GNS has just launched Voyager Fleet Insight which uses analytics so that customers buy only the data they need in these in days of digital navigation rather than loading up with charts they may never actually use.
Explaining the apparently counter-intuitive business strategy to Seatrade Maritime News Stanley said: “It’s sort of interesting isn’t it? But I think as the industry makes the transition to digital it’s extremely complicated for ship managers and owners to understand what they should be buying and staying compliant and the old navigational habits around paper charts don’t translate readily into the digital world.
“We thought we should take a longer term view of the digital analytical and software relationship with customers and help them to be more effective in managing what they buy, how they buy it and when they buy it.”
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Initial users of the service report savings of 30% to 70% on their outlay for navigation data according to GNS.
Part of the reasons savings can be so great is that passage plans are naturally risk adverse taking account scenarios such as diversions and in the world of paper charts the physical charts for all eventualities would need to be on board the vessel. This habit has continued into the world of digital navigation resulting in unnecessary spend.
“People are using these old fashioned passage planning methodologies and using them in a way they don’t have to,” Stanley explained.
“In the connected digital world you just need charts for that passage plan you intend to make and if something causes you to vary that passage plan in 10 minutes you have the permissions that allow you to unlock the cells for that diversion.” The navigational data is already pre-installed on the computer on the bridge so all the officer needs to purchase is the encryption key to unlock the required charts.
Commenting on the experiences of early adopters of the service he said: “People like this transparency and visibility it helps them manage their business and help them stay compliant. Anything we can do to help people understand the operational efficiency of the asset seems very welcome.”
The service maintains up-to-date lists of the technical library publications required by each vessel’s Flag State, SIRE vetting and other key stakeholders.
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