Press Coverage

Planning ahead Well-oiled data processing machinery not only enables downstream oil and gas companies to react to unexpected surprises in time; it empowers them to plan ahead. The better-informed tank storage operators are about their stocked products and incoming as well as outgoing deliveries, the more accurate predictions they can make. Big Data provides instant answers to crucial questions such as 'how much product do I have in this very second?', 'how much product will I receive from haulers in the coming days?' or 'how much product will my customers pick up this week?' But it does not stop there. It will also state the current value of the stored goods and the demand for them. On the grounds of these insights, tank storage operators can optimise their stock and make meaningful predictions in the fi elds of goods movement, sales or taxes. Offering new services Besides the optimisation of existing processes and the reduction of given threats, Big Data also facilitates the provision of new services. After all, tank storage operators cannot just use their fetched data themselves, they can also share it with their business partners. This means that they can, for example, use web or app services to inform incoming haulers about products and quantities held in stock. If the forwarding agents knew this information beforehand, they could decide in advance when and where to load which product. A procedure like this would help to streamline the associated work steps and make product loading more effi cient. Simultaneously, forwarding agents could send their registration data to the plant they are heading for while on the way there. If the personnel at a tank farm knew all the carriers that would visit them on a certain day (plus the estimated times of arrival and the desired goods), this so-called 'slot booking' would not only reduce paperwork, but also clear up access to the unit. Especially on busy days, where there is a lot of traffi c, such a workfl ow would save all involved parties a signifi cant amount of time and hassle. Becoming digital When tackling the subject of Big Data, it is important to keep in mind that the size of the accumulated information only marks one side of the equation. Big Data is inseparably connected to Smart Data. Consequently, tank terminal operators that plan to leverage Big Data to gain a competitive advantage must not only focus on collecting and storing data, but also on analysing and processing it. If they master this challenge, their daily operations – and with it their effi ciency and profi tability – will benefi t tremendously from the achievement. Ultimately, Big Data promotes safety, simplicity, transparency and innovation in tank terminals. In short, it promotes digitalisation.

• Cover