statements about the current position of a truck . In combination with current regional traffic data and potential disruptions , alternative routes can be calculated and arrival dates more accurately predicted . The result is that the chemical park , production plant , freight forwarder and all driver know at a glance whether planned and estimated arrival times match or delays are to be expected . The system monitors , checks and documents previously calculated deadlines at runtime and automatically sounds an alarm in case of deviations .
Optimal resource use
An efficient appointment management system is necessary to ensure that arriving at the chemical site and driving to the appropriate loading points does not become a bottleneck . Thus , transports can be controlled in the inflow in such a way that congestion and unnecessary waiting times can be avoided . By linking time windows , information on the progress of current transport and details of the shipment , it is possible to determine dynamically the duration of occupancy of a loading point . In this way , an appointment management system allows smooth handling of processes and goods at the loading point and improved utilisation of resources . The operator of the chemical park or production facility can also deploy his employees in the incoming goods department more efficiently . Even order peaks are easier to manage thanks to greater transparency and the joint exchange of information .
Intralogistics & production
For supply chains to work , internal processes in the plant must also be optimally timed and have a minimum level of information quality . The challenges for intra-logistics in the chemical industry are high : the transport of raw materials and intermediate products to individual production plants , the control of big packs , tank trucks and drums – in many cases , materials and operating resources are neither managed in the IT system nor stored according to the system . Today , control is still largely done on paper , manually , partly via barcode recording . Similarly , sampling is still done manually .
Next generation chemistry
The orchestration of supply chain management , intra-logistics processes and production control is the key to a continuous chemical value chain . The Internet of Things ( IoT ) makes this possible . Networked by modern IoT platforms , which collect , analyse and visualise machine data , all procurement and transport-related data and processes are mapped . By linking production and transport data , the entire supply and process chain becomes digital . Everwy material in a delivery can be assigned immediately to individual production orders and associated bills of material on a batch basis . This ensures reliable documentation and clear traceability . This is particularly important if , for example , there are short-term changes in the source of supply of a raw material due to deviations in the supply chain . The physical transport of the materials is also networked . Containers and means of transport equipped with intelligent sensors or tags report their position and status to the central IoT platform , which controls the entire logistics network . The search for stored materials is no longer necessary . Quality inspection takes place automatically . The path of individual batches is documented completely , defective batches can be traced back exactly at the push of a button , and all obligations of proof are fulfilled .
Planning & simulation
Digitisation allows logistic processes to be simulated on the basis of existing data and information . Digital twin , which is well known from the production of industrial parts and systems , is also finding its way
The Internet of Things makes possible the orchestration of supply chain management
56 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981