German AI and optimisation software company INFORM has deployed its Syncrotess Optimisation Plus solution at Norfolk Southern’s Austell terminal in Atlanta, Georgia.

Norfolk Southern is using INFORM’s Yard Optimiser (YO) to intelligently manage their stacked operations. The Yard Optimiser works in conjunction with the existing Terminal Operating System (TOS) to allocate storage locations for containers within the yard, to automatically determine the next operationally efficient move, and better allocate handover locations for external trucks in order to minimise travel distance for the container in and out of the stack.

Additionally, Norfolk Southern is utilising INFORM’s Crane Optimiser (CO) to optimise the movements of overhead cranes to minimise empty travel and maximise productivity of the lift equipment. Austell is using Kuenz RTG Freerider cranes.

“INFORM’s Syncrotess Optimisation Plus solution is helping revolutionise our operations at Norfolk Southern’s Austell and Rossville terminals, providing us with unparalleled visibility and efficiency in our stacked operations, yard storage, and crane movements,” said Will Deshazor, Norfolk Southern Group Vice President Intermodal Automotive Terminal Operations.

“No doubt, it’s been a journey to get the Austell terminal up and running, but we’re excited to be in a position now to demonstrate our world class optimisation solutions working in live operations,” said Matthew Wittemeier, Director of Marketing and Sales at INFORM’s Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics Division.

INFORM’s add-on AI and optimisation solution takes a modular approach to adding advanced intelligence to a terminal’s existing TOS. This path allows them to isolate the terminal’s specific challenges and provide a bespoke solution for their specific operational challenges. As an add-on optimisation solution, Norfolk Southern has built the required optimisation on top of their existing TOS OPTCS 2.0. Austell is the second Norfolk Southern site running INFORM’s Syncrotess Optimisation Plus solution. Norfolk Southern took the solution live at their Rossville terminal in 2023.

“The future of most North American intermodal terminals is stacked; being able to demonstrate to the industry that stacking can be done effectively without sacrificing customer delivery times and with that the customer experience was a primary goal of the project from its outset,” Wittemeier adde.

INFORM has six optimisation modules, which include: Crane Optimiser (CO), Yard Optimiser (YO), Vehicle Optimiser (VO), Train Load Optimiser (TLO), Rail Scheduler (RS), and Machine Learning (ML) modules. Based in Aachen, Germany, with North American headquarters in Atlanta, GA, the company has been in the optimisation business for more than 50 years, serving a wide span of logistics industries including ports, maritime, and intermodal terminals with both add-on optimisation modules as well as TOS solutions.

German AI and optimisation software company INFORM has deployed its Syncrotess Optimisation Plus solution at Norfolk Southern’s Austell terminal in Atlanta, Georgia.

Norfolk Southern is using INFORM’s Yard Optimiser (YO) to intelligently manage their stacked operations. The Yard Optimiser works in conjunction with the existing Terminal Operating System (TOS) to allocate storage locations for containers within the yard, to automatically determine the next operationally efficient move, and better allocate handover locations for external trucks in order to minimise travel distance for the container in and out of the stack.

Additionally, Norfolk Southern is utilising INFORM’s Crane Optimiser (CO) to optimise the movements of overhead cranes to minimise empty travel and maximise productivity of the lift equipment. Austell is using Kuenz RTG Freerider cranes.

“INFORM’s Syncrotess Optimisation Plus solution is helping revolutionise our operations at Norfolk Southern’s Austell and Rossville terminals, providing us with unparalleled visibility and efficiency in our stacked operations, yard storage, and crane movements,” said Will Deshazor, Norfolk Southern Group Vice President Intermodal Automotive Terminal Operations.

“No doubt, it’s been a journey to get the Austell terminal up and running, but we’re excited to be in a position now to demonstrate our world class optimisation solutions working in live operations,” said Matthew Wittemeier, Director of Marketing and Sales at INFORM’s Terminal & Distribution Center Logistics Division.

INFORM’s add-on AI and optimisation solution takes a modular approach to adding advanced intelligence to a terminal’s existing TOS. This path allows them to isolate the terminal’s specific challenges and provide a bespoke solution for their specific operational challenges. As an add-on optimisation solution, Norfolk Southern has built the required optimisation on top of their existing TOS OPTCS 2.0. Austell is the second Norfolk Southern site running INFORM’s Syncrotess Optimisation Plus solution. Norfolk Southern took the solution live at their Rossville terminal in 2023.

“The future of most North American intermodal terminals is stacked; being able to demonstrate to the industry that stacking can be done effectively without sacrificing customer delivery times and with that the customer experience was a primary goal of the project from its outset,” Wittemeier adde.

INFORM has six optimisation modules, which include: Crane Optimiser (CO), Yard Optimiser (YO), Vehicle Optimiser (VO), Train Load Optimiser (TLO), Rail Scheduler (RS), and Machine Learning (ML) modules. Based in Aachen, Germany, with North American headquarters in Atlanta, GA, the company has been in the optimisation business for more than 50 years, serving a wide span of logistics industries including ports, maritime, and intermodal terminals with both add-on optimisation modules as well as TOS solutions.