COMPUTERIZED VESSEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

A Preview Of The Latest Offerings Designed To Help Operators Reduce Costs As in other areas, the computer is revolutionizing the maritime industry.

Numerous new packages of hardware and software have become available for marine applications during the past year. Many of these were developed under the cooperative programs of the U.S. Maritime Administration's Office of Advanced Ship Operations.

MarAd's "Catalog of Computer Software Applications for Maritime Transportation" (June 1984) documents these programs and others that are currently available. The following survey is derived in part from that Catalog and from information provided by the vendors.

AGRI-TRANS CORPORATION A variety of interrelated management information and control systems for towboat/barge operations are available from Agri-Trans. The Towboat Statistical System allows for the collection of towboat production information and subsequent analysis of this information. Towboat log information is entered by the operations group. The system gives reports of towboat service and towboat statistics for management analysis. The Contract Control System provides an automated means of recording, monitoring, and controlling purchase and sales freight contracts. It reports relative to the performance and profitability of each contract.

The Management Information Reporting System provides analytical, control, and status information related to contract activity for commitments, logistics, merchandising, managed barge, and general analysis.

The Traffic/Billing System uses barge trip production coupled with contract information to generate invoices.

Reports include invoice history; master file inquiry; point-topoint mileage inquiry; freight, demurrage, and towing revenue accrual; barge activity; TWX transmittals; and Army Corps of Engineers Reports.

The Insurance Claims System monitors, tracks, and records accident information; insurance claims activity; and status of open claims.

All expenses related to insurance claims are recorded. The Barge Maintenance System is used for scheduling, tracking, and recording repairs for the barge fleet, and also provides for the recording of all expenses associated with the repair, inspection, survey, or drydocking of barges. All Agri-Trans programs are designed to run on IBM System 34 and System 36 minicomputers.

Circle 50 on Reader Service Card AMERICAN COMMERCIAL BARGE LINE ACBL has developed a computerized system for monitoring and analysis of vessel vital signs. Computer- based monitoring devices (Marcon PMS-6000) are used to gather data from several dozen locations on the main engine. The data are transferred to a shoreside mainframe computer that produces management reports on vessel performance.

ACBL will use this data to search for readings that indicate there are or will be serious mechanical problems with any engine. It has been estimated that ACBL will achieve three percent savings in controllable maintenance expenses and three percent in fuel economy.

Circle 51 on Reader Service Card AMERICAN STEAMSHIP COMPANY An on-board maintenance and operations management system has been developed by American Steamship, and has been installed on one diesel-powered self-unloader.

The system uses software that is capable of being used interactively aboard ship for performing functions of maintenance management, including preventive maintenance scheduling, equipment history, and inventory. A shipboard payroll system has also been incorporated. The system operates on a Data General Nova/4 minicomputer.

Circle 52 on Reader Service Card ANCHOR MARINE The U.K. software development firm Anchor Marine (International) Ltd. offers numerous packages for computerized ship management designed to operate on Hewlett-Packard microcomputers. The Optrim system provides readouts of optimum optimum draft and trim for a given speed. Anchor claims that savings of about five percent can be achieved using the system.

The Cargo Loading System, which is said to be installed in more than 60 ships worldwide, enables the user to simulate any loaded condition of the vessel, and computes displacement, deadweight, draft, trim, stress, and stability data.

Shear force and bending moment graphs of up to 10 preloaded conditions can be stored in the system. A containership version stores details relating to each individual container.

The D-Ballast Monitor Control System provides automatic logging of oil content monitor and control of de-ballasting to comply with MARPOL.

The computer is interfaced to an oil content monitor and can also be interfaced to the speed log and flow rate sensor. The Oceanmaster Performance Monitoring System analyzes manually entered data relating to speed, rpm, and fuel consumption, and indicates how the performance of hull, engine, and propeller is falling off as a function of time.

The Anchor Shipboard Administration System is designed for use either aboard ship or in the home office. It maintains all crew records, survey records, crew accounts, and other records in a standardized format.

Circle 53 on Reader Service Card BETHLEHEM STEEL, MARINE DIVISION The Marine Operations Planning and Scheduling System (MOPASS) is a model-based decision support system. It is used for voyage estimating, vessel assignment, vessel scheduling, and other functions.

MOPASS is said by its developers to be unique in that the trade and vessel data used to "create" a voyage estimate are useable throughout the system.

