LOGISTICS
Crude storage
Supply Chain Response With Canadian crude assets traversing a complex , closely regulated and shifting supply chain , what can the industry do to effectively manage the risks ? Any process based on spreadsheets won ’ t be up to the task .
Even integrated with a data management system , spreadsheets cannot keep up with the momentto-moment churn of data required to adequately manage activity and make good decisions .
How much inventory is at risk , where energy assets stand at any given time and the associated capital commitments , all need to traceable down to the carload -- this is literally where the rubber meets the road .
Unless your systems and business processes embrace the real-time , buy-sell-trade environment in energy , you will be hard pressed to react quickly enough when the real risks of
Canadian crude positions raise their head .
Supply chain executives need to build a robust capability that can handle risk data efficiently . That should entail display in a dashboard format for quick evaluation , and integration of all the necessary partner and reporting data points .
Maps , schematics , and trending data need to be presented graphically , with quick summaries of all active positions , assets and related histories . Given the shift to mobile working and bring your own device ( BYOD ), all the better if information can be accessed across the full range of devices and operating systems today ’ s supply chain managers use to conduct business .
Here are a few key questions to help evaluate whether your current risk management systems and processes are ready for the impact of Canadian crude :
• How long does it take to pinpoint your energy positions ?
• Do you have reliable inventory numbers at the end of each day ?
• Are your invoices often delayed ?
• Do you have difficulty determining
12 October 2014