Not a Denver deja vu

By Raymond A. Kulwiec -- Modern Materials Handling, 8/1/1998

As this issue went to press, the new Hong Kong airport (Chek Lap Kok) had just opened. Senior Editor Gary Forger attended the press conference held at the new airport prior to its opening, and his first-hand report on the new integrated baggage handling system appears in this issue.

Unfortunately, an error in the airport's integrated computer network created major problems and delays when the new facility opened and operations were being transferred to it from the old airport. And, because the entire information system ties into a single central database, many functions, including baggage handling, were adversely affected.

So no, this does not appear to be like the troubles that plagued Denver International Airport, and its baggage handling system, at its opening over three years ago.

The latest word we have is that following the initial computer problem, airport operations are in general working as planned. The baggage handling equipment and associated control systems are operating as designed. The conveyors and controls were not in any way associated with the problems and delays initially experienced at Chek Lap Kok. You can read about how they work in Gary's story in this issue.

But the experience does point out the challenges of planning and operating a complex system, as we discussed when reporting on the Denver baggage handling system in October 1994. As noted in that article, it is a truism in systems design that as you linearly increase size or complexity, the difficulties in making the system work increase exponentially. And, you probably should expect some problems and delays, particularly if the system represents a technological leap. A detailed simulation performed in advance should help reduce the problems, however.

The system in our cover story has experienced delays of a different sort-caused by a labor strike. Before the strike, the system ran at top gear. At press time, the General Motors strike had not been resolved. But you can read Tom Feare's first-hand report on an AS/RS system that helps GM build trucks on a JIT basis in Arlington, Texas.

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