THE BIG PAY-OFF

DIGITALISATION • IN 2021, ODFJELL LAUNCHED A MULTI-YEAR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME AT ITS US TERMINALS. ALMOST TWO YEARS IN, ITS SITES ARE SEEING SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS

A FEW YEARS AGO, ‘digital transformation’ was just another business buzzword. Today, it’s a strategic imperative. An efficient IT platform is a competitive advantage, as time and quality of service are of the essence when contracts are awarded.

Picking up on that trend, Odfjell Terminals US (OTUS) initiated a comprehensive multi-year Digital Transformation programme, which aims to harness the latest technologies to help maintain the highest safety standards, boost efficiency, and provide a future-proof foundation for business scalability and growth.

“This project is an all-encompassing change in the way OTUS does business. Not only are we enhancing and expanding current capabilities and phasing out old systems, but we are also focused on using these tools to better plan and execute as an organisation,” explains John Blanchard, CEO of OTUS.

“Our employees have heavy ownership in the project’s implementation and as such will heavily contribute to its successful long-term sustainability. Our staff will greatly benefit from the efficiency improvements and in turn this project will provide our customers with a significantly improved customer experience,” Blanchard adds.

The forerunner of the transformative project dates back to 2018 when an IT materiality assessment identified several improvement areas. A detailed assessment of overall business performance by a third party in 2019 confirmed the findings and triggered an overarching business improvement programme. Investment in a new digital platform was a necessary enabler for OTUS to capture much of the benefits in that programme.

Reaping The Benefits

The Digital Transformation project started by scoping and developing a number of tailored solutions in close collaboration with process owners, IT professionals, consultants, key stakeholders, and representatives from shareholders. Today, the implementation is well underway with several new modules already in place. This allows for new capabilities and enables optimised processes for key functional areas of the business.

“We have already started reaping the benefits of the transformation through increased operational efficiency and improved insight. We are confident that our capital investments will generate attractive returns,” says Adrian Lenning, managing director of Odfjell Terminals.

Before the implementation of the project, the majority of operational and administrative processes at OTUS were highly manual. Data capture was limited, and most of the documentation was done through numerous Excel spreadsheets and paper forms. Now, workflows will become streamlined, safer and with fewer manual errors due to the implementation of digital tools. Tasks will be carried out more efficiently, leading to reduced costs. In addition, data collection will be highly automated.

The automation removes costly processes and results in higher productivity, better information accuracy, and improved governance/compliance. Last but not least are the most important and welcome results of all: improved safety performance and increased customer and employee satisfaction.

“Looking forward, success encourages further ambition,” Lenning adds. “The digital transformation journey is more than a fixed project within a fixed timeframe – it’s a journey of continuous improvement that helps us reach new targets across all value streams, consistently, and with long-lasting results. We are committed to keep delivering world-class services, and to take on the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation. The OTUS Digital Transformation Project will serve as a model for our other terminals, as we pave the way for a more efficient future.” www.odfjell.com