Kevin van Hees, Operations Manager, Vesta Terminals

“The best optimization tool in more than a decade”

Vesta Terminals used to encounter lots of errors when announcing the arrival of vessels. This was mostly because the announcement positions were either incorrectly recorded or not recorded at all and the cargo information was unclear. Using UAB-Online resolved all these issues.

A petroleum “hotel” where the client is always right

Vesta Terminals is the place you need if you want to store petroleum products. It is always busy at their 935,000-m3 storage space at the Port of Antwerp, not to mention at their smaller sites in Vlissingen and Tallinn. “With 1,800 inland shipping vessels and 300 ocean-going vessels a year, we are transhipping 24/7 in Antwerp,” says Kevin. “I sometimes call our company the petroleum product hotel! We store fuels including petrol, middle distillates, Jet A-1, FAME and other biofuels and sustainable aviation fuel. We provide our clients with safe, reliable storage facilities.”

Aside from storage capacity, Vesta Terminals mainly focuses on providing services to their clients. “For us, safety, reliability and efficiency come first because that is what our clients need. We think of our clients as family.”

Paperwork

We realised that the vessel announcement process didn’t always run smoothly or match our client-focused approach. Kevin: “Boatmasters used to call us and we would write down their arrival time and other details on paper. Digitisation meant inputting this information into an Excel sheet. But the data on paper and in the Excel sheet gave rise to the same issues.

“If you misunderstood the boatmaster or forgot to write something down, the vessel announcement position was wrong. This would lead to conflict and unwanted consequences. Or else the vessel cargo wasn’t what you thought it was and so the vessel would moor at the wrong quay and couldn’t unload. The manual system didn’t provide insight or control options.”

Right on the money

When Kevin first heard about UAB-Online, his interest was piqued. “It was during a quarterly Belgian work meeting where the terminals and inland shipping companies come together to discuss their issues and new developments,” he explains. “A number of them had tried the platform and they were very enthusiastic. We decided then and there to ask Bas and Hans for a demo.”

Once Kevin had found UAB-Online, there was no turning back. “The platform was exactly what we were looking for. This shows that UAB understands terminals and terminal processes. Without a doubt, it has been the best optimization tool in our industry in at least a decade. No one else has been able to produce a similar system,” he insists.

Smooth implementation

Kevin decided to implement UAB-Online immediately. Kevin: “In just two weeks, everything was up and running and our employees were embracing the system. All went very smoothly and there were no teething problems. I was afraid our clients would be reticent and still want to call us on the phone.” He need not have worried. “The boatmasters were happy to create an account and quickly took to the system. UAB-Online was so easy to use and so transparent that there were no issues. Everyone liked using it and agreed that we could have done with a platform like this years before.”

“Our client processes are now safer, more efficient and faster, which means we can offer our clients a better service.”
Kevin van Hees, Operations Manager, Vesta Terminals.

 

Information matches in advance

What makes UAB-Online so ideal? “The biggest advantage comes during preparation. Before the vessel moors at the port, we have all the data and an agreement in place. This means everyone knows what is expected and who will do what beforehand. This is because we can all see the same information on UAB-Online. It prevents incidents but, more importantly, it means we can get to work using the checklist as soon as the vessel has moored. This results in a safer process and it saves time at the quay,” says Kevin.

Planning module addition

When processing inland and maritime shipping company vessels, Vesta Terminals uses nearly all the functionalities from announcement and ADN to ISGOTT checklists. The planning module is a recent addition. Kevin: “The only reason why boatmasters were still phoning us was to ask when their turn was. When UAB asked us what we felt was missing on the platform, we told them it was planning information. They got straight down to work.”

Not long after, UAB-Online recommended their planning partner to us. “They said they had a module they thought would fit our needs. We knew this partner and were pleasantly surprised to discover they also worked with UAB-Online. We started a partnership on the spot. And it is going very well. After integrating the planning module, the platform became a complete three-way solution for announcement, inspection and planning. Vessels see the planning for their mooring as soon as they announce their arrival. It is very practical,” says Kevin.

Continuous optimisation

Continuous optimisation is what makes UAB-Online unique. “Their knowledge covers our needs. They know our world because they are always talking to their clients and partners. This means we never have to explain our processes. When they add functionalities or recommend something, they are always spot on. They implement improvements we haven’t thought of, such as the planning partner. Our own systems improve as a result. We are both continuously optimising the processes.”

Safer, faster and more efficient

Kevin recommends UAB-Online to all terminals. “Especially because of the increased safety. That should never be a question of price. And, of course, because the client processes are faster and more efficient based on clear communications and having all the information in one place. UAB-Online has become indispensable. It is as if you have been going to work on foot for many years and then discover the bicycle. And you wonder why you didn’t get one sooner. The UAB platform has filled a gap.”