Stolthaven expands Ultimo use to boost safety & AI

Stolthaven Terminals has expanded its use of Ultimo's enterprise asset management software across its global terminals, adding health and safety modules after earlier work to consolidate maintenance processes.

After moving to a single system for asset management and maintenance in 2021, the tank storage operator reduced unplanned maintenance and downtime. Preventive maintenance now makes up most of its work, improving planning and reducing reliance on contractors.

Stolthaven provides storage services for bulk liquids and gases across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. Its geographically spread network had created complexity in how teams managed assets, maintenance and compliance.

One maintenance system

Stolthaven standardised maintenance processes across ten terminals using Ultimo's enterprise asset management platform, which it described as a central system for workflows between operations and maintenance teams.

According to its project update, the shift towards preventive maintenance has changed how teams plan outages and schedule resources. The company also linked the approach to lower contractor costs and improved operational reliability.

Centralising maintenance data has created a single record of work orders, asset histories and maintenance planning across sites. Stolthaven said this supports more consistent processes while allowing for differences between terminals.

Safety and compliance

The expansion adds Ultimo's Health, Safety, and Environment suite to the same platform. Stolthaven wants a more uniform way to manage safety, maintenance and compliance across sites operating under different local requirements.

The rollout begins with digital work permits and task risk assessments covering high-risk activities such as confined space entry and hot work. Stolthaven said the approach improves transparency and supports compliance with safety regulations.

A key change is the move from dispersed records to digital storage of safety and permit information. Staff can access the information when needed, providing a clearer trail for audits and internal checks.

The next step is implementation of a lockout tagout module, which Stolthaven said will tighten control of hazardous energy sources during maintenance and other work requiring equipment isolation.

Stolthaven framed the investment as part of a broader programme to strengthen day-to-day safety culture, with a focus beyond efficiency on embedding safe working practices in routine operations.

AI In workflows

Stolthaven has also introduced AI-based functions within the Ultimo environment. The tools have already changed how staff describe equipment issues and pass information between shifts and departments, it said.

Stolthaven reported that AI support has reduced the time needed for handovers between operations and maintenance teams and improved the accuracy of issue descriptions, which can affect prioritisation and response times.

The company linked the early gains to wider ambitions around predictive maintenance, saying the AI features are laying the groundwork for more data-driven approaches, though it did not provide a timetable.

Further rollout

Stolthaven plans to extend Ultimo's use to additional joint venture terminals, but did not specify which sites or when the expansion will take place.

It also outlined further digital initiatives, including warehouse management optimisation, changes to its spare parts strategy and wider use of mobile tools such as Ultimo Go.

Ultimo, part of IFS, supplies enterprise asset management software used in industries including manufacturing, logistics and healthcare. The vendor said its customer base includes more than 150,000 technicians managing more than 22 million assets.

Stolthaven described the programme as an ongoing series of changes rather than a single system replacement, with each step adding more standardisation across sites while tightening operational control.

"The AI support has already had a noticeable impact by helping teams describe issues more accurately and reducing the time needed for handovers between operations and maintenance," Stolthaven Terminals said.