Terminal Automation Is No Longer Optional
Fuel, petrochemicals, asphalt, and other product terminals represent an important link in the petroleum supply chain. Here, profit can be made or lost and exposure to regulatory penalties and other risks is high.
Considering the high value of many of the products involved in terminal transactions, a surprisingly large percentage of the world�s petroleum product terminals still operate with minimal automation. Terminal automation systems can certainly help increase efficiencies, improve accuracy, reduce labor and operational costs, enhance safety, and ease regulatory compliance.
Virtually every terminal requires some degree of automation to be able to operate in a safe, secure, compliant, and optimally profitable manner. Terminal automation systems are also being used in some very creative ways to help increase customer satisfaction. This can include providing customers with real-time inventory and transaction status via the Internet, and supporting their demanding e-commerce or data exchange requirements. The typically closed, proprietary, and relatively inflexible terminal automation systems of the past have evolved into much more open and flexible systems that can be configured with relative ease to match specific terminal requirements.
Strategic Issues
Terminal industry consolidation, and the need to integrate terminal systems (often from multiple terminals) with corporate business systems will drive the demand for state-of-the-art terminal automation technology in the market. Other issues addressed in the report include:
- Market potential and size for terminal automation systems
- Leading suppliers of terminal automation systems, and an assessment of their capabilities
- Strategic issues facing suppliers and terminal operators
- Strategies suppliers and terminal operators can adopt to maximize opportunities in a fluid energy market and tightening regulatory environment
