Conventional terminals face many of the same operational challenges as large, automated terminals—especially when it comes to reducing bottlenecks, improving tracking, and streamlining day-to-day workflows.
While strategic rail hubs see the value of using a modern terminal operating system (TOS) to automate and digitize their operations, conventional terminal operators often worry this technology is too heavy and complicated to serve their operational needs. As a result, they end up deciding that their existing legacy system is “good enough.”
The problem with that approach? It assumes that operators at conventional terminals must choose between upgrading to a new TOS with cumbersome planning functionality, or sticking with an outdated software that can work with their manual operations.
There’s a better alternative. With Tideworks’ IPRO suite of solutions, conventional terminal operators can easily configure IPRO to serve the unique needs and preferences of their operations—with room to adopt more advanced features at terminals when needed.
Addressing operational challenges faced by Class 1 rail networks
One of IPRO’s strengths as a modern TOS platform is its ability to solve some of the most pervasive operational challenges facing rail networks today. While users may be accustomed to old systems, these legacy TOS solutions often hold rail networks back, wasting money and hurting productivity and safety.
Operators spend too much time managing terminals on legacy tools
Legacy tools rarely offer the easy interface that operators need to work efficiently—let alone the integrations with other critical systems.
A simple inventory update on a container or railcar, for example, may send an operations team member across three to six screens to perform a single function. Fragmented data, combined with a poor user interface, wastes valuable time while increasing the risk of human error.
Tideworks offers that modern, user-friendly functionality: select a container, click where you want it moved. All the systems upstream are notified, and your inventory is up-to-date.
Each terminal in a rail network on its own version of a TOS
Within a single rail network, individual terminals often use different versions of the same TOS. One terminal might be on version 2.3, for example, while another is still on version 1.2—because they haven’t updated the on-premise software. This makes coordination and visibility across terminals challenging, and centralized planning nearly impossible.
IPRO allows each terminal within your network, regardless of size, to use the same version of Tideworks—even if the configurations are totally different from one terminal to the next.
Safety concerns
Legacy operating software often isn’t equipped with crucial safety protocols that help conventional terminals reduce safety concerns and accident rates. Unplanned moves which allow for flexibility can also increase risk of accidents on a terminal.
Modern TOS solutions ensure safety, offering solutions like “blue flag” controls which communicate to workers whether it’s safe to be working on any particular track.
Being asked to upgrade on your vendor’s terms—not your own
Not every software upgrade makes sense for every terminal. Instead of dealing with vendors who are pushing software upgrades to make their own lives easier—independent of the operational impact those upgrades offer to terminals—operators are better served when upgrades can occur on their own timeline.
IPRO TOS – Designed to scale to your unique needs
Rail operators are concerned that a modern TOS will force conventional terminals to adopt planning features and processes they don’t need and will slow them down. That’s why Tideworks has developed flexible, highly configurable solutions that help operators modernize on their own terms.
IPRO makes it easy to configure a TOS that meets conventional terminals where they’re at—which means:
- Yard and rail planning is scalable and adaptable, from no planning to fully automated.
- You can still run an operator-led environment—no back-office manager required.
- Your existing workflows can stay the same—no need to change resources and roles.
If a feature adds value for an individual terminal, operators can utilize it. If not, they can choose to leave it out of their user experience. For example, when outbound loading, operators at conventional terminals typically prefer shotgunning over planned loading. They don’t want a TOS that forces processes designed for larger automated terminals and doesn’t take their current operations into account.
The IPRO TOS suite of solutions supports the workflow of conventional terminals. With Tideworks’ Traffic Control, operators have the ability to easily manage move segmentation through a single application—instead of forcing operators through a tedious series of steps that actually slow them down. The entire loading operation can be managed by the people out in the yard.
The tangible benefits of IPRO
With IPRO, conventional terminals can realize all of the value that comes with digitization—including more efficient operations, greater visibility, and reduced manual processes with fewer mistakes.
A graphical user interface
Terminals can use real-time graphical visualizations to monitor their operations and manage problems as soon as they develop. This is a significant upgrade over legacy tools that can’t render operational data in a format that’s easy to analyze and understand.
Instead of requiring expensive mobile clients, terminals can access real-time visualizations directly through a web browser on standard mobile devices like tablets, giving operations teams instant insight wherever they are in the yard
Higher productivity
With fewer mistakes and more proactive management of operations, conventional terminals can increase terminal utilization, reduce operating expenses, and boost productivity across your day-to-day activities.
Expanded visibility
Not only does Tideworks make your operations data more accessible and useful, it also expands visibility into new aspects of your operations, enabling insights that weren’t possible with the data provided by legacy tools.
Conventional terminal operators might learn, for example, that their existing shotgun loaders aren’t quite as efficient as they thought. Or they might be able to catch rules being broken as they occur, allowing them to take action in the moment.
More efficient rail planning
IPRO offers a robust set of rail planning capabilities that can conform to existing operations. This helps terminals execute moves correctly the first time
“If you don’t do it right the first time, you might have to take a container back off the railcar and put it somewhere else,” says Terry Hayes, Tideworks Project Manager. With efficient planning, operators can cut unnecessary lift costs and maximize throughput for the terminal.
Support for future transformation
Conventional terminals can configure IPRO to offer exactly the features they need right now, but if operators decide they need additional features over time, all they need to do is turn them on.
“You can go from being an all-wheeled facility to deciding you need stacking capabilities,” says Scott Duncan, Senior Professional Services Consultant at Tideworks. “To do that, you just need to make some configuration changes. You don’t have to upgrade, you don’t have to buy a new module—it’s all already there.”
The Tideworks experience
The full IPRO experience is about much more than upgraded software. Here’s what you can look forward to when you choose Tideworks as your new TOS provider:
Deep experience with Class 1 railroads
Tideworks has implemented IPRO in over 85 terminals globally, including North American Class I operations, including IPRO deployments spanning both larger, more strategic hubs and conventional terminals
With over 15 years experience in intermodal TOS development and deployment, our industry expertise gives us a strong understanding of the unique operational challenges faced by railroad operators, so we can tailor solutions to offer tangible value to terminals within these rail networks.
Expert support from the Tideworks team
Thanks to our depth of expertise working with complex terminal projects, the Tideworks team is able to walk hand-in-hand with clients through big changes taking place within individual terminals or across a larger rail network.
We don’t just focus on our own technology—we help customers transform their operations. We’re able to take the uncertainty and guesswork out of these projects, setting them up for success while ensuring a seamless transition for operations.
Service that meets terminals where they’re at—and allows room for change
Tideworks helps conventional terminals prepare for the future by making their current operations more efficient through blue flag controls, alerts on allocations, and real-time inventory management.
And as those terminals grow and evolve, IPRO easily adapts to those changes.
There’s a better way than the status quo
Conventional terminals don’t have to choose between limited legacy tools and bulky, inflexible TOS platforms. With IPRO, Tideworks can help conventional terminals upgrade to a modern TOS that is lean, easy to use, and fully configured to how they want to operate.
Speak to the Tideworks sales team today to find out how our experts can tailor IPRO to your terminal’s unique needs.