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OSM leveraging on technology to drive efficiencies and provide transparency

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Ship manager OSM is using technology to drive efficiencies and cost savings, and provide the greater transparency that new financial-based owners require.

In a darkened corner of OSM's Singapore office sits a new high-tech operations centre that is in its trial phase of operations. Staffed 24/7 it is currently running with eight ships.

According to Peter Schellenberger, Managing Director OSERV, part of the OSM Maritime Group, it is “not just a visualisation of Noon report”.

OSM sees the centre as empowering the seafarer on board the vessel with real time information for situational awareness, operational empowerment to solve technical problems and improved maintenance planning.

In terms of technical problem solving ship's crews can call on the operations centre staff, and if necessary this can escalated to internal sources in 22 offices, other operations centres, and if necessary outside help from suppliers. There are KPIs to measure that problems are solved within an expected timeframe.

The centre also has an AI function and is able to analyse data to draw correlations that would not have been seen otherwise to provide services such as predictive maintenance. It also gives the manager a better view in terms of coordinating functions such as the delivery of goods and services to the vessel so that this is done in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible consolidating deliveries.

Schellenberger says it gives the transparency that “new” financial owners such as private equity and leasing houses require enabling them to see the whole operation for their budgeting process.

The need for transparency has also been a driving factor in the manager's procurement as a service offering which gives other owners access to OSM's group procurement contracts for a fee. Service is provided via a digital platform all linked to digital marketplace Shipserv.

“What we felt was it was necessary to have a digital platform for transparency,” he explains. This enables owners to see exactly what they are paying for. “We have bridged that gap and we can see there is huge interest.”

This has been demonstrated by bringing in its first consortium member with 80 vessels, which combined with their own vessels also helps with OSM's procurement. The idea behind the system is that the savings an owner makes on procurement by using it will more than offset the fee that they pay for using it.​