ABSTRACT
Ports, just like other service-provider industries and manufacturers, typically produce multiple development plans, with different time frames, most usually: Quarterly plans, Annual plans, Three-year plans, Five-year plans, Ten-/twenty-/thirty-year plans. Hence, a political and socioeconomic perspective is necessary to foresee the future trends of port ownership, management, and operations, which encompasses a global view of politics, macro- and microeconomics, trade agreements, national treaties, allies, and competitors. Tactical port planning is a set of comprehensive tools or processes that will zoom into the port’s corporate structure and different departments, with the purpose of deciding upon the action needed and the resource allocation arrangement for the port to meet its strategic goals within a given period. Consequently, port managers and industry leaders are continually dealing with the issue of how to redesign their organizations to ensure that they remain competitive. Intense port competition will lead to the distinction of the distinguished “mega-ports” and numerous “feeder ports.”.
