APT expects to go live in February 2012 with the terminal management and automation system developed by international consulting and software company Implico. What is different about this project is that it focuses exclusively on the management and automation of processes used for loading and unloading ships’ cargo.
APT operates the terminals at the Port of Immingham that serve the ConocoPhillips and
Total refineries. The two petroleum companies each have a refinery just outside the small town located on the banks of the Humber Estuary on the North Sea coast. Both companies use sea freight for transportation and they share the same facility. Setting up a joint venture company to run the facility and manage the loading and shipping operations of both refineries was therefore a logical step.
In 2010, APT made the decision to replace its aging business system. It did not take long for the company to conclude that OpenTAS was the system it should be working with. The executive in charge of the project at APT had previously been involved with the TOP´R project at Total France and was convinced that OpenTAS would also be the right solution for APT.
When the project is completed in February 2012, APT will use OpenTAS exclusively for ship loading automation and administration processes, including inventory management. All activities related to planning and record keeping will then be carried out consistently in OpenTAS. The system will ensure that products are always available in the right quantities when they are due to be loaded. Further advantages that OpenTAS brings to APT: automatic receipt of nominations, communication with DCS system, transfer of results back to nominating systems, production of ship’s papers, stock management and customs reporting.
Another benefit made possible by the automation of data transfer is the minimization of transmission errors caused by manual input of the loading data. Because of the vast improvement in data quality, accounting is always accurate and complete.