Finding the most efficient port transportation system with BPMN

Logistics and transportation companies need to manage huge flows of goods, information and means of transport. Streamlining operations and finding the most efficient way to handle them is crucial to reduce costs and improve productivity. BPM (Business Process Management) plays an essential role and process modeling specifically is paramount to tame such complexity.

LIFT, a consulting company in mobility and transport services, relies on Business Process Management to clearly visualize and understand the transportation processes of both public and private companies. Specifically, they’re using Cardanit as their trusted BPMN editor to describe and analyze different transportation modes.

After a very promising experience with the Port of Trieste, more recently they used Cardanit to model and analyzed different scenarios within the Port of Monfalcone, in the North East of Italy.

The ContextOptimization of goods movement in multimodal logistic systems

The Port of Monfalcone is the northernmost port in the Mediterranean Sea; it’s strictly connected with the Trieste Port and in 2023 had a total throughput of around 4M tonnes coming from fry bulk and general cargo. At the center of a multimodal area including bordering Slovenia, it's also 30 km near to the river port Porto Nogaro. In such an intermodal system, it’s important to consider not only the physical transit of goods by ships, trains, and trucks, but also all crucial secondary aspects.

Indeed, beyond transportation, a functioning port involves a network of other operations, from customs and regulatory compliance to warehousing and handling of goods. This means keeping in consideration all essential bureaucratic tasks and fiscal responsibilities that can lead to bottlenecks, if not managed well. By incorporating BPM, LIFT can provide a framework that improves visibility into each of these tasks, allowing for more effective coordination and synchronization across departments and minimizing delays associated with paperwork or regulatory checks.

The ChallengeA BPM framework to visualize multimodal logistic systems

The purpose of this project was to find the best and most efficient solution to transport tonnes of steel slabs from the Port of Monfalcone to Porto Nogaro.

For this project, LIFT had to evaluate three primary transportation options - barge, rail, and road - and analyze the specific capacities and constraints for each of them. Each mode of transport offers unique advantages and limitations in terms of load capacity, efficiency, and adaptability to various environmental and logistical conditions. Given the complex requirements of port logistics, LIFT aimed to find the most efficient transportation system to move goods while minimizing bottlenecks and ensuring a balanced load across the system. This approach required a thorough understanding of each transport option’s feasibility and alignment with both the infrastructural constraints and the strategic objectives of the port system.

The SolutionEnhanced port efficiency from as-is to to-be transportation process

LIFT relied on Cardanit BPM software to clearly describe and then analyze the three transportation modes. Cardanit enabled the project team to accurately represent each transportation route's processes and to examine potential constraints, such as route availability, capacity limits, and regulatory requirements.

This mapping process included integrating both the physical movement of goods and the supporting customs and fiscal processes that play a pivotal role in transportation logistics. By visualizing each option, LIFT could evaluate how the steel slabs would flow through the port. Moreover, they could identify any potential points where delays or inefficiencies might occur, offering insights into the impact of each mode of transport.

The analysis suggests that the barge system could handle the heaviest portion of the load, as barges generally offer substantial cargo capacity. Rail is identified as the secondary option, suitable for carrying a significant portion of the remaining load due to its high-capacity and relatively low-cost efficiency over long distances. Finally, road transport, though more flexible, was reserved for the leftovers that could not be handled by barge or rail.

By strategically allocating goods across these modes, not only did LIFT optimize the load distribution, but it also enhanced overall port efficiency. They could balance resource utilization while ensuring timely and compliant transportation processes

The BenefitsTranslating logistics procedures in readable workflows with Cardanit

Relying on Cardanit BPMN editor, LIFT was able to easily map the as-is situation of slabs movement from the Port of Monfalcone, model three different to-be transportation solutions and select the most efficient combination.

The team involved in the project found the use of Cardanit very easy and real-time collaboration is one of their preferred aspects.

In such a collaborative approach, the risk of overwriting some others’ work is high, thus being able to keep track of any changes is essential: the Version history feature is essential to save multiple versions of the project and reverse to a previous one if needed.

In addition to the team working on this project, there are multiple stakeholders involved who have specific interest in its development. Being able to share the results in a clear and thorough way was one of the main end goals for Lift. With the reporting feature in Cardanit, they translated the BPMN models into readable processes, easy to understand also to non-BPMN experts.

Using Cardanit, LIFT was able to visualize and identify different scenarios, moving from the as-is process to multiple to-be ones in a very effective and efficient way. The ease of use of the tool enabled them to focus on their main goal without getting lost in too many details, but still considering all necessary information.

Without a proper BPMN editor, they would have spent months instead of weeks and might have missed some opportunities that were visible only translating operational procedures in readable workflows.

Further reading

BPMN in transportation: Optimizing a port rail system

Quick guide to efficient business process mapping

Supply chain process management: modeling end-to-end processes with BPMN

LIFT

LIFT is a consulting spin-off company of the University of Trieste operating since 2007, which combines scientific and technical knowledge coming from international research and practical experience with the aim of efficient planning transport systems (railway, pedestrians, traffic, maritime). The team is composed by PhD Transport Engineers and Economists.