Digitalization of maintenance in petrol station and airport supply

Efficient maintenance and servicing? It works!

Since September 2020, TransTank GmbH has been working with a fully integrated enterprise asset management solution in a public cloud. After just a few weeks, the switch is already paying off for the Gelsenkirchen-based company: The new software, implemented in the ERP system, optimizes all maintenance, servicing and procurement processes.

TransTank GmbH from Gelsenkirchen operates tank farms for supplying gas stations and airports as well as for handling chemical products. Faultlessly functioning and safe systems are a must here – this requires their reliable, fast and cost-efficient maintenance and servicing.
However, as Jörg Steinborn, Terminal Manager, and Sebastian Beier, SAP EAM Implementation Manager at the Gelsenkirchen site, report, the latter was time-consuming rather than cost-efficient at TransTank for a long time:

“For maintenance, we had a stand-alone solution in place that had fulfilled its core task. However, our goal was to eliminate the existing system breaks and inefficiencies. That’s why we were looking for an EAM solution that would integrate with both our operational and finance processes. In addition, all maintenance and project KPIs needed to be available on a daily basis via automated reporting.”

Maintenance and finance processes on one user interface

TransTank quickly became aware of all4cloud. This is because the company from the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region develops functional extensions for the SAP® cloud ERP suite, specializing in the implementation of industry-specific applications in an integrated system landscape.
“For TransTank’s needs, all4cloud offered us a specially developed add-on for SAP® Business ByDesign. This combines the classic functions of maintenance software with those for merchandise and warehouse management – without having to leave the user interface,” explains Steinborn.

Big Data as the basis for reactive and proactive maintenance

Once the requirements were clear, the project was handed over by TransTank to all4cloud. Initially, the integration of all workflows was the declared goal. For this purpose, approximately 40,000 technical locations were categorized and any maintenance-relevant equipment was provided with barcode labels and geo-data. Today, users benefit immensely from this intensive preparatory work.
In addition to reactive maintenance, the focus was also on provisions for a proactive approach; measures such as maintenance or inspections had to become significantly more effective in terms of integrating the procurement processes. For this purpose, all activities were integrated into the cloud-based ERP processes.
During the project, the desire for a mobile app to record technical faults arose. Based on the SAP® cloud platform, all4cloud developed a service app that documents equipment malfunctions within a very short time using a smartphone and thus initiates necessary steps for troubleshooting.

Expectations fulfilled: EAM solution as an important switch for the future

Jörg Steinborn and Sebastian Beier look back on a successful implementation process. “We have now been in productive use for three months. So far, our expectations of all4cloud and its EAM solution have been fully met.” Both are also optimistic about the future. “Now we have created the perfect foundation to operate our maintenance and servicing at the highest level.”

The main task of TransTank GmbH is the operation of tank farms, such as those operated by BP or for supplying airports. In addition to the storage and handling of mineral oil and petrochemical products, this also includes the maintenance and further development of plant components and the organization of safe work processes. Through the direct and complete integration, in the ERP system SAP Business ByDesign, all business processes function in a single IT solution and thus optimize all maintenance, servicing and procurement processes.