Circle 54 on Reader Service Card CARGO CARRIERS The Vessel Tracking System (VTS) is used for vessel position reporting and for productivity and performance analysis. The system accepts data on boat movements and barge events, and produces online displays by boat, barge, or port.

A complete history is maintained for all vessels. Reports are available on boat/barge ton-miles, load/unload notification, demurrage projection and position recap. The system operates on the IBM System 38 minicomputer.

Circle 55 on Reader Service Card CENTRAL DESIGN AND DRAFTING A suite of computer programs has been developed by Central Design and Drafting Ltd. to minimize fuel costs and optimize ship profitability.

Data entered by users include gross receipts, fixed costs for the voyage, distance travelled, time in port, fuel price, and fuel rate curve.

The system provides outputs of best speed, fuel rate at best speed, and profit earned per day. The company claims that 5-10 percent savings in fuel costs have been achieved using the system.

Circle 56 on Reader Service Card DET NORSKE VERITAS The Sprintman system from DnV is a comprehensive shipboard and shoreside management tool. It is used for such applications as maintenance planning, machinery history, spares inventory control, cost control, and load calculations. It is available in two versions: one for shoreside fleet management of up to 15 ships, and the other for on-board management of a single vessel. It is offered either as a complete hardware/ software package or as software only. The software is prepared for, but is not dependent on, satellite communications capability.

Circle 57 on Reader Service Card KHD Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz AG introduced a centralized service for marine diesel engines at the 1984 SMM exhibition in Hamburg. The Ship Information Service (SIS) is described as a "gateway" for ships at sea to save operating costs, improve operational reliability, and relieve shipboard personnel.

The engine plant is fitted with sensors that record operating data.

This data is transmitted via satellite to the KHD computer center, where it is compared against figures recorded in the test report at the time of engine acceptance, and basic data entered during engine commissioning.

A detailed engine status report with trend analysis is sent back to the shipowner, together with recommendations for necessary maintenance work. The system also included an individual maintenance schedule tailored to the actual operating conditions of a particular engine installation.

Circle 58 on Reader Service Card GENERAL ELECTRIC General Electric Information Services Company (GEISCO) introduced an integrated system for ocean shipping agents at the Expoship North America show during March 1984. This system uses GE's worldwide teleprocessing network for the integration of activities among agents, and between agents and carriers. To streamline an agent's activities, the Agent System processes information received from multiple sources, and produces import and export documents designed to the specific requirements of each user—all based on information captured only once by the agent himself. In addition, this interactive system tracks equipment within a local area, calculates freight charges, and communicates with global tracking systems.

The Agent System integrates the functions of an agent's operations into a modular system. Major modules include local equipment tracking, freight documentation, local accounting, and statistics. The system runs on minicomputers installed at agent locations to process local information.

These minicomputers are linked to the GEISCO worldwide network to transmit information among other agents and carriers.

This network includes intelligent processing capability as well as highly reliable data communication, and is accessible from the world's major ports 24 hours a day via a local telephone call. It enables the agent to link his own local tracking system to the principal's corporate computer system, with automatic translation of different formats and standards. Therefore, the agent can quickly and accurately transmit export manifest data to ports of discharge, and receive manifest data from other agents, from which arrival notices are produced.

Circle 59 on Reader Service Card INTERACTIVE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, INC.

A newly formed computer services company, ITS offers a wide range of data-processing services and support to the transportation and trade industries. The company's services provide a totally integrated alternative to the operational and accounting requirements of the air and ocean import, ocean export, air export, and warehousing industries.

An on-line Interactive software system called F.A.S.T. (Fully Automated Systems for Transportation) permits users to access information directly and to generate documentation and reports on cargo movement. This permits changes to be made and documents to be generated at any location where a video terminal and printer are located.

The system is said to produce 95 percent of the documentation necessary to clear shipments into and out of the U.S., and eliminates the most common cause of delayed shipments—missing or inaccurate cargo information.

The F.A.S.T. system interfaces electronically with the U.S. Customs Service, Department of Commerce, carriers and other trade support systems, and an interoffice mail system provides instantaneous communications.

Circle 60 on Reader Service Card KOCKUMATION Kockumation AB offers a complete level-gauging system for virtually every shipboard application.

The Kockumation NLM200 levelmaster system provides different types of sensors for specific vessel areas for maximum reliability. All information on alarm levels, temperatures, volumes and weights for all tanks are presented on a single display unit. Printouts can be ordered of all data. The level-gauging system can be connected to a cargo calculation instrument for simulation and on-line calculations.

