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KEEP ON TRACKING TELEMATICS •.TAKING SENSORS TO THE TRACKS AND THE SEAS IS THE NEXT STEP TOWARDS FULL SHIPMENT VISIBILITY, AS A SYSTEM PROVIDED FOR ANQORE BY SAVVY DEMONSTRATES
OVER RECENT YEARS, the use of advanced telematics systems has been widely accepted across the truck fleet, providing real-time information for operators and their customers. Taking this functionality over onto rail and maritime services has, though, been slow, with a number of technical hurdles to be overcome. Once containers head off onto the rails or out of port, it is difficult to keep track of their whereabouts and condition. This was the problem facing Netherlandsbased chemical manufacturer AnQore (formerly DSM Acrylonitrile). In order to resolve
it, AnQore turned to SAVVY Telematic Systems and, since March, has adopted an integrated telematics system for all of its several hundred tank containers and tank wagons. As a result, it has optimised fleet efficiency and improved safety during the shipment of its products. Like all chemical manufacturers, AnQore places great importance on delivering its products – in this case liquid acrylonitrile and acetonitrile – in full, on time and safely to its customers. This includes being in a position to provide customers with accurate information about the status of a shipment, its likely time
of delivery and its condition. That information is also required for inbound shipments and the return of empty tanks. “Our customers have a few days’ buffer to unload the tank containers and wagons and ship them back,” explains Peter Kehrens, logistics purchasing and implementation manager at AnQore. “In the past we were only able to roughly estimate when the containers would arrive at our plant. That’s why it became clear that in order to allow our fleet to operate at optimum capacity, we would need a better overview. “Modern sensory technology opens up a whole new realm of possibilities,” Kehrens adds. “For example, shipments can be monitored in real time and processes can be coordinated with customers and logistics partners more efficiently. So we went out to look for a telematics system. We found SAVVY Telematic Systems, a supplier that suits us well.” BOXES ON THE TANKS To implement the solution, AnQore installed ATEX- and IECEx-certified CargoTracExR devices, developed by SAVVY, on all its tank containers and tank wagons. These small boxes, which can be installed in a few easy steps, contain robust and reliable high-tech electronics. In addition to sensors for location purposes and to measure a range of variables, they contain a long-lasting battery and a module for data communication. These devices send encrypted data via the mobile network to SAVYY’s Synergy Enterprise private cloud-based platform, which in turn is connected via an interface to AnQore’s SAP system. The corresponding plan data for each new order – departure time, stops along the route, etc – are transmitted automatically
A LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANQORE AND SAVVY HELPED SMOOTHE THE PROCESS OF THE LATEST SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
HCB MONTHLY | JULY 2020
