The maritime industry has seen seismic growth when it comes to implementing digital solutions. The digital products in this industry exceeded estimates by 18% last year. Growth rates are now estimated to be running three years ahead of those predicted before the pandemic.
Overlapping with utilities and agriculture, the maritime industry is equally concerned with decarbonising its operations where possible in the long-term. Digital technologies can significantly contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions by providing efficient alternatives to traditional processes.
Internet of Things (IoT), for example, enables ship application systems to be controlled remotely via digital transmissions between fleets. Operating this way not only makes procedures safer, but it also reduces fuel consumption. Reducing this energy source means fewer carbon emissions through loewer company costs.
Cloud, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence technology all offer similar benefits. Both these digital technologies can innovate manual processes and grant companies access to large amounts of critical data. The potential benefits of digital transformation has led to a greater number of organisations who are committing to digital transformation projects.
Here are two maritime organisations who have leveraged digital solutions to improve areas of their operations.
Maersk
Danish shipping company Maersk is the world’s largest shipping container company. The company has undergone drastic digital transformation projects to stay ahead of industry innovations. The focus of these projects is, particularly, tied to improving logistics and data management.
Utilising AI-powered data analytics, blockchain and cloud technology, the organisation has been able to innovate traditional supply chain processes. The company established a dedicated Digital Innovation Team in June 2019. This team was committed to a range of digital solutions like AI-powered container packing and bespoke API connections.
That same year Spot was launched as an online platform that simplifies and enhances the booking process for containers. The process of calculating booking rates used to be lengthy for shippers and the company had previously cited overbookings of 30%. With this new platform in place, shippers can now click and book online, or even from their mobile devices. Calculations of rates are made at the time of booking, while the guarantee of cargo loading prevents it from being rolled.
In the weeks following the platform's launch, bookings increased by nearly 50%, which indicated customers’ willingness to use these online tools. With markets constantly changing, Maersk Spot continues to provide an effective way to organise shipping activity for businesses across the world.
Specialist Marine Consultants (SMC)
Specialist Marine Consultants (SMC) is another company who has seen the benefits of digital transformation in the maritime industry. SMC is a global leader in offshore solutions who provide a number of essential maritime services. These services include marine consultancy, coordination and offshore project management.
To accommodate their growth strategy, SMC identified the need to redevelop their legacy systems. This move would improve existing processes and implement new capabilities that could support their growth plans. Updating these systems was a process of centralising important data into a new customised portal. It was also imperative that this platform allowed SMC to track the status of its assets like turbines, substations and vessels.
Using this online portal, staff now have real-time visibility into the status of these assets. This visibility allows the company to assess any outstanding issues, exclusion zones, and build status.
SMC can also use the platform for daily management of personnel who are moving between locations for building, maintenance and review. The platform also contains reporting functions for factors such as distance travelled, fuel consumption, passenger transfer and number of 'push ons'.
The platform has improved essential business processes for SMC. Today the platform supports transfers across some of the biggest offshore wind farms around the world. By improving its existing services, the company is now able to provide end-to-end excellent customer experience.
Turning of the Tide
Among the many digital transformations underway within the maritime industry, we've shown just a couple of examples. These digital transformation case studies show the positive impact that technology can have on company operations.
Audacia is a leading software development company in the UK, and is always looking to offer digital services to businesses who wish to innovate their operations. We can offer solutions that are highly performant and tailored to your business’ needs.
Want to find out how your business can benefit from digital transformation? Speak with us today on 0113 543 1300, or email at info@audacia.co.uk.
