From whiteboards to operational readiness

Hans Bobeldijk, CEO of UAB-Online, talks to Tank Storage Magazine about the need for updated operational tools in the shipping industry Manual planning tools are no longer enough for modern terminal operations. That is not a criticism of terminal teams; liquid bulk planning is demanding, high-stakes work. Vessel schedules shift, jetty availability changes, documentation must be ready, cargo and equipment prepared, safety requirements met, and the right people available at the right moment. Good planners hold all of this together under pressure. The problem is not the quality of the people, it is that too many are still expected to coordinate an interdependent port call through spreadsheets, whiteboards, email and phone calls. Those tools can still have a role. A whiteboard may help one control room. A spreadsheet may help an experienced planner model a planning overview. A phone call may resolve an urgent question. But none of them gives every stakeholder a trusted, current view of what is planned, what has changed and what needs to happen next. Shipping talks confidently about artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, Just-in-Time (JIT) operations and emissions...