Custom Tank Supply Data/Billing Application Improves Data Accuracy
Project At a Glance
RDA developed a solution to automate the process of tracking pipeline product entering and leaving a tank farm for this pipeline system operator. This solution gives our client a centralized view into the over/shorts of each tank at every tank farm. The process for entering, reviewing and reporting on tank status is now consistent across all tank farms. It is now easier and more efficient to enter tank information and the information is uniformly consistent.
About Our Client
RDA’s client is a publicly traded partnership that owns and operates one of the largest independent refined petroleum products pipeline systems in the United States.
Background
RDA’s client maintains tank facilities for the storage of product, both connected to the pipeline and disconnected or terminal. As product is moved into and out of tank storage, independent validation of product received and delivered needs to be performed at the facilities to compare with the data provided by the customers. “Overs” and “Shorts” must be identified to accommodate appropriate adjustments to billing.
Prior to this project, there was no consistent application or method for performing these calculations and presenting the results. All of approximately a dozen facilities had their own method of documenting, calculating, and reporting their results.
The company hired RDA to design and construct a Web-based, browser-based application, available to all facilities, to automate and standardize this process across all tank facilities.
Solution Detail
RDA developed a simple .NET Web application to automate the process of tracking pipeline product entering and leaving a tank farm. A small Web application consisting of four Web pages was developed to allow users to search for tanks at various tank farms and open and close tanks. The Open Close Web page allows users to enter data about product going into or out of a tank and allows the user to close the tank. The application then performs very rudimentary calculations to determine if the tank had too little or too much product. (This is referred to as “over” or “short”.)
Technically Speaking
The solution is a .NET C# Web application developed using ASP.NET and Microsoft SQL Server 2005.