Hamburg-based ship-owning and ship management company E.R. Schiffahrt developed a Crew Compliance Optimizer, CCO, together with its partners Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement and the scientists of the Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services (CML). "The maritime industry is in urgent need of an instrument capable of accurately planning the size and composition of the crew for a particular ship size and route and the work processes required during port stays," said Ole John, Senior Research Associate with Fraunhofer CML. The number of sailors needed on board essentially depends on how many are required to run the ship safely at all times and perform maintenance work in addition to that.