When the bridge crew become the human API

When systems don’t talk to each other, the gap doesn’t go away. It gets absorbed by the people on the bridge, who reconcile conflicting data, translate between interfaces, and decide which tool to trust. That manual work is the hidden cost of fragmentation.

This article examines how the work that fragmented systems do not do is absorbed by the people on the bridge, and the hidden cost of that fragmentation.

Something that was raised multiple times during Thetius’ conversations with industry professionals is that technology does not always eliminate work; it redistributes it. When tools do not communicate effectively, it is often left to crews to fill the gap.

As Matthew Bland noted, “you could describe them as being the APIs, human APIs really, in that there’s a manual process when you’ve got systems which don’t talk to each other.”

All too often, officers need to reconcile conflicting data across displays, interpret system inconsistencies, and determine which system to trust depending on the specifics of the situation.

Recent incident reports from CHIRP Maritime show that, even with advanced navigation systems in place, bridge teams often face challenges with system integration and correct application in real-world operations. For example, there is an over-reliance on ECDIS and inconsistencies in system configuration.

As many vessels still operate with a mix of legacy systems, fragmented tool sets from a range of vendors, and add-on compliance platforms, the result is an environment where productive workflows are achieved through human effort rather than successful design.

This is particularly true on older vessels, where new systems are often added one by one rather than designed to work together from the outset. Alexander McDonald noted, “things kind of come in individually, the older equipment won’t all talk to each other.”

That challenge begins with how systems are introduced. As Pradeep Chawla noted, “when we do newbuilding system design, we do not take into consideration the overall system.”

Operational resilience, therefore, depends on individual experience, and bridge teams act as mediators and facilitators between systems that do not communicate effectively.

Captain Amitvikram Chitnis, Head of Product at Inchcape Shipping Services and former Master Mariner, highlighted this, stating, “the main challenge is linking all those systems, and you are depending on a human to connect all the data points.”

In reality, this places pressure on crews who are already required to resolve conflicting information and make judgement calls under high pressure.