In a period of ever-smarter delivery, one essential location of vessel and also fleet management shows up embeded the dark ages. Pierre Domin é clarifies
why Stolt Tankers is swiftly transitioning to electronic logbooks, opening a wide variety of huge information advantages.
Although the button from paper to electronic logbooks is yet to be mandated, Pierre Domin é, Quality Assurance & & Investigation Specialist, Stolt Tankers, sees no demand to wait. “There’s so much data across a single vessel’s portfolio of record books, and so much potential for gathering all of that together on a fleet-wide basis for better understanding, analysis and decision-making,” he claims.
“However, at present, the standard is an array of large paper books, which officers have to physically write in, taking them away from other
duties. There’s no real standardisation, and little chance for verification or validation, while sharing documentation (for example, for commercial or regulatory/port authority needs) requires ‘old fashioned’ methods such as photocopying, scanning, and faxing.”
Domin é emphasizes that this is not simply lengthy and also not practical, yet additionally a resource of possible human/clerical mistake, as a result of the transcribed nature of guides. “In a digital age,” he includes, “I’m glad there’s finally an alternative.”
On 1 October 2020, IMO made it possible for using digital logbooks instead of paper copy documents. Books covered by this procedure consist of Oil Record Books (ORB Part 1 and also 2), Cargo Record Book, Garbage Record Book, and also Record of Fuel Oil Changeover, among others. Domin é, familiar with the restrictions of analogue logbooks, having actually invested 17 of his 26 years at Stolt Tankers as a Master Mariner, was currently successful. Together with various other skilled professionals, he saw the step coming and also he was a very early adopter of INTERTANKO’s‘Practical
Considerations for Selecting Electronic Record Book (ERB) Products and Suppliers’
Industry development given that 2020, he claims, has actually been sluggish, yet modification is progressively holding. “It takes time to change behaviour,” he comments, “but seafarers, once they’ve been introduced to a good system, quickly see the benefits in having one application, on one screen, where data can be easily entered, and in some cases electronically captured for validation. “Everything is so much easier with a simple, standardised approach.”
NAVTOR’s electronic logbook option – bringing vessel management ‘out of the dark ages’. Image politeness Navtor
However, among the difficulties, he thinks, is that recognition of the advantages– at a vessel and also business degree– is doing not have, while some electronic systems are not yet“living up to the potential” He clarifies that, throughout the sector, there are way too many “advanced PDFs” instead of customized services where AI and also artificial intelligence can drive enhancements, making it possible for advantages such as discovering engine ‘trends’ (and also thus providing smarter precautionary upkeep timetables) and also benchmarking throughout fleets for jobs such as gas transfers, aiding produce finest techniques.
“Logbooks are overloaded with so much data,” Domin é tensions. “So, instead of just making them ‘electronic’ how do we utilise smart digital
solutions to turn that into business and operational value? That’s the opportunity here.”
The Stolt Tankers group has actually been looking into electronic logbook services given that 2019 and also, in June 2022, began a procedure of fleet-wide change. Stolt Tankers has actually partnered with Norway’s NAVTOR, a leader within e-Navigation and also efficiency tracking and also optimization, to fine-tune a basic, wise, and also standard option. The electronic bundle, component of NAVTOR’s onboard ‘ecosystem’ (perfectly linking vessels, groups, possessions, and also areas) supplies the huge information advantages Stolt Tankers is searching for, while minimizing the capacity for human mistake,
making conformity much easier, and also aiding seafarers take on the management concern of hands-on logs.
“We’ve had an excellent interaction with them,” he mentions, “totally open lines of communication, with a real desire from their side to understand
and solve our problems. The result is an integrated, intuitive, and intelligent approach that we’re now rolling out. “It’s an excellent tool for the crew and, on the owner side, opens almost unlimited doors of possibility for real-time data monitoring, efficiency, and continually enhanced sustainability. For a business like Stolt Tankers, that is key.”
At the moment of composing, Domin é and also the Stolt Tankers group had actually mounted NAVTOR’s Class and also Flag State accepted option on some 60 vessels, with strategies to finish the present (an overall of 105 ships) by the end of this year.
Domin é recognizes that Stolt Tankers has actually become “early adopters” yet thinks that, despite the fact that there’s no present required, various other
forward-thinking shipowners and also drivers will undoubtedly do the same … and also quickly.
“Why wouldn’t they?” he keeps in mind. “You don’t send a letter if you want to contact a friend anymore, or fax handwritten work details to colleagues … there are better, smarter, more efficient ways to do those things, and that goes for shipping and logbooks too.”
For a market that goes to the leading edge of international profession, with vessels and also staffs carrying out crucial procedures, there’s an important, he emphasizes, to utilize the most effective services for ideal choice making and also procedures. “This is a major behavioural change,” he ends, “but one that can lead to major benefits – and not just for crews, but for a broad range of stakeholders. “Digitalization is transforming shipping… and it’s time for logbooks to catch up.”
