Page 18: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Q4 2011)

The business of maritime companies incorporating software solutions is still years behind many indus- tries, but given the inherent logistical hurdles a typi- cal maritime operation presents ? an aging workforce and recruiting challenges; a growing litigious and regulatory envi- ronment; as well as dramatically increased sophistication ofmachinery and electronic systems onboard ? great stridestoward acceptance are being made. As maritime operators increasingly accept and incorporate software solutions as a viable means to enhance efficiency, safety and profitability, a number of new ?solutions? emerge, and the result is a verita- ble alphabet soup of everything from stand-alone products to complex systems, all vying for the shipowner and manager?s attention, technical buy-in and budget. Enter ABS Nautical Systems, a company with the backing and resources of one of the world?s leading and long-tenured classifications societies, a company with the technical breadth from both the maritime and IT world?s to design, develop and continually enhance its leading ?soup to nuts? electronic platform for the modern marine industry: NS5Enterprise.?What we all understand is that it is even more than effi- ciencies that people need software for; it is compliance, it is transparency,? said Karen Hughey, President & COO, ABS NS. ?You can no longer run your business without having that, and expect to compete or comply.? Software is increasingly becoming an indispensible tool on the modern bridge, a multi-faceted and tightly interwoven system that has become a critical part of running the vessels, from maintaining the condition of the vessels, the equipment, the machinery, and even the structure itself, Hughey said. ABS Nautical Systems? signature product is NS5 Enterprise, a system designed to be as comprehensive as it is flexible, a system which has evolved over 25 years to meet the ever evolving needs of maritime operators. The fully inte- grated information network handles the primary functions of operational management, from maintenance to supply chainto workforce to safety. NS5 Enterprise is essentially a critical information accessand management tool, allowing managers from the deck to 18 Maritime Professional 4Q 2011PProfile Karen Hughey, President and COO ABS Nautical Systems MarPro Profile In mid-September, ABS Nautical Systems brought together more than 100 of its customers in Houston for its User Conference, an annual rite which it uses to update its customers on new devel- opments in the NS5 fleet management product suite. Just as importantly, the ABS Nautical Systems? technical and management team is on hand to receive real-world feedback, an indispen- sible tool in refining and improving its software solution and customer service. On the sidelines, Karen Hughey, President and COO of ABS Nautical Systems, shared with Maritime Professional her team?s mission to use the NS5 Enterprise suite of software solutions to help bring about the ?Class of the Future.? ? By Greg Trauthwein, Editorial Director MP #4 (18-33):MP Layouts 11/7/2011 3:12 PM Page 18