LEAD STORY
Out with the Old, In with the New
Facing up to Shipping’s Digital Shift
B
ig Data and Digitalisation are the continued themes of many recent maritime industry conferences and publications. What do Big Data and Digitalisation mean for an industry facing difficult times and how can they be useful? In today’s information intense world, Ioannis Stefanou Mark Haslett Tapiwa Samkange shipping is being pulled into a world where Big Data matters and Digitalisation is the norm. We spoke with Ioannis Stefanou, Group Technical Director for Wallem Ship Management, Mark Haslett, Wallem’s Procurement Director, and Tapiwa Samkange, IT Manager for Wallem Europe, for some insight on the next frontier of proactive and reactive industry-wide developments on this issue.
Big Data and Digitalisation Defined “Big Data” is the processing of previously unused or unavailable data a company has access to (including the non-traditional) into valuable intelligence allowing for operation in a more economical fashion. The idea revolves around consistent, good quality data, using a wide range of different data sets rather than just large quantities (although this can be so), including those which are more unconventional, to achieve maximum efficiency. “Digitalisation” on the other hand, is the process of turning information into a useful digital format. In shipping, this means moving away from scattered reporting and manually input paper-based logs (traditionally the most common method of sharing data and information), and their associated inefficiencies. Digitalisation instead focuses on the implementation of various technologies on and off vessels, primarily sensors, to record data and in turn make the whole shipping process streamlined and more efficient. The value in using Big Data depends directly on the capacity and capability of the relevant tools and instruments with which to process it. Therefore if the Digitalisation of the industry has not advanced sufficiently, the data collected cannot be exploited. The two processes are inextricably linked.
Current Forms and Benefits It’s quite easy to see how implementation of Big Data and Digitalisation can be a positive step. There are numerous TRUE NORTH THE WAY FORWARD
case studies of their benefits facilitating Advanced Supply Chain Management, linking purchasing and logistics, resulting in a much more coherent and less costly shipping process. Tapiwa Samkange, IT Manager for Wallem Europe who was a panellist at 2016 SMM Hamburg Digital Ship says; “The greater the amount of the cognitive load that the systems in place can take away from staff, the better”. Despite the professionalism prevalent in the maritime industry, human error happens and mistakes can be expensive. By reducing the data input and processing burden on seafarers and letting sensors and computers take over, the risks of human error and mistakes can be lowered dramatically.
The Technicalities Ioannis Stefanou, Group Technical Director for Wallem Ship Management, gives us an expert’s insight into the technical aspects of Big Data integration and uses; “I think it can all be summed up in one sentence - analytics or real time data will allow companies to make real time proactive decisions leading to efficiency increases and risk mitigation.” A good example of risk mitigation is the detection of leading indicators that would alert the crew to carry out overhaul of machinery earlier than planned thus avoiding any catastrophic failures that may have occurred if a simple time-based planned maintenance system was followed. With digitisation of operations, monitoring trends has become easier and today an increasing amount of reporting