Data Standardization & Intelligence Sharing in the Maritime Industry

Engrained in globalization, the maritime industry has been smoothing the exchange of goods and materials for centuries. This sharing of assets needs a great deal of communication and teamwork. However, as technology developed stakeholders are dependent on multiple sources to monitor of the fleet. Companies now have a greater reach and means to collect data and create a standard format of collected data across the fleet, resulting in quick action and informed decision making power is available not only to crew and even for the shore staff. Technology has made a way for owners and operators to take manage operations efficiently with a broader view to interact with a larger ecosystem.

Incompetence that has historically challenged the maritime industry, such as a lack of transparency, unstructured communication, and data tapping – create even greater limitations to effectiveness and profitability. The growing need to increase productivity, and transparency has made tech companies to develop a product to meet the requirement of the industry.

As technology progress and the likes of IoT,  and Artificial Intelligence is growing across industries maritime industry is up for the use of these technologies for data collection from various parameters, data processing and analyzing, crews, engines, equipment, and systems are collecting huge amount of data and creating a bridge of information collected. But, without a standard technique to exchange and interpret information across the industry, can actually be causing more confusion lack of clarity to understand. Additionally, the crew working on different vessels, and shore team will have a uniform way of communicating and reading the data points – allowing the management to effectively have all speaking in uniform languages. Bridging these communications with uniform data sets are crucial for increasing efficiency, and decrease inconsistencies in communication call for standardization, which can be achieved by either.  At the data tapping, or On the back end using  a complex AI and ML program to understand the data and process it in uniform language to eliminate inconsistencies in the data

With the use of IoT, it has become easy for the different teams monitoring different vessels to get the data in a uniform format and maintain data standardization. But, creating unified processes at the data tapping requires the use of critical IoT devices to tap data from the machines and equipment on the ships which are complex and have different ways of transmitting signals.

Attaining data standardization and unified connectivity in the maritime industry needs to have awareness of the data and the use of the data from the ship, owners, and operators which sometimes requires an additional push from the classification societies to adopt, and have connected digital systems.

Benefits of Data Standardization

Just with the use of a common system within an organization nurtures scalability by establishing uniform work methods that steer the business forward, organization-wide standardization can attain multiple optimization standards in the organization. Despite having immense potential to make the process standard using IoT and AI ML to tap, process, and analyze the data from different equipment’s in a uniform language is still lacking in the maritime industry.

For Vessel Owners & Operators

When we talked to industry leaders to understand their problems we noted a common problem faced is the ability to understand vessels status, know ETA based on live condition, fuel monitoring, engines and maintenance and their PMS schedules. This being one of the pain points, they have to maintain data in different formats and structures and have to maintain various ERP modules or software and makes it difficult to keep it in a uniform platform in a structured manner so that the tasks can be accomplished in less time. With modern technology being many ship owners and operators also demanded a module with an ability to share information with different vessel superintendents and fleet managers.  as sometimes it is not required to share all the information related to the voyage.

Having a uniform digital system internally gives related information to department heads owners and operators depending upon the hierarchy of the and job responsibilities. Organizations can maintain historical data and monitor live data on an integrated digital ecosystem allowing both owner/operators and respective heads to monitor the information directly on single click and in the uniform digital language. Department heads would then be able to monitor specific voyage updates and provide their inputs instantly from their login dashboards.

For Charterers

When we talked to various charters across the globe we understood a lack of transparency was observed in the process and data was shared in different formats which were time-consuming to collate and to communicate. For charterers,  they have a top priority to have real-time visibility of their shipments they also lookout for a system to have a feature or a module to have a charter agreement and set KPI’s. Such modules or features allows them to have the business running as per set KPI’s and improves decision making by having informed decisions of the vessels live status, engine running condition, and other parameters from where data is tapped for real-time monitoring and making reporting standardization.

With direct updates from the owner/operator through a digital system, charterers would be able to view all updates and keep an eye on KPI’s if the crew is abiding by them through a centralized system. 

Smart Ship hub has successfully developed and delivered the system to various clients whose vessels are sailing across the globe at any given time which is allowing them to monitor their fleet on a single dashboard and in a uniform way.  With a recent collaboration with IRClass Indian Registry of Shipping, we are taking digital solutions to the industry stakeholders, as classification society is taking such initiative it is spreading the positive news and increasing awareness of such solutions. Having sustainable and agile solutions it makes it better for the owners, operators, and charters to have a uniform understanding and making the right decisions based on real-time data, and moving towards a digital future for the maritime industry.