Coal Discharge Operations at a State-Owned Rail Logistics Terminal: A Case Study of Process Coordination and Information Flow at PT Kereta Api Indonesia's Tarahan Terminal

<p>State-owned rail logistics operators in emerging economies face a persistent tension between procedurally mature physical operations and underdeveloped digital coordination infrastructure. This case study examines the coal discharge process at PT Kereta Api Indonesia's (PT KAI) Tarahan Terminal in Lampung, Indonesia, drawing on 30 days of structured participant observation, document analysis, and informal interviews conducted during an internship in the Freight Transport (Angkutan Barang) unit. The discharge cycle—from rangkaian inspection at Tanjung Enim Baru, loading at the Train Loading System, transit to Tarahan, and unloading via the Rotary Car Dumperis mapped end-to-end and evaluated against operations management, supply chain management, and management information systems perspectives. While the physical workflow adheres closely to standard operating procedures and is supported by a structured document chain (Berita Acara Muat, Berita Acara Bongkar, Waktu Peredaran Kereta Api reporting), a SWOT analysis reveals that operational coordination remains dependent on informal, unstructured channels (principally WhatsApp) for transmitting time-sensitive information such as train circulation schedules and equipment-hindrance reports. This creates traceability gaps and latency risk that the formal procedural infrastructure does not, by itself, resolve. The study synthesizes these findings into a SWOT–TOWS strategy matrix and proposes a centralized digital monitoring dashboard alongside a direct-communication protocol (e.g., handheld radio) for time-critical disruptions at the Rotary Car Dumper interface. The case contributes a grounded, practice-level illustration of how digital-transformation and liquidity/resilience logics documented in prior public-sector operations literature (Indrajaya et al., 2026) manifest at the operational front line of a state logistics enterprise and offers actionable recommendations for terminal-level information governance.</p>