Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2018)

Darren Larkins, CEO, SSI oices

Photos: SSI ogy platform is essentially that. It’s not software The shipbuilding industry can be con- that an individual user sits down in front of and servative, reluctant to change. What sees, it’s software that allows our design engi- are some of the hurdles you’ve faced neering solutions to be connected into the rest and how have you overcome them?

of the shipyard such that information is simply

Slowly, I’d say. Conservative: I think that’s not available at their ? ngertips when they need it. necessarily a negative description. I think prag-

That’s a big thing for us is, whether you call it de- matic. The types of sales we do is not a typical mocratization of technology or empowering us- sales job that you might see in other industries. ers, it’s the ability for normal people to be able to We have to walk customers through how what have whatever they need to be able to do their job we do is going to improve what they do in some at their ? ngertips rather than going hunt and ? nd way. So, it’s not simply a matter of knowing the it, or having to ask somebody to simply reference latest buzzwords or having sexy videos on the in- a 2D drawing that doesn’t give them all the infor- ternet. Each one of us, the management team and mation they need because going and trying to get even our product owners have spent time in the a 3D model with detailed information just isn’t shipyards, and our sales people are engineers or available. If you have that ability you’re pretty naval architects and so on, so people that really much guaranteed that the information is not out understand the business that the customers are of date, that it’s an approved revision. That goes involved in. And I think that’s the only way – I to the second point: we’re dedicated to creating wouldn’t even say overcome it – but to recognize software that is easier to use. It’s software that shipyards aren’t going to invest in something that does not require a degree in using the software to they don’t feel is a low risk of disruption in terms get things done. You simply need to know ship- of their current project. Because not only are they building and know a little bit about some of the conservative, shipyards are very much focused products and technology. That’s where the de- on the current project and even the current block mocratization comes in. If you want to be able within the current project in terms of cutting to interrogate the 3D model and get a piece of in- steel and meeting payment milestones and those formation, you shouldn’t have had to go through sorts of things, so they’re very reluctant to take a two-month training course on how to use the on new risk. I think the biggest way to do that is software. It should be ready, right there, when to show them that you understand exactly what you need it. And all of our technology is intended their pain is and what their risks are and the chal- to be very easy to pick up and use.

lenges to overcome. We’ve done that by working 20 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • MAY 2018

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