Digital transformation is impacting industries worldwide as data collection and exchange are creating new and valuable opportunities.  Companies are working on creating a connected and collaborative work environment due to the magnitude of the industry's risks by conducting inspections in the traditional, highly-time consuming way. 

More and more businesses are aware of the other risks generated by integrating too many different applications within a system, the lack of standardization of processes, or disorganized data gathering. All these inefficient processes lead to a lack of business agility and technology that is not effectively integrated to connect and support workers and not burden them.

The oil and gas industry is project-focused. The most prominent values the industry holds tightly are execution excellence and predictability. Decentralization is a harsh challenge.  The lack of cooperation and coordination can make the transition to digital more abrupt in some cases. By creating a culture of fluidity and agility, business leaders can find new opportunities to remain competitive and relevant.

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Digitalization of the Ship Shore documentation is one example that establishes the collaboration’s strength between Vopak, the world’s leading independent tank storage company, and Smartflow, a connected worker solution.

Digitalizing all the handshakes between various parties involved, such as terminals, vessels, agencies, shipping companies, and the authorities, is an important strategic goal for Vopak, and the introduction of version 6 of the International Safety Guide for Tankers and terminals (ISGOTT 6) provided a well-grounded reason to accelerate this. 

• The Ship’s Master and the Terminal Representative share a joint responsibility to operate safely and efficiently when a tanker is at a terminal. 
• The Master or his representative and the terminal representative need to make a list of actions before cargo or ballast operations begin.
• Agree on the transfer procedures, including the maximum loading or unloading rates
• Agree on the actions to be taken in the event of an emergency during cargo or ballast handling operations
• Complete and sign the Ship/Shore Safety Checklist (SSSCL)

With Smartflow, Vopak has digitalized the ISGOTT 6 procedures very fast and has used the platform’s versatility to include the various stakeholders in the process digitally. For a better understanding of the process covered by Smartflow, we have outlined the entire workflow below.

The moment a Vopak planner decides to invite a vessel to perform the ISGOTT procedures, the planner is required to perform all the pre-arrival checks for the terminal. This part includes entering important information such as the ETA date and time, the terminal booklet, the product to be transferred, the unit of measurement and quantity, and the port and berth information.

Once all information is complete, the planner digitally invites a ship, and the pre-arrival checks for the terminal and the other important information are automatically sent along. From that moment on, the Ship’s Master can view all the information digitally and enter the pre-arrival checklist for the ship. Vopak also allows the ship to adjust the ETA times.

The planner has real-time insight into when all pre-arrival checks are ready and when the ship arrives, the planner can change the status to Arrived @ terminal

When the ship has arrived at the terminal, the Terminal representative at the berth receives all the information on his ATEX tablet to continue the process. The Terminal representative reaches out to the Ship’s Master to jointly complete the Ship Shore Safety Checklist (SSSCL) before the cargo loading or unloading starts. This includes checks after mooring and the pre-transfer conference, pre-transfer checks, and pre-transfer agreements. The digital checklist automatically shows the relevant parts based on the product to be transferred and has designated areas if crude oil washing is planned or checks before tank cleaning or gas freeing are applicable.  

At the end of this process, all checklists need to be checked and initialed by the tanker personnel and the terminal personnel in the relevant boxes on the declaration form. Once these have been completed, the tanker and terminal representatives agree on the following repetitive checks, which also need to be added to the declaration.  

Both the tanker and terminal will receive a digital copy of the pre-arrival checks and the SSSCL to be displayed at all the relevant control stations. Once both parties sign this declaration, the status changes to Repetitive checks.

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The tanker and terminal receive a reminder at an agreed time interval to perform the repetitive checks. The information entered can be viewed by all parties involved all the time. This, for example, makes it very easy to perform shift handovers since all relevant information is digitally recorded and available.

After the tanker has left the terminal, the final documentation is prepared and shared with the parties involved. The desired ISGOTT 6 format is used for this so that the information is recognizable and complete for everyone.

Other important documents are also included in the digitalized ship/shore process flow to assure full advantage of the possibilities, such as operational arrangements, pre-berthing questionnaires, pollution prevention checklists, among many others. This differs per terminal, and Vopak gives all terminals the freedom to design their own digital Ship/Shore documentation in addition to the established ISGOTT 6 process.

Finally, Vopak will increasingly integrate the platform into its entire application landscape, making the information exchange between all parties involved faster, better, and more complete.

Smartflow allows operators, field workers, and frontline operations to access and transfer information to anyone within the organization. Smartflow experts work on improving day-to-day operations, allowing for remote support, and leveraging workers’ flexibility. 

Digital inspections replace tedious and costly manual processes, so they become more efficient.

In today's complex industrial facilities, industries need digitalization to leverage data in disconnected documents, optimize safety-instrumented systems, and manage corporate risk.

Smartflow enables a real-time view of safety system performance while using stored data to validate processes and identify issues.

• Zero paper waste 
• Determine and acquire the problems that cause high costs in safety, environment, and lost production (quality, time, speed)
• Efficient collaboration among the workers that can receive tasks within the app 
• Possibility to attach pictures, videos, or comments in the inspection form
• All data is in one place with easy access to details of the inspection
• Secure site safety and minimize risks 
• Instant access to performed inspections
• Automated alerts for review 
• Reduce response time to critical issues  

We help our customers optimize business processes while staying afloat in the tidal waves of change. Smartflow is the ideal solution for oil and gas businesses looking to accelerate the execution and compliance of Operations, Maintenance, and SHEQ workflows.

Our customers aim for terminal facilities that enable their industry to increase efficiency and logistics, ensure safety, and reduce the frequency of downtime events. 

• Capture data & actionable insights.
• Field operators can track, monitor, collect, and report key data, alarms, and events in real-time. They will also see issues and rationalize alarms, all in one place.
• Automate processes & streamline tedious work. 
• Leverage data in disconnected documents, optimize safety-instrumented systems, and manage corporate risk. 
• Gain a real-time view of safety system performance while using stored data to validate processes and identify issues.
• Perform three times as many inspections. 
• Field workers can take immediate action based on the findings, saving time, increasing efficiency, and transforming productivity.

• Easily create custom workflows or use the existing ones in the library 
• Have insights into analytics and reports to use for their strategic development 
• Access to a central cloud-based dashboard with real-time data 
• Automate fault alerts 
• Set automation triggers for schedule adherence, preventive maintenance, and compliance
• Easy access to archives inspections 
• Streamline and automate data entry with integration capabilities

Business agility is all that matters nowadays. Smartflow technology is bringing all departments together, from maintenance to operations and management. Smartflow is a cloud-based (prescriptive) low code / no-code solution incorporating a platform and an app, with a clear dashboard, clean reports, and properly integrated data. 

The SaaS solution makes the technology transition more comfortable due to user experience compliance, which makes adding process data and asset health information an easy task. The high necessity to revamp workflows, data collection, task management, maintenance management, production tracking, and compliance makes using a mobile solution and support system like Smartflow indispensable.

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