Singapore’s Just-in-Time (JIT) Planning and Coordination Platform

Singapore’s Just-in-Time (JIT) Planning and Coordination Platform for vessel calls is operated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) as part of the digital PORT@SG™ ecosystem. It aims to reduce anchorage congestion, improve berth utilization and cut fuel and emissions by coordinating vessel arrivals with real port readiness. (MPA, 2026a)

Location and dates

The case is set in the Port of Singapore, one of the world’s busiest hub ports. MPA launched digital PORT@SG™ Phase 1 in 2019 as a single electronic window for port-clearance formalities. The JIT Planning and Coordination Platform, which forms Phase 2, was developed and piloted in subsequent years and went live for full operations in October 2023. It was first fully implemented for vessels berthing at PSA Terminal and Jurong Port for cargo operations, with progressive extension to tankers berthing at energy terminals and to all vessels calling at the anchorages planned from January 2024; full completion of that extension is not confirmed in the sources reviewed. (Manifold Times, 2023)

System summary

The JIT Platform is effectively a vessel call and traffic-optimization system for Singapore port waters. It integrates real-time and planned information from ship agents, terminals, marine service providers (pilotage, towage, bunker tankers and supplies) and MPA into a single digital environment. (Safety4Sea, 2023) Core features include:

• Advance berth and service visibility: For the tanker JIT arrangements, MPA’s published Q&A states that terminals endeavour to provide estimated time of berthing and first-berth information at least 72 hours before arrival (INTERTANKO, 2023).
• Coordinated planning: Marine service providers use advance and real-time vessel schedule information to plan pilotage, towage, bunker tankers and supplies.

Instead of ships “sailing fast then waiting” at anchor until a berth is ready, the system encourages them to adjust speed enroute, so they arrive closer to their confirmed berthing time, which is an operational version of just-in-time arrival. (MPA, 2026a)

Costs

MPA has not published a cost for the JIT Platform. To prepare users, MPA ran training sessions from July 2023 for ship agents, towage service providers and bunker suppliers. (Safety4Sea, 2023)

Benefits

While detailed quantitative results are still emerging, multiple sources outline the expected benefits:

• Reduced anchorage and berth waiting time: By aligning vessel speed with real berth and service availability, the JIT Platform seeks to reduce time spent waiting at anchor or alongside for pilots, tugs or terminal readiness. MPA states that the platform will reduce dwell time at the anchorages before berthing. (MPA, 2026a)
• Lower fuel consumption and emissions: If vessels slow-steam to arrive just in time instead of racing to anchor, they can reduce voyage fuel use and avoid idling off Singapore’s coast, which lowers CO₂ and pollutant emissions.
• Improved predictability and efficiency: Better visibility of planned arrivals and service requirements enables marine service providers to plan pilotage, towage, bunker tankers and supplies more effectively, leading to faster vessel turnaround and cost savings. (Manifold Times, 2023)

Why this case is significant

Singapore’s JIT Platform illustrates how a major Southeast Asian hub can operationalize vessel call and traffic optimization at scale through a regulator-run digital coordination tool rather than relying solely on individual ship or terminal initiatives (Safety4Sea, 2023). It shows that:

• Coordinated data-sharing across the port community aims to reduce waiting, fuel use and emissions.
• Vessel call optimization can be embedded into normal port-call procedures via a port authority digital platform.
• Traffic optimization in extremely busy waters can be achieved through predictive planning rather than only more infrastructure.

As the platform matures and data accumulates, more precise cost-benefit metrics are likely to emerge, but Singapore's JIT system is a leading Southeast Asian example of vessel call and traffic optimization in practice. (Manifold Times, 2023)