Kockumation currently has free literature available describing the NLM200 system in full detail.

Circle 62 on Reader Service Card KORKUT ENGINEERS Korkut Engineers, Inc. offers computer programs for analysis of trim, stability, and strength of vessels or tug/barge combinations. The system can be operated on Hewlett Packard 250 minicomputers or on IBM-PC microcomputers. Draft, trim, stability, and strengths are calculated for specific stations for any loading conditions. The program is said to be "conversational" for ease of operation. It permits the user to see results step-by-step during loading to obtain minimum trim and strength variation. The version for integrated tug/barge combinations allows for tug-alone, bargealone, or tug-barge combined cases.

Liquid cargo, solid cargo, and grain loadings are treated separately.

Circle 61 on Reader Service Card LOGISTICS RESOURCE, INC.

A series of programs for strategic and operations planning are offered for use on IBM or Hewlett Packard mainframe computers. The RouteAssist System evaluates routes and schedules that can be used to support dispatch functions.

It is designed to optimize the route network as well as to evaluate operating costs and performance statistics.

The LANE (Lane Analysis and Network Evaluation) system is used to analyze freight flows within a distribution network and to identify transportation balances and imbalances within that network.

The TNET and CNET systems are used for evaluating transportation and consolidation networks.

TNET provides analysis of freight flows among various modes of transportation within complex transportation networks, while CNET is used to determine the most effective consolidation plan. TNET and CNET can be used independently or together.

Circle 63 on Reader Service Card LYKES BROS. STEAMSHIP A fleet operational control system has been developed by Lykes and installed aboard three SeaBee vessels, with an identical microprocessor installed in the New Orleans home office. The system encompasses ship loading, shipboard payroll, chart information retrieval, and barge rehandling. Originally designed for Columbia Model 900 computers, the system is being converted to operate on the IBM-PC microcomputer.

Circle 64 on Reader Service Card MARINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS The newest addition to the MMS extensive product line of marine software/hardware packages is the Maritime Work Station (MWS) introduced at the SNAME Maritime Exposition in New York during November 1984. Combining the industry knowledge of MMS and the capabilities of the IBM Personal Computer, the MWS is an integrated microcomputer work station created specifically for the maritime business professional.

In one easy-to-use desktop package, the MWS combines basic office automation with specific industry functions, such as telex, electronic mail, word processing, electronic filing, time management, calendars, and personal planning, plus spreadsheet applications such as Lotus 1- 2-3, with custom templates for MMS Voyage Estimator, MMS Ship Financials, and MARDATA Charter Fixture Reports.

The modular design of the MWS provides the flexibility to add software applications from the MMS Marine Business Series (Voyage Estimating, Voyage Reporting, Cargo Documentation) or the MMS Ship Management Information Series (Loading Calculations, Spare Parts Management, Planned Maintenance, Shipboard Administration) and programs from other vendors that run on the IBM PC. Subscribers to online industry databases such as the Maritime Data Network (MARDATA) can also use the MWS as an "electronic window" on the world of information, with automatic dial-up, log-on, and search procedures as standard features.

Circle 90 on Reader Service Card MARITIME DATA NETWORK MARDATA has developed software for IBM Personal Computers to provide enhanced access to its online shipping information services, and has also announced an agreement with Fairplay Publications to develop, test, and market a Sale and Purchase database.

The MARDATA Library Interface (MLI) is a powerful software package that combines sophisticated data communications with new automated features for on-line database access, reducing many complicated and time-consuming access and search procedures into simple "one-button" selections. The MLI offers automatic dial-up of communications networks, automatic log-on and password response, simple forms fill-in, video prompting and "help" screens, and automatic storage/recall of routine search scenarios.

In addition to MARDATA libraries, the MLI offers access to other services such as Dow Jones, Compu- Serve, tariff databases, and others.

Current MARDATA libraries include Ship Movements, Ship Characteristics, Charter Fixtures, and Ships on Order. The new library to be developed jointly with Fairplay will provide up-to-date and complete information on all activities in the sale and purchase market for commercial shipping, updated daily from the Fairplay International Research Service (FIRS).

