Page 22: of Maritime Logistics Professional Magazine (Mar/Apr 2019)

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INSIGHTS “The cloud facilitates the access of business data and applications from anywhere at any time and with any mobile device. Investing in cloud technology is improving collaboration between teams on shore and at sea and creating a connected workplace culture that supports strategic business goals.

Increasingly, container shipping companies are recognizing

How the cloud is changing operations teams and other parties to keep up to date with processes and

A report by the Seafarers International Research Centre found other management and administrative issues, making companies that at least a part of the effective operation of a modern vessel is less agile and able to deal with issues immediately. In today’s determined by the quality of the relationships between shoreside fast-paced business world, this is a de?nite disadvantage. personnel and sea staff. The report recommended companies take Cloud solutions also enable companies to reduce overheads by steps to address the gulf between ship and shore personnel in or- having smaller of?ces around the world instead of one large of- der to improve ship-shore relations. ?ce. For instance, instead of sending employees to travel across

Cloud-based software is enabling companies to do just this the world to carry out jobs such as on-board inspections, having and optimize the management of their entire ?eet, automate their a cloud solution means ships can hire external personnel locally processes, improve their communications, increase their business who can log in, carry out jobs and send the results direct to those performance, improve operational ef?ciencies and drive down that need it. costs. A major bene?t is the improved communication between A major challenge for container companies currently is the in- staff on board ships and those in head of?ce. Whether that’s crew tegration of systems and processes from different departments to planning, the execution of payroll or the evaluation of seamen, a central data source. The same information might get requested digital data is always up-to-date and available where it is needed. several times from the captain, which forces him to respond man-

Without the cloud, it would be dif?cult for crews, head of?ce ually to each request.

22 Maritime Logistics Professional March/April 2019 | |