A customer changes a nomination. Planning adjusts the schedule. Operations revise the loading sequence. Inventory, documents, systems, and interfaces have to follow. In a connected terminal, this is one controlled process. In a fragmented environment, the same change can mean another update, another spreadsheet, and another call.
This scenario opens “Turning terminal complexity into operational resilience,” an article by Monica Hildinger, Managing Director of OpenTAS, published in Issue 27 of TSA Insight, the magazine of the Tank Storage Association (TSA).
When isolated automation reaches its limits
Terminals have invested heavily in digitalization. Loading systems, planning tools, and inventory applications often perform well within their own areas. Problems start when these processes do not share the same operational context. Teams enter the same data more than once, and small changes demand significant coordination. Hildinger argues that adding another application rarely fixes this. Terminals need a common operating model that connects processes from end to end.
Connecting IT and OT without losing speed
Time-critical control and safety functions must stay close to the equipment. Planning, customer service, and reporting still need current information. A connected software layer bridges both requirements. OpenTAS 365 provides this layer for planning, execution, and operational data. Open interfaces let operators keep proven technology and adopt the platform in stages, starting with nomination handling, stock visibility, or automation integration.
Autonomy as a result, not a starting point
The article positions the autonomous terminal as a long-term vision. The immediate priority is practical: identify hidden dependencies, connect the relevant systems, and build an architecture that can adapt over time.
“Terminal transformation should not put operational continuity at risk. The right software layer connects proven systems while giving operators room to introduce new products, processes, and technologies,” says Hildinger.
Read the full article here.
Where does your terminal stand? Contact our experts to discuss an IT/OT readiness assessment and a practical transformation roadmap.
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Harald Wentsch, CEO OpenTAS, has been named one of the Top 100 Tank Storage Influencers.
OpenTAS 365 unifies terminal operations to remove complexity and enable scalable performance.
OpenTAS and TrackonTrade by Deloitte win bronze at the Global Tank Storage Awards 2026.
OpenTAS 365 delivers a unified operating layer for terminal operations, integrating planning, execution, and data to remove complexity and enable scalable, secure performance.
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