While the voting procedure for the 2019 SAFETY4SEA Awards is open, Stephen MacFarlane, Information Systems Director, V.Group tells a few words about ShipSure for which the company has been shortlisted for the Technology Award. Mr. MacFarlane underpins that when it comes to safety and performance, transparency plays a major role; as such, access to data 24/7 will allow the operators to make better decisions, stay informed and in control and ultimately result in improved safety.
SAFETY4SEA: Your organization has been shortlisted for the 2019 SAFETY4SEA Awards in the ‘Technology’ category alongside a number of other distinguished nominees. What would you like to share with industry’s stakeholders with respect to this development?
Stephen MacFarlane: It’s great to be recognised for the investment we’ve made in ShipSure. We see it as a vital tool in ensuring that the superintendents in our fleet cells have access to the best possible resources and information, and giving our customers more transparency and control over their operations. We’re delighted to see that this is being acknowledged in the industry.
S4S: What is the key feedback from your existing & prospective clients on the barriers and drivers towards investing into your technology?
St.MacF.: ShipSure underpins all of our operations, and means that we can have more in-depth, useful conversations with our customers, and between crew, shore staff and seafarers. We’re getting great feedback from all of these different groups on how this is speeding up operations and giving them better access to data.
Our customers really appreciate the additional level of control and transparency it gives them in terms of their operations, and the ability to set better KPIs. More specifically, one of the major barriers that the industry faces to the adoption of new technology is the time and resource required to roll out and deploy a new product. With ShipSure 2.0, we’ve been able to deploy the technology quickly across 10-15 vessels per day, which our users have been really impressed with.
S4S: Do you have any new projects on the pipeline and/or plans that you would like to share with the rest of the industry?
St.MacF.: We’re constantly adding to ShipSure to make sure that our owners have access to as much information as possible, and to ensure that our Fleet Cells are equipped with powerful analytics and a wealth of information at the ready.
S4S: If you could change one thing about the shipping industry, what would it be and why?
St.MacF.: When it comes to safety and performance, definitely transparency. This is a big part of what ShipSure offers to users – available to access on both desktop and mobile devices globally, it provides shipowners with a clear view of practical sensor-derived data from vessels, including real-time information on V.Group’s activity, and a detailed financial component. An important aspect of this transparent approach is a full health, safety, and environment application suite, which provides all the data needed to manage risk, while also ensuring that lessons are learned and followed up to evaluate and minimise foreseeable risk to the vessel, the cargo, and the crew.
S4S: What is your key message to the industry for enhancing safety culture onboard and ashore?
This ultimately comes back to transparency again. In V.Group, safety is our number one priority, and that means creating a culture of safety, where everyone feels responsible, accountable, and able to speak up if they see an issue. Transparency is a big part of this – the more useful information everyone has, the safer we can be. That’s why ShipSure plays such an important role in safety – providing access to data 24/7 allows the industry to make decisions that ensure compliance and improved operational safety, even when they are away from the office. This ensures they stay informed and in control, ultimately resulting in improved safety.
You may cast your vote for V.Group at 2019 SAFETY4SEA Awards dedicated webpage till 6th of September 2019!
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and not necessarily those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