Circle 65 on Reader Service Card MARITIME COMPUTERS AND TECHNICAL SERVICES MCTS offers computer programs for on-board crew record keeping and cargo loading. CREWLIST is a computer-based record-keeping system, permitting information on each crewmember to be entered and updated as needed. A variety of reports can be produced, for alphabetical listings, IMO crew lists, vaccinations due, etc. TYPEMATE is a simple typing aid that gives the user the main benefit of a word processor while retaining the simplicity of a typewriter.

TASKMASTER is a multipoint loading instrument and cargo management system designed to perform trim, intact stability, and longitudinal strength calculations for a variety of ship loading conditions.

According to the developers, it is different from other loading instruments in that it is designed for use on a general-purpose computer.

Circle 66 on Reader Service Card MCDONNELL-DOUGLAS AUTOMATION COMPANY The MCAUTO Freight Automated Rating and Routing System allows clients to maintain and retrieve freight rating and routing information through on-line CRT terminals.

The system includes rate and route analysis, centralized rate and route data, up-to-date maintenance, immediate r o u t e / r a te changes, handling of packaged and bulk shipments for all modes, order processing, freight bill audit and payment, customer invoicing, distribution cost optimization, vendor selection, and elapsed car credit allowance.

Additional analysis reports and rate/route lists can be obtained through the MCAUTO Multiple Report Creation System (MRCS).

Circle 67 on Reader Service Card JOHN J. MCMULLEN ASSOCIATES Several computer programs are offered for shipping planning, voyage estimation, fleet planning, and other applications. The Ship Economics Analysis System (SEAS) is an interactive program for financial evaluation of marine transportation systems. Capabilities include single voyage profitabiity analysis using a multi-leg profile, discounted cash flow techniques, and the development of compounding, amortization, and depreciation schedules.

ARTRANS (Arctic Transportation Model) is a simulation model to evaluate the technical and economic performance of marine transportation systems originating in the Arc- tic. The principal output of the model is the month-by-month summary for each route leg of maximum power required, fuel consumed, cargo delivered, attained speed, and cost per unit of cargo.

The Transportation Planning Tool (TPT) is a simulation model designed to assist shipowners/operators in optimizing the composition and deployment of a bulk fleet. The user of TPT specifies his required commodity flow pattern, lifting/delivery constraints, and the mix of owned or controlled tonnage he proposes to use. The model calculates the delivery capacity of the specified fleet, route-specific transportation costs, and the number of voyage-chartered vessels that may be needed to meet the specific delivery requirements.

Circle 68 on Reader Service Card MCNAB, INCORPORATED McNab's Fuel Management System is a self-contained package of dedicated hardware and software. It makes available a display of speed versus profit on a per-voyage basis for a particular ship. The system uses shoreside data containing accounting and scheduling information, as well as shipboard data relevant to vessel characteristics, and real-time data on the main shaft torque, rpm, and speed.

Circle 69 on Reader Service Card MICRO MARINE LTD.

This U.K.-based firm offers several packages for computerized planning and analysis. The Broker System provides an information retrieval tool for brokers and owners.

The database covers vessel details (characteristics and positions) and client information. Telexes can be generated automatically from the data files.

The Voyage Estimating and Analysis System consists of a sophisticated voyage estimating tool linked to a post-fixture voyage analysis program. It incorporates a distance table and historic port and canal cost data. The program calculates an optimum bunker plan automatically, and incorporates a steaming speed analysis feature. An Investment Appraisal program performs cash flow, equity, and risk analyses for investment projects. Micro Marine programs are designed to run on Apple II and IMB-PC/XT microcomputers.

Circle 70 on Reader Service Card NATIONAL MARINE SERVICE A Vessel Management Information System has been developed to track and report on a fleet of inland towboats and tank barges. It consists of programs and documenta- tion for the physical and financial tracking of the fleet as well as maintaining information on vessel contracts, logistic support, and fleet planning requirements. It has been implemented so as to perform those functions that are of highest priority to a tank-barge operator, and has been developed to permit orderly expansion to other functions.

Circle 71 on Reader Service Card NAV-COM INCORPORATED The BUSISHIP system is built around a "marinized" IMB-PC microcomputer with 10-megabyte hard disc, digital cassette back-up, dot matrix printer, and internal 1,200- baud modem. Proprietary Nav-Com software handles a wide range of vessel business tasks, including position reporting, purchase requisitions, requests for medical assistance, electronic mail, data logging, word processing, and automatic access to subscriber databases. Other application modules include vessel inventory control, personnel management, voyage planning, and cargo loading calculations.

