into account the specifics of the domestic regulatory framework.