Global:Global:
Marine procurement teams are under constant pressure to reduce cost, avoid delays and keep vessels supplied without carrying unnecessary stock. Two supply models often come into focus: just-in-time supply and consolidated vessel supply.
Just-in-time, or JIT, aims to deliver goods as close as possible to the time they are needed. Consolidated supply, on the other hand, groups multiple orders, categories or vessels into planned shipments through hubs, warehouses or bonded facilities.
Neither model is always better. The right choice depends on vessel schedule reliability, port accessibility, cargo type, customs complexity, stock criticality, supplier network strength and the cost of failure.
This article explains the cost vs risk trade-offs between JIT marine logistics and consolidated vessel supply, with practical guidance for procurement leads, logistics planners and fleet managers.
AVS Global Ship Supply & Catering supports ship managers, procurement teams and vessel operators with global ship supply, provisions, technical stores, bonded stores and coordinated vessel supply solutions across international ports. For wider supply support, visit Global Ship Supply.
In standard supply chain language, just-in-time means goods arrive exactly when they are needed, with minimal inventory held in advance. In marine procurement, JIT is more complex because the delivery point is not fixed. The vessel moves, port calls change and delivery windows can be short.
For vessels, JIT supply usually means arranging spare parts, provisions, technical stores or bonded items to arrive at the port shortly before the vessel’s ETA or delivery cut-off.
A JIT marine supply workflow usually includes:
When everything works, JIT reduces storage cost and avoids holding unnecessary inventory. But when vessel schedules change, JIT can become risky.
JIT marine logistics works best when:
For routine provisions, consumables or locally available stores, JIT can be efficient. For safety-critical spares or remote port deliveries, the risk profile is different.
Consolidated vessel supply means combining multiple items, orders or vessel requirements into one planned delivery. This may happen through a supply hub, warehouse, freight forwarder, bonded warehouse or regional distribution point.
Instead of sending separate shipments for each purchase order, procurement teams group items to reduce freight cost, customs complexity and handling effort.
A consolidation hub can support multiple vessels or routes from a strategic location. For example, a fleet operating across the Mediterranean, West Africa, the Middle East or Asia may use hub-based supply planning to group stores before dispatch.
Hub models can be useful for:
A good hub model gives procurement teams better visibility and reduces repeated last-minute buying.
Bonded warehousing can support vessel supply where customs, duties, bonded stores or controlled goods are involved. Items may be held under customs control until delivery or re-export.
For marine procurement, bonded warehousing can be relevant for:
The benefit is not only storage. Bonded warehousing can also support customs control, documentation discipline and more planned delivery execution.
Consolidated supply is useful when:
The trade-off is that consolidation may require earlier planning and stronger inventory visibility.
The cost comparison between JIT and consolidated supply is not limited to product price. Procurement teams should compare total landed cost and total operational risk.
JIT reduces the need to hold stock in advance. This can lower storage cost, working capital and obsolescence risk.
However, too little inventory can create emergency buying, premium freight and vessel delay risk. For critical spares, the cost of not having the item may be much higher than the cost of carrying stock.
Consolidated supply may increase inventory planning, but it can reduce repeated urgent orders and improve availability.
Freight is one of the main reasons teams use consolidation. Sending several small shipments separately can be expensive, especially for international spare parts or remote port deliveries.
Consolidation can reduce freight cost by:
JIT can still be cost-effective for local supply, but it becomes expensive when every urgent request becomes a special shipment.
Customs processes can create hidden costs. Incorrect documents, repeated declarations, delayed clearance or split shipments can increase workload and risk.
Consolidated supply can simplify documentation if planned correctly. However, it can also become complex if cargo categories, customs status or delivery destinations are mixed without proper control.
JIT may reduce storage needs, but if documentation is incomplete, a short delivery window can be missed.
For provisions and temperature-sensitive products, the cost model is different. Holding too much stock can increase spoilage risk. Delivering too late can create quality, compliance or crew welfare problems.
JIT can work well for fresh provisions when the supplier is reliable and port access is predictable. Consolidation may work better for dry stores, bonded items or longer shelf-life products.
For cold chain supply, procurement teams should consider expiry dates, storage conditions, handling risk and delivery temperature records.
Marine supply risk often comes from uncertainty. A procurement plan can look cost-efficient until a port call changes, a supplier misses the cut-off or customs clearance takes longer than expected.
JIT depends heavily on accurate lead times. If a supplier needs three days to prepare an item but the vessel arrives in two days, the plan is already at risk.
Lead time risk increases when:
Consolidation can reduce lead time pressure by positioning goods earlier, but it requires better planning.
Vessels may change port, berth, anchorage position or ETA. This can break a JIT plan quickly.
If the delivery is built around one narrow port window, a schedule change can force:
Consolidated supply can reduce this risk when hubs are close to multiple ports or when alternative delivery options are available.
Supplier stock availability is not always guaranteed. A product may be available when quoted but unavailable when the order is approved.
JIT is more exposed to this risk because there is less time to find alternatives. Consolidated planning gives buyers more time to compare suppliers, check certificates and validate substitutes.