The BUSISHIP work station can be integrated with the vessel's satcom terminal through Nav-Com's COMNET system to provide a direct interactive link with the home office computer. Built around a central electronic switching system, COMNET can be configured with as many internal extensions and outside trunk lines as necessary.

Nav-Com states that its unique auto-access feature is an industry first, permitting all calls in either ship-to-shore or shore-to-ship direction to be routed automatically through the satcom terminal without operator assistance.

Circle 72 on Reader Service Card OCEAN MOTIONS COMPANY Ocean Motions Company of Barrington, R.I. has just completed delivery of another of its SHIP LOADING COMPUTER packages to SOHIO Cleveland.

The package includes a desk top microcomputer and printer/plotter.

Custom programs for each ship are provided on disks running between $2-4,000 depending on vessel complexity.

Six pre-programmed loading conditions are provided for the user to select and modify until he has achieved the desired draft, stability margins and compliance with ABS shear and bending allowables.

Ocean Motions has experience covering some 280 ships worldwide and offers loading calculations for each ship in their intact, damaged and grounded conditions.

Knowing the times of high/low tide and the tidal range for a stranded ship allows the master and operations superintendent to predict whether the ship will retain positive stability and low hull girder stress levels. When the ship runs aground the computer calculates the position of ground contact on the hull and advises the master where to inspect for damage and flooding. Ocean Motions supplies traditional trim, stability and strength packages for all vessels including RO/RO, containerships, reefers, heavy lift ships, offshore supply ships, chemical carriers, bulkers, tankers, passenger and car ferries and all military vessels. Software comes in dedicated hardware or as fully documented disks of the IBM-PC.

Circle 74 on Reader Service Card PACIFIC-GULF MARINE Pacific-Gulf Marine has developed a shipboard/shoreside management system for preventive maintenance, machinery history, inventory control, requisitioning, and purchasing.

The system provides online access to a database of shipboard machinery relevant to maintenance and spare parts information.

Reports can be generated for spare parts inventory, requistioning, purchase orders, material receipts, machinery master list, machinery history, repair work order reports, preventive maintenance reminder reports, and ABS continuous survey status. The system operates on a Hewlett Packard HP-250 minicomputer.

Circle 73 on Reader Service Card PUERTO RICO MARITIME SHIPPING AUTHORITY PRMSA has developed an Operations Planning Model that forecasts container movements by equipment type and expected revenue for spec- ified port-to-port and port-to-terminal combinations to plan for lower overhead and enhanced utilization of equipment. It provides short-term predictions of demand for container types and the benefits from short-notice reassignment of the container inventory according to demand. It permits users to determine in advance of sailing the container assignment mix to handle the expected load. Mid-range forecasts of cargo movements are used for planning sailing schedules, operational budgets, and marketing strategies.

Circle 75 on Reader Service Card PUGH ROBERTS ASSOCIATES A strategic planning model for liner shipping has been developed with the assistance of Lykes Bros.

Steamship Company. This model contains equations that describe in detail the workings of the liner industry, including the acquisition, deployment, and scrapping of vessels; competition for trade among routes; types of vessels and carriers; financial flows; the managerial decisions of owners and operators; and the prevailing economic and regulatory environment. It is set up to simulate the performance of liner trades from the U.S. West Coast to the Far East over the past 10 years and for 10 years into the future.

Circle 76 on Reader Service Card RAYTHEON OCEAN SYSTEMS Raytheon's LOADMAX digital loading computers are used for onboard trim and stability calculations.

The system calculates and displays accurate draft, stability, and hull stress data for large vessels in any loading condition. It is programmed according to each ship's characteristics. Special programs are available for LNG/LPG carriers, integrated tug/barge combinations and containerships.

LOADMAX is a quick, easy way to plan optimum loading for any type of ship. It rapidly calculates and displays accurate draft, hull strength and stability data for any loading condition.

LOADMAX is as simple to use as a desk calculator—tonnage distribution and calculated results are read at a glance.

Designed for the particular operating requirements of each ship, LOADMAX combines numeric tonnage displays with an easily understood mimic diagram of the vessel. A separate graphic display shows whether the ship is in hogging or sagging condition and if shear force or bending moment limits are being exceeded.

