“Everything comes together in UAB-Online and that saves time”

Storage and transhipment of liquid chemicals

Liquin is everywhere at the Port of Rotterdam. It has three tank terminals (Botlek, TTR and Chemiehaven), which makes it the largest storage company for liquid chemicals in the Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp region (ARA). Liquin’s clients rent tanks to store liquids including mineral and plant-based oils, biodiesel and aromatics. Gerben Bakker, Director of Operations, Liquin: “Liquin stores raw materials for uses such as insulation material, coatings, plastic and medicine. All these substances are important to our society.”

The chemicals are transferred from tanks to tank wagons, lorries or other means of transport and taken all over Europe. Or they go by pipeline to a company nearby for use in product manufacturing. “The pipelines go in both directions, which means we also store the products they make,” Gerben explains. “We also support our clients’ green transition. Sustainability often starts with small steps. At Liquin, our clients can store sustainable substances in smaller quantities.”

Emails, calls and a lot of paperwork

Jelle de Jong, Shift Leader Operations, remembers how they used to work before UAB-Online was available. “There was no structure in the way vessels were announced. One boatmaster would send an email, another would phone us. The smoothness of the process depended on the quality of your own list of required information. This meant there was no insight and no overview for others.” There were also a number of challenges when it came to managing documents. Sjouke: “We used to keep everything on paper and store it in folders. We had cabinets full of documents. It sometimes took ages to find a specific form.”

Clear structure in a single system

When we started working with UAB-Online, our processes changed for the better. “We now have a clear structure that is the same for everyone,” Sjouke explains. “Vessels announce their arrival eight hours in advance. Then, we process and assess their request and add the vessel to our planning schedule.” From the moment we started processing the documentation in UAB-Online, everything was more efficient. “All forms, checklists and other important documents can now be found on the platform. It is our digital database. What is the main advantage? Everything is in one place, from vessel data to instructions on loading and unloading.”

Significant time-savings and more control

This gives rise to a whole range of advantages. Robin Groeneveld, Operator: “I can fill in documents beforehand and check them when I have time. This makes inspection at the quay easier. I used to need between an hour and an hour and a half to check each vessel, but now it takes just 10 to 15 minutes. That is a lot faster!” Sjouke adds: “We used to call the boatmasters to the inspection room. They would walk or cycle through the terminal with their documents. Now, the boatmaster stays on board and we go to them. Both the boatmaster and the Liquin operator save a lot of time.”

Jelle: “All this without a negative impact on safety. Actually, we can now inspect better in less time. The operator does a first check to make sure everything is filled in correctly and then the control room does a second check. We check twice to minimise the chance of errors.” Gerben: “Minimising errors and saving time ensures a better experience for our clients.”

“It is easier to find and view everything from announcement time to documents because it is all in one place.”

Sjouke de Bruin, Shift Leader, Liquin

User-friendly and reliable

Liquin also likes the platform. “The platform is user-friendly, the forms are clear and the steps are easy to follow,” says Jelle. “UAB-Online is very reliable. In all the years we have been using the platform, it failed just a few times. We have never lost a document,” adds Gerben. 

Sjouke: “If we have a problem or a question, we usually get a reply by the next day. They sometimes need to look for a solution, but they tell us when the person resolving the issue will get back to us. We always talk to someone at UAB. They don’t outsource anything, not even their development.”

Valuable feedback sessions

Sjouke and Jelle are not only users, they also actively contribute to further developments of UAB-Online. “UAB-Online functionalities not only include vessel announcements, but also filling in and exchanging documents, which is why I am involved in these sessions. Together, we make sure the digital ADN checklist and the loading and unloading agreements work properly,” explains Sjouke. 

“It works like this: if one of our colleagues has a suggestion for an improvement or would like to discuss issues with UAB-Online, they talk to one of us first. Colleagues at Chemiehaven and TTR talk to Jelle, and those at Botlek talk to me. We discuss their input with UAB-Online. It also works the other way around. Sometimes UAB suggests an improvement and asks us to give feedback. They really listen to what matters to us.”

Improvements for everyone

They are both satisfied with this work method. Jelle: “UAB implements our ideas quite quickly. If something isn’t possible just yet, they tell us when they think it can be done. To give you an example, our joint sessions have led to a planning functionality. The functionality makes sure the vessels get an estimated schedule when they announce their arrival. This means they know what to expect. It is great to work on this type of innovation together.”

It aligns with how we work at our company. “We always have a review meeting with our clients to ask whether there are ways we could improve our service. We like working with a company that cares about what we want,” says Gerben. “UAB-Online is the link between our clients and us. Extra functionality ensures a better experience for our clients and improves our performance. This means we can keep on being the best tank storage company and UAB the best vessel announcement system.”

“We are pleased to receive valuable input.”

Hans Bobeldijk,CEO, at UAB-Online

Hans Bobeldijk, CEO, UAB-Online, values the cooperation with Liquin. “They always question our traditional processes and think of ways to improve them. We have recently launched the digital notice of readiness (NOR). Liquin not only contributed to developing this additional functionality but also helped to convince other stakeholders such as agents and surveyors of its usefulness. They also cooperated to help ensure smooth implementation for everyone involved.”

“They are able to see where there is room for improvement, big and small. This shows they like to be the spearhead when it comes to safety and quality. As far as calculations and validations are concerned, they want to make sure everything is airtight, to prevent errors. So, we implement their suggestions. We are really pleased with their valuable input.”