QADworks: The Holistic View of Digital Transformation

Is your terminal just a collection of machines, or is it a single, living ecosystem?

That provocative question was at the core of a compelling discussion during the “20 Years of Digitalisation” panel at StocExpo 2025, where QADworks Managing Director, Dominic Baula, shared his perspective on how the industry needs to evolve its approach to technology.

• The conversation highlighted a critical contrast: the ‘mechanistic’ approach versus the ‘holistic’ one.
  The mechanistic approach is easy and often tempting: it focuses on upgrading single assets—installing the latest pump, sensor, or individual software package. This yields minor, isolated gains.
• The holistic approach, however, aims higher: it’s about integrating the entire operation, treating the terminal as a single, connected entity.

While it’s easy to focus on the flashy new piece of hardware, the real, transformative gains in efficiency, safety, and operational resilience only emerge when data, processes, and people flow seamlessly together.

As Dominic noted, Digital Transformation shouldn’t be forced—it must be a collaboration between the business and the end users. This echoes the sentiment that successful change is an evolution built on a philosophy that respects the current system and the people using it, ensuring they are treated as experts and co-architects of change.
Moving beyond a piece-by-piece strategy and embracing this holistic, people-first view is the key to unlocking the next level of performance in bulk liquid storage.

What are your thoughts? How do you ensure your digitalisation efforts take a truly holistic view across your operations?

Let’s continue this conversation in the comments—and we look forward to discussing this further online or in person at StocExpo 2026!

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