July/August 2020
Asset Management
AnQore optimises
logistics using Savvy
BULKDISTRIBUTOR
5
While most truck fleets are already
equipped with telematic technology,
this has continued to be an exception for rail
and ship transport.
For this reason, industrial companies often do
not know where, and in what condition, their
goods are at a given point in time.
AnQore, a Dutch manufacturer of specialised
chemical products headquartered near Maastricht,
wanted to change this situation. AnQore is one of
the first companies in the sector to adopt an
integrated telematics system for all of its several
hundred tank containers and tank wagons.
By adopting the Savvy Telematic Systems
solution, AnQore has optimised both fleet
efficiency and shipment safety.
The chemical company attaches great
importance to delivering its products, eg, liquid
acrylonitrile and acetonitrile, in time, on time, and
safely to its customers. This includes being in a
position to provide customers with accurate
information, for example when customers inquire
about the status of their shipment. Moreover,
good information about equipment location and
expected arrival time is needed when shipments
are returning to the AnQore plant. “Our
customers have a few days’ buffer to unload the
tank containers and wagons and ship them
back,” explains Peter Kehrens, logistics purchasing
& implementation manager at AnQore.
“In the past we were only able to estimate
roughly 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. 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 to be a
supplier that suits us well.”
Cloud platform
The chemical supplier has installed an ATEX and
IECEx certified Savvy CargoTracExR telematic
device in each of 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
Savvy telematics devices are IECEx and ATEX certified
By adopting the Savvy Telematic Systems solution, AnQore has optimised both fleet efficiency and shipment safety
variables, they contain a long-lasting battery and a
module for data communication.
The latter sends encrypted data via the mobile
network to the Savvy Synergy Enterprise platform.
This private cloud platform is connected to
AnQore’s SAP system via an interface. The
corresponding plan data for each new order –
departure time, stops along the route, etc – are
transmitted automatically from the SAP-System to
the Synergy Portal. Using their account,
employees log into Synergy Enterprise, from
where they can check the status of all transports
in real time and can have them displayed on a
map overview to see where a particular shipment
is located at that particular moment.
In case the incoming telematic data should for
once differ from the plan data, the Savvy portal
sends an alarm notification per email. This way,
AnQore employees know immediately that
something is wrong with one of the shipments –
either a delay or safety-related event, such as for
example a strong shock that could damage a tank
container. This enables logistics planners and
customer service representatives to immediately
take action.
“An exceptional situation during the
implementation phase clearly
demonstrated the
advantages the new
system gives us,”
reports Kehrens. “In
spite of week-long
strikes in France from
November 2019 to
January 2020, we were
able to maintain an
accurate and up-to-date
overview of our fleet.
This put us in a position
to keep our customers
informed continuously
and supply them with
goods, where other
suppliers could not.”
Fleet planning
In addition to improved
customer service, the
solution makes it possible
to make the best use of
fleet capacity, thereby
reducing costs. Due to the
fact that the plant where AnQore produces its
liquid goods cannot be stopped easily, it is
necessary to have enough containers and wagons
to fill on site. At the same time, it is important to
avoid having empty wagons and containers on
site for a long time.
Both targets can now be met more easily by
using telematic data. Logistics planners can react
quickly to short-term fluctuations in fleet planning
and take measures in the mid-term to optimise
processes. Since AnQore always notifies
customers of the exact arrival time, the customer
can also make more precise plans and unload the
shipment more quickly. Once the customer sends
the tank wagons on their return route, Savvy’s
software calculates when they will arrive at the
AnQore plant. This makes smooth just-in-time
production possible for customer as well as
AnQore.
Increased safety
Because AnQore’s chemical products are
hazardous goods, shipment safety is also a very
important consideration. Savvy telematics devices
Sales and customer service representatives are now using the Savvy
Synergy Enterprise portal
are certified both in accordance with the IECEx
international standards and the ATEX European
standards and approved for all hazardous zones.
“It is our vision and goal to be the most reliable
and safest supplier in our competitive
environment. Sensors enable us to track
shipments with precision. And this makes it
possible to monitor proactively our adherence to
local, and future regulations, as well as to EU laws
applying to the shipment of hazardous goods,
such as the Basic Network (Basisnet) in the
Netherlands,” says Kehrens.
To ensure safe shipments, the tank containers
have to be in perfect technical condition,
something that AnQore previously checked every
six months. This process can also be improved
with telematics. Since the sensors measure service
performance accurately, it is possible to provide
condition-based maintenance, in other words,
check-up dates are planned in accordance with
the tank container’s and/or chassis’ actual
mileage, instead of according to a rigid schedule.
A wagon operating to
capacity will require
maintenance earlier than a
wagon operating at less
than full capacity. This is
both a safety and
efficiency advantage.
As a result of the
completed roll-out in
March this, all sales and
customer service
representatives are now
using the Savvy Synergy
Enterprise portal. The
next step for the
chemical company will
be to get longstanding
customers on
board: selected
customers will obtain
their own access to
the Savvy portal, so
that they will
constantly have an
overview of their orders;
at the same time this
will decrease AnQore’s
customer support service workload.
“It is a lot of fun to continue to tap the potential
of the solution,” Kehrens continues. “From the
start, Savvy has proven to be an excellent choice.
Both hardware and software fully meet our
expectations, and we are very happy with the
support Savvy has provided. The company fully
understands our specific needs, has advised us
accordingly and adjusted the platform as we have
envisioned it. This has enabled us to take a big
step towards digitising and automating our
logistics processes.”
Savvy CEO Aida Kaeser added: “After all these
years of working together, we have come to
know and appreciate AnQore as a very innovative
and highly professional company. All the more
reason for us – as AnQore’s exclusive partner - to
be happy to support AnQore with the
implementation of its digitalisation strategy. We
will also continue to put all our efforts into jointly
maintaining our lead on the market through
innovation.”
www.savvy-telematics.com