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investment in the process.? Carlton says being willing to delegate and get staff di-rectly involved in the process has been a big part of that. Weekly training sessions with CPS have enabled staff in Human Resources to build their own work ows involved in the new-hire on-boarding process. Hidalgo estimates Florida Marine has about 40 work ows in place now and there does not appear to be any facet of operations that can?t, in some way, be streamlined through the new system. Still, Carlton says, the company is taking it step-by-step. ?We?re taking very fast steps,? he says. ?There?s so much that we can do, now it?s just a matter of making sure that we get the maximum bene t available from the system from each department before we move onto the next depart- ment.? That includes the boats. Five of Florida Marine?s vessels have Laser che installed into on-board computers allowing them to share with land-based operations real- time information on the activities of each. However, the vessels still rely on cellular communications networks to transmit ship-board data and in some of the farther reaches of the Mississippi watershed, service can be spotty. That has Florida Marine considering prospects of one-day us- ing ship-board satellite communications, but that may not be coming as quickly, as so many other aspects of Florida Marine?s operations are being lined up for conversion to the new system. Real Utility, Real Savings ?We started out saving hundreds of staff hours every month and we might now be saving that every week,? Hi- dalgo says. ?It?s been transformational for us, and while it?s been just a year, we?re starting to wonder how we ever got along under the old paper-based system.? The transforma- tion has not escaped the attention of the family-owned business which has expanded almost as rapidly as the new Laser che system. Last year alone, Florida Marine commis- sioned four new tugs and one of those vessels, the M/V Kimberly Hidalgo, is scheduled to be christened in Decem- ber. No doubt, when it is delivered, it will be that much more ef cient, with the help the Laser che ECM system. FLEET MANAGEMENT SOFTWAREwww.marinelink.com MN 43MN Dec14 Layout 32-49.indd 43MN Dec14 Layout 32-49.indd 4311/25/2014 11:09:41 AM11/25/2014 11:09:41 AM