As ships increasingly become seen as floating offices and homes, the emergence of a new business model is clear. Investment in digital technologies is rife, and the capabilities of modern and advanced solutions are significant. In theory, this means that generating and sharing data between ship and shore to enhance decision-making is relatively straightforward. However, as an industry that is both competitive and conservative, stakeholders often continue to work independently from one another. This can limit the ability to turn data into actionable insights and lead to decisions made in silos.
Put simply, a cohesive approach to data management encourages all relevant stakeholders to contribute to and manage the available data. In doing so, the accessibility and accuracy of data across an organisation increases and security is improved. Ultimately, a cohesive approach to data management enhances decision-making and operational efficiency.
So, as ships become more and more like floating homes and offices, why is a cohesive approach to data management necessary?
- It supports a centralised data management system.
- It fosters innovation and agility. It facilitates behavioural change for safety and operational efficiency.
- It reduces costs.
Centralised data management supports the vast quantity of data flowing between ship and shore and provides a single source of truth. It enables relevant stakeholders to access the same data and gain a better understanding of why an incident happened or a vessel burned more fuel, for instance.
For Ron Welles, C-Comm Manager at Edison Chouest Offshore’s Marine Technologies, it is necessary to get all of their vessels uniformly running as an organisation and not as individual vessels. According to Mr Welles, this approach cuts administrative overheads and supports information sharing, enabling all vessels to run as a single unit.
A cohesive approach ensures that all data across the organisation is harmonised and accessible through a unified framework. As vessels are operated more and more remotely, this is crucial for providing a single source of truth, which is essential for accurate reporting, analytics, and decision-making.
Moreover, a centralised data management system can help to protect the crew in the event that something goes awry. According to Mr Welles, recording and reporting data means that if an incident happens on a vessel, which inevitably it will, the information is recorded and stored in a system that all necessary stakeholders can access. This protects the crew member/ members from being blamed for something that was out of their control.
Overall, as ships evolve into floating offices and homes, a cohesive approach to data management becomes crucial. It supports a centralised data system providing a single source of truth across the organisation. This fosters innovation, agility, and behaviour change for improved safety and efficiency. Centralised data management reduces costs while enabling comprehensive analysis and informed decision-making by allowing all stakeholders access to harmonised data. Moreover, it protects crews by ensuring incident data is recorded and accessible, preventing unjustified blame. As remote vessel operations increase, implementing a unified data framework will be essential for enhancing maritime operations through data-driven insights.
For a more detailed insight and understanding of the topics briefly discussed in this article, please refer to our thought leadership report commissioned in partnership with Inmarsat, The Digital Wave. To find out more download your copy of the full report here.
