Tank level and inventory reconciliation

Background

A bulk chemical storage operation keeps an inventory record for material held in its tanks. The record and the physical contents can drift apart between counts. Our monitoring brings the tank measurement alongside the booked inventory so the team can compare both while the day’s activity is still recent.

The problem

Discovering a gap at a later count leaves a period of activity to investigate. The team knows the recorded and measured amounts disagree, but the timing of the difference is unclear. That makes it harder to work back through the records and find where the variance began.

How we found it

We use level sensors on the storage tanks and convert the readings into volume using each tank’s geometry. The dashboard compares that measured volume with booked inventory daily. Following the difference over time shows when the records begin to diverge, giving the team a defined day to examine more closely.

What changed

A variance is visible on the day it appears. The team can review the measurement and the inventory entry together instead of waiting for the next stock count. The comparison identifies the gap and its timing; the people responsible for the inventory can then investigate the activity and records associated with that period.

The lesson

We keep the measured volume and the booked amount as separate readings in the same view. The difference is useful because it points to something the team can check, without assigning a cause before they investigate. Continuing the daily comparison gives them a way to follow the variance through a correction and see whether the records and the tank remain in agreement.