Supply disruption risk is especially important for:
Most marine procurement teams do not need to choose only one model. The strongest approach is often a hybrid strategy: use JIT where it reduces waste and consolidation where it reduces freight, risk or complexity.
A hybrid strategy starts by classifying items:
Critical and long-lead items may need earlier planning or hub storage. Routine and local items may fit JIT.
Not all ports carry the same risk. A JIT model may work in major hubs but fail in remote or congested ports.
Procurement teams should assess:
A vessel calling major ports may use more JIT. A vessel calling remote ports may need consolidation or pre-positioned stock.
Fleet managers can also use vessel patterns to improve planning. If several vessels call the same region, consolidation can reduce freight cost and improve supply reliability.
For example:
This creates a practical balance between cost control and operational resilience.
For more on AVS regional and global support capabilities, see Global Coverage.
JIT is useful, but it can fail when assumptions are too optimistic. The most common failures come from vessel schedule changes, supplier delays, customs issues and missing documentation.
A supplier prepares provisions for a vessel expected to arrive on Friday. The vessel is delayed until Monday. Fresh items may lose shelf life, storage cost may increase and the delivery may need to be rescheduled.
In this case, a partial JIT model with later dispatch or cold storage control would reduce risk.
A critical spare part arrives at the port on time, but customs clearance takes longer than expected. The vessel sails before the item is released.
The buyer may now need to forward the part to the next port, pay extra freight and manage technical delay risk.
Earlier consolidation through a hub or better documentation planning could reduce the risk.
A supplier confirms availability during quotation, but approval takes two days. When the PO is issued, the item is no longer in stock.
This is a common JIT problem. Stronger approval workflows, reserved stock agreements or consolidated planning for recurring items can help.
Crew changes can alter food demand, medical needs or welfare items. If the provisioning plan is too tightly built around the original crew list, last-minute changes may create shortages or waste.
A hybrid approach can combine consolidated dry stores with JIT fresh provisions based on the final crew count.
A vessel plans to receive stores in a remote port, but local supply is limited and the delivery window is short. The supplier cannot meet the cut-off.
A regional hub or earlier consolidated shipment would provide a safer option than relying only on local JIT supply.
Just-in-time and consolidated supply are both valuable tools for marine procurement. JIT can reduce inventory and waste when schedules are stable and suppliers are close. Consolidated supply can reduce freight cost, improve planning and protect against disruption when several orders or vessels can be grouped.
The best procurement teams do not choose one model permanently. They select the model based on item criticality, port reliability, lead time, customs complexity, supplier availability and fleet pattern.
For most fleets, a hybrid model provides the strongest balance: JIT for local and fresh requirements, consolidation for planned stores, critical spares and multi-vessel supply.
AVS Global Ship Supply & Catering supports procurement teams with global ship supply, provisions, technical stores, bonded stores, regional coordination and vessel supply planning across international ports.
For vessel supply, consolidated procurement support or urgent requirements, use Quick Quote.
JIT in marine procurement means arranging supplies to arrive as close as possible to the time they are needed by the vessel. It helps reduce inventory and storage cost, but it depends on accurate vessel schedules, reliable suppliers and predictable port operations.
Consolidated supply makes sense when multiple orders, vessels or product categories can be grouped through a hub, warehouse or planned shipment. It is especially useful when freight cost, customs complexity or supply disruption risk is high.
JIT can be cheaper when schedules are stable and items are locally available. However, it can become more expensive if urgent freight, missed delivery windows, port changes or stock shortages occur. Long-term cost depends on both price and risk.
Consolidation hubs reduce cost by grouping shipments, improving freight utilization, reducing repeated deliveries, supporting planned customs handling and lowering emergency logistics requirements.
Bonded warehousing allows certain goods to be stored under customs control before delivery, export or vessel supply. It can help with bonded stores, controlled goods, customs planning and consolidated supply models.
JIT can work in remote ports only when supplier availability, delivery access, customs process and vessel schedule are reliable. In many remote locations, consolidation or pre-positioned stock may be safer.
Voyage changes can shift ETA, port call sequence, berth location or delivery cut-off. Since JIT depends on precise timing, a small schedule change can cause missed deliveries, storage costs, re-routing or emergency replacement supply.
AVS supports ship managers, procurement teams and vessel operators with coordinated global ship supply, provisions, technical stores, bonded stores and vessel supply planning across international ports. Hub-based or regional supply planning can be discussed based on the fleet’s route, category needs and delivery windows.
There is no single optimal number. Stock-on-board should be based on equipment criticality, failure history, lead time, trading area, class requirements, supplier availability and the vessel’s maintenance plan.
Crew rotation can change food demand, dietary requirements and welfare needs. If JIT provisioning is based on an outdated crew count, the vessel may receive too much or too little supply.
JIT can reduce waste and unnecessary storage, but it may increase emissions if it relies on frequent urgent deliveries or air freight. Consolidation can improve freight efficiency, but it may require warehousing. The lower-footprint model depends on routing, shipment frequency and mode of transport.
Digital tools support JIT by improving ETA visibility, supplier communication, RFQ tracking, inventory planning, approval workflows, shipment monitoring and documentation control.
Bilinmiyor