Circle 77 on Reader Service Card SEAWORTHY SYSTEMS Developed jointly by Seaworthy and Marine Management Systems, the COMET system provides onboard performance monitoring and fuel accounting for steamships, plus long-term trending and analysis of performance. The system uses logbook data entered manually on a daily basis to determine the vessel's performance in terms of fuel and individual components. Daily output is formatted graphically and tabularly to inform the ship's engineer, and is stored on a diskette to be sent ashore for long-term trending and analysis. The system is designed to run on Hewlett Packard Series 80 microcomputers.

Circle 78 on Reader Service Card STANWICK CORPORATION Stanwick offers programs for onboard inventory control and preventive maintenance. The Spare Parts Inventory Program prints a list of spare parts according to a shipping company's numbering system, cross-referenced to a manufacturer's or vendor's part number, associated costs, quantities on hand, on order, order date, etc. The listing provides an interface between the ship's crew and the purchasing department ashore. Reports include stock status, reorder reports, excessive parts on hand, and inventory value.

The Maintenance Management System integrates preventive maintenance and repairs with a management information system. It provides preprinted maintenance work orders and collects cost and repair data for each item of equipment maintained. Complete machinery histories can be printed on command.

Other reports include executive summaries of maintenance not accomplished, maintenance labor and material expended, and repair labor and material expended. Stanwick's programs are designed to run on IBM-PC microcomputers.

Circle 79 on Reader Service Card SUN TRANSPORT Sun has completed an automated system for inventory control and satellite transmission of data between ship and shore. The system uses an interface to an optical scanner for inventory management of spare parts, an on-board microcomputer for update and maintenance of the parts database and requisition database, and transmission of data between the shipboard microprocessor and the shoreside computer via INMARSAT satellites.

The system is said to be undergoing evaluation aboard two Sun Transport vessels.

Circle 80 on Reader Service Card TEMPLE, BARKER & SLOANE The TBS Liner Financial Planning Model was designed to assist in evaluating alternative strategic planning decisions regarding the composition and deployment of a fleet of breakbulk, container, and semi-container vessels. Inputs are required to define the liner fleet, the types of cargo carried, expected freight rates, and costs and operating factors for up to 10 years.

The model computes expected revenues, expenses, tax liabilities, and profits for each year, and prepares pro forma reports containing an income statement, balance sheet, cash flow summary, and fleet capacity utilization report. The system is written in SuperCalc spreadsheet modeling language, designed to work with most microcomputers.

Circle 81 on Reader Service Card TEXAS INSTRUMENTS Texas Instruments has announced the new TI Marine Business System designed to give fleet managers a promising new homeoffice tool for improving vessel operating efficiency. Designed to utilize information logged by a TI 8000 Integrated Marine System installed on individual vessels, the system permits managers to download information to a Texas Instruments Professional Computer, and to apply advanced computer spreadsheet capabilities to the analysis of vessel operation.

With the TI Marine Business System interfaced to a Texas Instruments PC equipped with Lotus 1- 2-3 software, fleet managers can use a variety of spreadsheet techniques to study a broad spectrum of vessel operating parameters—from speed and fuel efficiency to engine life and crew performance.

The company reports the system was created to help vessel owners and managers to make the most of the information logged by their TI 8000 Integrated Marine System. It provides a complete, easy-to-use system for monitoring and maximizing vessel operating efficiency, particularly with regard to fuel efficiency.

TI also reported recent studies for some major fleet operators indicate a fuel savings of up to 25 percent.

Information can be analyzed and correlated in a variety of ways—by vessel, by captain, or by trip. Totals and averages can be calculated for each category. With the addition of word processing and file management software, the user can generate files, reports, charts and graphs for further study.

The new system consists of TI Marine Business System software, a TI 8010 Command Module, a power supply, cables, and operating manual.

A TI Professional Computer with appropriate software and peripherals is also required.

Circle 82 on Reader Service Card TIMSCO Timsco offers a complete line of computerized systems for the maritime industry. The Management Information System is used for spare parts inventory control, consumables and expendables control, regulatory inspections, planned maintenance, damage survey, and other shipboard management applications.

It is protected by a sophisticated security package developed by Timsco called TIMSECUR, which restricts which users have access to the system.

The Ship's Management System offers a tool for marine administrators to manage various types of ships. The user can access various data at the individual ship level or at the fleet level. The Timsco Spare Part Inventory Control System permits shipboard personnel to record and monitor the stock levels of all spare parts carried on board.

Timsco systems are designed to make maximum use of data exchange via satellite links.

