Why Is the Data Revolution Important for Ship Crew Management and Maintenance?

The bulk of a shipping company's activities are increasingly being managed by customized digital technologies, but scheduling and managing ship maintenance, repair, and refit projects is still largely a manual, paper-based procedure.

Here, we look at five ways that the MPA Singapore crew change who handles these crucial tasks may profit from and be empowered by the use of digital technologies to manage these vital initiatives.

Saving time:

Time is of the essence when you are managing the repair schedules and associated downtime of several boats. Naturally, you want the maintenance done well, but you also need the vessel ready for its next charter from a business standpoint. Fleet managers can now get all the information they want with just a few clicks thanks to the advent of digital solutions that allow them to check yard availability, estimate repair work, book, and manage the entire process online.

Lowering risk:

Technical managers for a ship crew change in Singapore may experience sleepless nights while their ships are in dry dock for maintenance or conversion due to missed deadlines, missed opportunities to secure a better pricing or deal, project scope creep, and skyrocketing expenses. Comprehensive control through a quick, trackable, and auditable system is required to minimize risks and maintain competitiveness.

A larger staff may manage the day-to-day operations while you concentrate on the greater picture of the arduous paper trail is replaced with a more effective, online work stream. This not only lowers the likelihood that these worries will come true.

Keep an eye on the performance:

It might be challenging to continuously assess how well your supply chain is performing and to enforce uniformly high standards everywhere, but you must do it. The success of your ship repair and conversion projects depends on your capacity to both proactively and retroactively monitor project progress. Along with your supplier contacts, evaluate accomplishments and look into problems to help you and your team create best practices for the next projects and make data-driven choices.

Achieve Agility:

A transparent vision of the big picture, made possible by having the most recent information at your fingertips, makes it easier to maintain control of the numerous actors who contribute to a project's success in the long run.

Plans, though, are subject to alteration and frequently do. When the schedule for a repair or conversion project changes, whether it's for operational or commercial reasons, you need to be able to quickly alter your plan and have faith that your suppliers can do the same.

For you to acquire a comprehensive image of yard availability and reschedule detailed tasks, maintaining strict control over the multiple process variables that must come together for project success, real-time information available is important.

Better Communication:

People are the focus of the ship crew change and repair sector, and we all like a conversation. Nothing can replace a brief phone call to check on the status and go over the finer points. The systematic use of digital tools that provide a visual representation of that progress in addition to these talks is what is changing, not the cooperation and accountability it fosters. The ability to record, monitor, and assess progress through technology helps to authenticate and fortify the interpersonal connections that are the foundation of this industry.

In conclusion, participating in the digital revolution is more crucial than turning it off. The global shipping industry is already well on its way to becoming sustainable, intelligent, and connected. Technical fleet managers are essential actors in the industry, and their role in advancing the repair and conversion industry cannot be understated.

How is the maritime industry becoming digitalized?

The year 2020 will mark the beginning of the era of maritime digitization, which is a turning point for the marine and offshore industries. With the rise of remote labor, predictive maintenance, and unmanned platforms, technology is transforming the marine industry at an unheard-of velocity. These modifications present possibilities for ship owners, offshore operators, technical specialists, digital solution suppliers, and classification societies to enhance safety, efficacy, and affordability.

The marine sector underwent several changes in 2020, including a considerable increase in remote employment. Marine and offshore surveyors were obliged to work from home as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic when governments all over the world closed their borders and imposed travel restrictions. As onsite inspections were no longer an option, the industry soon looked too remote maintenance checks as a substitute.

Experts have digital access to maritime and offshore assets through remote maintenance checks. Remote inspection and verification alternatives are many for marine and offshore operators, providing them with much-needed flexibility. Surveyors and onboard crew can interact immediately through live streaming. Remote surveyors may also get information from onshore staff. Moreover, onboard surveyors can communicate with subject-matter specialists remotely.

Owners of ships and offshore units may make quick, precise judgments on asset upkeep thanks to this virtual knowledge. A single onboard inspector may simply contact many distant experts for advice rather than sending specialists onsite one at a time to carry out particular responsibilities. Remote inspections are not only more practical for asset owners, but they are also a safer and more economical choice.

Asset owners can avoid paying for travel and hotel as surveyors are no longer necessary to be present on-site in potentially hazardous conditions.

Asset owners can avoid paying for travel and hotel as surveyors are no longer necessary to be present on-site in potentially hazardous conditions. The ubiquity of remote maintenance inspections might have significant effects on surveyors in the future. The industry will have a rare chance to provide new surveyors with the most up-to-date technological resources as more inspection data is gathered from assets and onsite inspections are less frequent. The marine sector will soon be able to use 3D simulations and immersive virtual reality technologies in surveyor training sessions, just like its counterparts in the aerospace and automotive industries.

Predictive maintenance to improve asset management:

Asset monitoring and maintenance are also developing significantly as a result of increased digitization. Conventional asset monitoring has been a laborious process reliant on data collection from outside sources and onboard hardware. Operators must combine data sources, enter data into management systems, and specify the course of action. As a result, there is a loop of uncoordinated updates as crew members undertake specific maintenance without being aware of the asset's overall condition.

With greater awareness of assets, the proliferation of digital twin technology is altering the playing field for owners and operators of ships and offshore units. Digital twins provide a dynamic, current view of asset status.

They can keep track of all asset history and activity data, allowing internal and external surveyors to approach maintenance with an asset-specific strategy. Based on the most recent data, which is neatly assembled by the digital twin, marine and offshore professionals may then decide how to reduce risk and optimize repairs. The digital platform may be used to access data from anywhere in the world and make choices on immediate repairs.

Beyond this, digital twins' predictive capabilities are a boon for raising quality and bringing down expenses. Asset managers may develop different scenarios to identify the best maintenance plan, enhancing the definition of the job scope and increasing productivity to contain costs. The optimum methods for maximizing the use of assets may be identified by unit operators and managers, making it easier to justify maintenance expenditures.

With equipment manufacturers developing a variety of onboard technologies to enable more connection and automation, smart shipping is still in its infancy. There are currently a few short-sea autonomous ships in use in Europe, laying the framework for upcoming unmanned ships.