Stakeholders need to use all tools on board for vessel optimisation and planning, experts agreed during Riviera Maritime Media’s Implementing an optimised ship culture webinar sponsored by Tototheo Maritime
Panellists for the webinar, part of Riviera’s Vessel Optimisation Webinar Week, came from the academic, consultancy and operational sides of the optimisation equations.
Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) associate professor and senior strategic research advisor Mikael Lind, Tototheo Maritime head of efficiency and optimisation solutions Navneet Singh Rainu, Maritime Connectivity Platform Consortium secretary general Thomas Christensen, and Navios Group member of AMMITEC BoD’s IT department Katerina Raptaki made up the panel.
Noting that data sharing is high on the shipping agenda, and that IMO has just released its “Just in Time arrival guide”, Mr Lind, who is involved in several maritime projects said “it is my firm belief that maritime informatics in shipping is here to stay”.
There is a need, Mr Lind said, to standardise data sharing. He cited the example of the aviation sector, where best practices apply to a defined discipline of data sharing. To apply this to shipping globally will require far more collaboration, Mr Lind said.
“Stakeholders in shipping need to start sharing data to harvest the benefits that come out of operations,” he said. Historically, the different stakeholders in shipping, ports and vessel operations have developed optimised processes in their own sectors. In the sector-based model, optimisation takes place at an individual level and when applied globally, produces a sub-optimised environment.
Mr Rainu explained the steps required to optimise shipping operations uing the example of weather-based fuel inefficiencies.
“What can be asked when weather is a major disruptor of fuel consumption?” he asked.
The first task is to reach out to the master and ask for the expected route for the voyage, Mr Rainu said, which can then be tweaked to improve efficiency. During the voyage, alarm monitoring, deviation monitoring and compliance with charter party terms can all play important roles in optimisation, he said, noting that data collection is very important for the inevitable claims that arise from any voyage under charter.
Tototheo Maritime provides a real-time dashboard which is shared by the ship and the shore office so that both sides have transparency. TM Synergia is an integrated end-to-end solution for advanced ship and fleet operational performance.
Mr Christensen explained how the Maritime Connectivity Platform Consortium where he is secretary general was set-up in 2006 as a e-navigation tool and has expanded to cover digitalisation. The project identified three necessary components: maritime identification registry, services registry and a messaging service.
“It started with e-navigation, but this could also be a platform for communication,” he said.
Ms Raptaki focused on the human element and what is required to achieve optimisation.
“The most important element is the culture the shipping company must implement to deliver an optimised ship,” she said.
A culture of optimisation can be difficult to implement, and Ms Raptaki identified several factors that could hinder the process. One is competition: this could be between vendor formats and data exchange formats, between vendors and the client company, and between the internal departments of the company.
There must be transparency so all areas can see and understand the processes, she said.
One element not often acknowledged is the difficulty in transforming process and the power of legacy systems.
“It is essential to have a culture within the organisation, and to make make sure all the executives and people involved in the transformation are on the same page,” she said.
For results from the webinar’s polls, scroll to the bottom of the article.
Panellists in Riviera’s Implementing an optimised ship culture webinar sponsored by Tototheo Maritime from left to right: Katerina Raptaki (Navios), Mikael Lind (RISE), Navneet Singh Rainu (Tototheo), Thomas Christensen (Maritime Connectivity Platform Consortium)
Webinar attendees were asked their views on standardisation in shipping. Below are the survey questions and answers from the webinar:
Is competition between autonomous actors in the sector going to be a blocker for seamless integration of the maritime supply chain?
Yes – 52%
No – 48%
Will regulatory bodies secure the needs of standardisation for the shipping industry to assure cross-boundary collaboration?
Yes – 57%
No – 43%
The capabilities of maritime informatics (ie digital capabilities adopted by the shipping industry) are key to respond to the challenge of lacking predictability
Strongly agree – 25%
Agree – 56%
Neutral – 19%
Disagree – 0%
Strongly disagree – 0%
Is there a need for a common harmonised mechanism for trustworthy authentication in maritime digitalisation?
Strongly agree – 46%
Agree – 38%
Neutral – 15%
Disagree – 0%
Strongly disagree – 0%
There is a need for service discoverability in maritime digitalisation
Strongly agree – 33%
Agree – 53%
Neutral – 14%
Disagree – 0%
Strongly disagree – 0%
Harmonised services are an important part of maritime digitalisation
Strongly agree – 44%
Agree – 38%
Neutral – 18%
Disagree – 0%
Strongly disagree – 0%
Riviera is producing a range of technical and operational webinars and virtual events with the industry’s foremost experts. Sign up to attend on our events page.
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