RBS announced the successful deployment of its next-generation Automatic Vessel Planning (AVP) module at Klaipėdos Smeltė Container Terminal, marking a major leap forward in intelligent stowage planning, crane coordination, and terminal-wide operational efficiency.
Within RBS TOPS Expert, AVP version 2 is a high-precision, AI-driven vessel planning engine designed to eliminate traditional planning inefficiencies, including quay crane idle time, excessive re-stows, and quay side congestion.
By predicting workload distribution across quay cranes and synchronizing container availability with real-time yard readiness, AVP ensures each container is picked only once and executed with minimal interference – improving move productivity.
Early deployment results at Klaipėdos Smeltė showcase transformative improvements:
These time and resource efficiencies enable planners to focus on validation, safety, and optimization rather than manual construction of stowage plans.
Just weeks into operation, Klaipėdos Smeltė reports measurable gains, which are slight but will become even more significant in the long-term:
The terminal leadership attributes these improvements to AVP’s ability to minimize re-planning, prevent QC idle time, reduce yard re-handlings, and maintain balanced, predictable workloads across equipment fleets.
Tadeus Nechviadovic, Head of Planning at Klaipėdos Smeltė Container Terminal, shared his firsthand experience using AVP:
“Yesterday we tested the AVP, and the guys really like that 3000 containers could be planned within 2 minutes… they are really impressed with the functionalities that RBS can provide and everything so far so good.”
The AVP module on TOPX introduces a suite of new capabilities designed to enhance accuracy, predictability, and throughput:
Overall, Klaipėdos Smeltė reports operational and financial benefits such as:
These gains demonstrate AVP’s ability not only to streamline operations, but also to significantly enhance terminal productivity and cost efficiency. Ultimately, this technology from RBS will lead to the next generation of intelligent systems that will allow terminals to operate efficiently in this demanding market.