Circle 83 on Reader Service Card TRANSPORTATION CONCEPTS AND SERVICES A series of software systems for freight rate and related calcualtions is available from TCS. Compu-Rate IV is used for rate maintenance, rate distribution, and rate charge calculation for freight invoicing and freight bill audit. It calculates the lowest charge for each shipment as governed by official tariff rules. The modular systems are written in COBOL, licensed to the client for use on his own in-house computer.

Circle 84 on Reader Service Card TWIN CITY BARGE & TOWING The Marine Operations System is used for position tracking, trip financial posting, barge contracts, barge and boat repairs, and management summaries. It is an on-line entry and retrieval tool that tracks barges and boats on any waterway system. Dispatchers, traffic clerks, and accounting clerks enter, inspect, and maintain their respective data in the system. Movement information, equipment location, contract status, and trip status are available for management decisionmaking.

The Harbor Billing System is an on-line system for harbor transactions. It produces reports showing fleeting, switching, and harbor work by customer, by fleet, and by boat.

Circle 85 on Reader Service Card ULTRA PRODUCTS SYSTEMS The Ship Efficiency Analyzer provides instantaneous calculation of fuel rate, propulsion plant efficiency, and fuel consumption. Data is derived by real-time events, including actual torque and shaft horsepower values, shaft rpm, ship speed, and fuel consumption. It has the capability for computer-to-computer data transfer between the shipboard system and the home office microprocessor, Fleet Efficiency Analysis Terminal (FEAT).

Circle 86 on Reader Service Card VESON MARINE COMPUTER SYSTEMS Designed to run on the versatile and powerful Convergent Technologies computers, Veson programs cover the full spectrum of ship management tasks. The ACT-2000 System is a complete one-step accounting, bookkeeping, accounts payable, general ledger, and reporting package.

The system can accommodate any number of ships and several hundred vendors. All the files expand automatically. PAY-2000 is a one-step, user-interactive system for office payroll. Any number of employees can be processed.

VOYAGE 2000 is an interactive voyage estimating package that includes an optional sensitivity analysis report. PERFORMANCE-2000 is a decision-support system that monitors voyage performance and makes comparisons with charter party or company standard performance.

MAINTENANCE-2000 is an on-board vessel maintenance monitoring system that stores details of equipment and components, along with maintenance requirements, automatically projects maintenance requirements for upcoming periods, keeps maintenance logbooks, and prints reminders.

SPARES-2000 is an inventory control system that may be used either on-board or in the home office. CARGO-2000 is a charter information system for cargo brokers that can be interfaced with the VOYAGE 2000 system for selection of vessels that best fit a given cargo.

DISTANCE 2000 contains distance tables on more than 1,050 ports, along with other information on each port. The system presents users with all possible routes between ports, and as a result more than 5 million in total can be retrieved.

LUBE-2000 is a software package for monitoring vessel lubricants.

Circle 87 on Reader Service Card VOCAM SYSTEMS The Vocam Distribution Control System is an on-line, fully integrated program designed for recording shipment details, freight bill paying, linking to a manifest, and analyzing distribution factors. The system can record details of individual shipments, including the origin and destination, commodity, carrier, times and costs, and all transportation details can be recorded through an on-line link to the shipping manifest. The Freight Bill Payment System provides an interface with the business accounts payable function. The system operates on 2250 Prime hardware.

Circle 88 on Reader Service Card HANS W. WYNHOLDS COMPANY The Integrated Shipboard Information System (ISIS) contains modules for spare parts inventory control, preventive maintenance, shoreside purchasing, shipboard payroll, and satellite data communications.

The Spare Parts Inventory Control System (SPICS) gives information on inventory status and stowage location for more than 8,000 parts. The Shoreside Purchasing System (SPS) takes requisitions from the shipboard system and processes them into purchase orders. Purchasing and delivery status is transferred back to the shipboard system. The Preventive Maintenance System (PMS) provides flexible scheduling of tasks, and facilitates and expedites tracking and record-keeping. A direct interface with the SPICS allows access to parts status and location.

The Shipboard Payroll and Overtime Reporting System (SPORS) tracks and records payroll, overtime, disputed pay, allotments, advances, fines, and slopchest for all crewmembers. The Shipboard/ Shoreside Data Communications System maintains a vital, efficient link between the computers at the corporate office and aboard ship.

Circle 89 on Reader Service Card