Managing change and creating efficiency in vessel operations

Implementing a digital-first management solution across a fleet is not just a question of upgrading existing software. It reflects a wider willingness to transform vessel operations and empower the people onboard and ashore to work more efficiently.

A common challenge for vessel operators is to approach this process of change so as to fully leverage what digitalisation can do for the business, rather than continue to do things in the same way as before.

For shipping companies implementing a new, digital-driven approach, there are two principal issues to consider.

The first is to take existing business process and try to make new systems fit around them, rather than redesign processes to be digital-first. A digital-first system would have its own workflow, one that reflects how a different approach can transform paper-based, manual process that burden crew and shore staff into transparent digital functions.

Owners should consider whether they have truly analyzed how their processes can be improved and best align with their business goals. This includes what they want to discard and what they want to keep.

The second issue is that, for a complex installation like fleet management software, it is generally necessary to synchronize front-end functionality upgrades with the underlying data in order to best inform decisions and actions. A change to the user interface without a corresponding adjustment to the format of the underlying data could mean that the required functions are not available or only work partially. With more accurate data underlying specific functions, shore teams may be able to improve process management and adopt best practice in critical operations such as maintenance and purchasing for the fleet.

ABS Wavesight supports owners and operators across the industry with its long-established ABS Wavesight Nautical Systems™ (NS) Fleet Management System (FMS). NS delivers robust fleet management with strong interoperability between maintenance and purchasing, HSQE and crew and payroll functions.

In implementing NS for customers, our job is to provide the support that helps them optimize operations and comply with regulations in ways that can save them time and money. Within the services we offer, ABS Wavesight can provide a ‘pulse check’ to customer operations; why they do things the way they do and how they might consider making changes. We recognize that companies are busy doing what they need to do every day, it can be hard to take a step back and consider what could be changed.

For example, by digitalizing the record-keeping process using ABS Wavesight eLogs™, crews can save time on paperwork and thus spend more time on higher value tasks. The vessel can spend more time sailing in compliance and less time on record-keeping. While we have occasionally seen some initial resistance to switching to eLogs, once the potential time saving and benefits of transparent information collection and sharing are understood, our customers are generally eager to adopt the system. With more and more Flag States approving eLogs, it has become easier for owners to know that they are working within a system for which there is a regulatory framework and a process of equivalence.

We also recognize that making organizational change is hard; software needs to support the process and not get in the way. The feedback we regularly receive is that NS is among the most comprehensive solutions available in the industry, even if others appear to offer a more modern look and feel. This robust solution set is designed to give our users confidence that they are adopting a future-proof solution that can meet their needs for greater efficiency while managing the process of digital transformation.

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