Veson Nautical, the leading provider of commercial maritime software and services; and Stolt Tankers, operator of the world’s largest fleet of chemical parcel tankers; have officially completed Stolt’s migration from Veson’s on-premise IMOS solution to the cloud-based Veslink IMOS Platform (VIP) across the tanker giant’s global fleet and four regional fleets. By adopting an integrated, cloud-based solution, Stolt is creating new opportunities to streamline data sharing with customers and partners by digitizing and standardizing its processes.

Long associated with innovation, Stolt Tankers first implemented Veson’s flagship Integrated Maritime Operations System (IMOS) in 2006. After 13 years of close partnership with Veson, the tanker giant decided to take their digital strategy to the next level by migrating to Veson’s market-leading cloud solution, the Veslink IMOS Platform (VIP).

“The intent was always to get on VIP so that our team can instantly take advantage of new releases without all the testing that came with an on-premise solution,” said Ruud Bijvank, Senior Business Project Manager at Stolt Tankers. The integrated, cloud-based solution allows for more streamlined workflows, which allows Stolt to operate more efficiently and innovate faster.

Given the size and complexity of Stolt’s operations, the migration process took careful planning, analysis, and teamwork to execute. “We wanted to ensure our users were well prepared for the migration,” Bijvank explained, “so we conducted internal presentations that enabled users to test their own processes within the product prior to launch. After two days, everyone was working in the Platform as though they had been using it for months.”

Stolt and Veson worked side by side throughout the migration process to ensure a successful transition.  “Feedback from our users confirmed that the migration was the smoothest process they have experienced,” commented Bijvank. “Our thorough GAP analysis resulted in a seamless roll-out, starting with the regional fleets and finally going live with the deep-sea fleet.”

“It is rewarding to see one of our longest-standing client partners getting increased value out of their Veson solution,” commented Ignacio Labarthe, Regional Account Manager for Veson Nautical. “Since 2006, we have seen Stolt grow their usage of the system across business units and functional roles – we are confident this migration is only the next step in their continued growth and digitalization efforts.”

Now that the multi-phase migration is complete, Bijvank reports that Stolt’s users “have noticed a substantial performance improvement with VIP, which was one of the primary reasons we migrated. We have also noticed that the organization and layout of the interface is more intuitive, helping us find information more quickly.” These improvements in operational performance enable Stolt to provide greater value to its customers through increased flexibility and visibility.

Though the migration has successfully completed, Stolt expects continued partnership with Veson and growth in the organization’s use of VIP. “Just like IMOS,” Bijvank explained, “VIP is the center of our commercial operations. In the upcoming period, we will modernize our internal software stack. We have high expectations for using the Platform API to accomplish tight integrations across our systems.” As Veson continues to invest in the interoperability of the Veslink IMOS Platform, Stolt expects to leverage the software to further improve collaboration with key partners and clients.

“Veson and Stolt Tankers have been partners for almost a decade. Throughout our partnership, we have seen Veson continue to iterate on their solution, which enables us to get ahead of changes in the industry,” said Bijvank. “Especially now that our customers, the cargo owners, are starting the use VIP as well. The upcoming challenge will be to build an ecosystem where all parties involved with shipping can exchange information electronically in an efficient and secure manner. VIP is very well positioned to become that platform.”