Stolt-Nielsen Tankers BV has been a Veson Nautical client since 2006 and uses the Integrated Maritime Operations System (IMOS) and Veslink to manage business operations and analytics, and facilitate strategic decision-making.

A Seamless Upgrade Experience

Until their recent move to IMOS version 7.7, Stolt-Nielsen Tankers BV managed IMOS upgrades internally and autonomously. However, IMOS upgrades often took Stolt months to complete as they worked through their unique testing process while still managing the business, which put a strain on staff. For their upgrade to IMOS 7.7, Stolt elected to utilize Veson Nautical’s IMOS Coordinated Upgrade Service to ensure a faster, smoother upgrade experience across the organization.

What is an IMOS Coordinated Upgrade? This is an optional service wherein Veson Nautical consultants partner closely with the client and shepherd them through the upgrade, enabling client teams to deploy the upgrade faster while maintaining focus on their business. It has proven valuable to both large and small client teams who are looking for an extra boost to manage their upgrade.

Ruud Bijvank, Senior Business Project Manager at Stolt-Nielsen Tankers BV stated, “Of course you can proceed on your own for the upgrade, but it will take resources from your team and may take more time.” He added, “Our goal was to speed up the whole process with Veson Nautical support.”

Getting to Work

Bijvank said, “Every IMOS release is packed with functionality. Not all of it applies to Stolt-Nielsen Tankers BV’s business. When reading the list of new product features, sometimes it’s difficult to identify which tools will be most useful to us.” Veson’s familiarity with Stolt’s processes was a huge asset in identifying relevant IMOS enhancements that would further strengthen their business. As part of Stolt’s Coordinated Upgrade, a dedicated Veson consultant who was well-versed in their business identified and demoed useful functionality for their team. Continued Bijvank, “Having a Veson consultant who knew our processes so well was invaluable. It sped everything up and took some pressure off our team.”

As part of the service, Veson Nautical also provided testing support. The Veson consultant and Stolt-Nielsen Tankers BV’s team worked together onsite, testing the new functionality against Stolt’s business process to ensure all functions performed as-expected in Stolt’s environment. The onsite consultant was able to immediately triage and escalate issues to the Veson Nautical product team. Advanced planning and close collaboration ensured the Veson Nautical product team understood and was prepared to quickly address issues resulting in a turnaround that aligned with Stolt’s upgrade date. “We found a couple items during our testing but were able to address them swiftly with the help of the Veson consultant,” said Bijvank, “If we were to do this on our own, it would’ve taken much longer.”

After just a month of collaboration, Stolt-Nielsen Tankers BV’s upgrade from IMOS 7.5 to IMOS 7.7 was successfully rolled out to the end users.

IMOS Coordinated Upgrade Benefits

1. Develop a customized, multi-phased upgrade plan to align with your unique operational and business requirements.
2. Streamline your IMOS upgrade process with dedicated Veson Nautical support.
3. Complete a timely and thorough upgrade so that the company can focus on day-to-day operations, with little interruption.

IMOS Coordinated Upgrade Service—Painless!

What advice does Stolt-Nielsen Tankers BV have for shipping companies who are considering an IMOS Coordinated Upgrade? Bijvank recommends, “Plan your upgrade within your business cycle so the timing is easiest for your team. And, don’t consider this IMOS Coordinated Upgrade as another expense. The benefits substantially exceed the cost!”

In fact, Stolt-Nielsen Tankers BV is already considering their next Coordinated Upgrade—with Veson Nautical right at their side.

“Having a Veson consultant who knew our processes so well was invaluable. It sped everything up and took some pressure off our team.”

Ruud Bijvank, Senior Business Project Manager, Stolt-Nielsen Tankers BV