The recent launch of OneOcean 2021 saw the development of new modules, additional features, improved functionality and an extended database of maritime related information. The goal was to improve the performance of the software and allow users to accomplish more. At the core of these improvements was also a desire to facilitate operational efficiency for our customers.
Digital Workflows
To do this, we concentrated on building digital workflows that would allow users in different locations to view and work with the same data, thereby facilitating cohesion and saving time and effort.
Through the single-view concept, exemplified by the new Voyage Planner module, decision makers can collaborate and see data that comprises all sections of a passage plan. This allows them to quickly understand and assess risks and operations in an upcoming voyage. By unifying workflows, OneOcean can now enable full, end-to-end passage planning, incorporating route generation, safety checks, optimisations and scenario evaluation in one place. Through integration with FleetManager, shoreside users can monitor activities aboard vessels in real time and be notified if there is a deviation from approved plans.
Through this initiative, crew and bridge personnel onboard have the time they need to focus on the vessel’s operations instead of frittering away valuable time processing paperwork and duplicating efforts because various software tools are disconnected.
One Waypoints Table Comprising All Events
Traditionally, operational events are added to the navigation waypoints sheet to list all activities in a chronological timeline. OneOcean introduces the concept of event waypoints to consolidate navigational and operational activity.
Event waypoints can easily be added into the event route, providing users with a complete, holistic, single-screen view of the entire planning and voyage management process. This new functionality allows mariners to stay on top of all the operational actions that need to occur over the course of a journey in order for ships to abide by their schedules and maintain all aspects of safety and compliance. As these waypoints are readily customisable, operators can include as much information as they like. Even though they are separate, they are still managed in the software as interdependent parts, meaning if changes are made to one block, the other table will update automatically.
So much of how the maritime industry operates is based on dates and times. These timelines form the basis of commercial calculations that are used to power future decision-making and identify areas of improvement. Consolidating all these events so that they can be monitored in one place is hugely valuable both for the short and long term.
Fleetwide Compliance
OneOcean understands that managing widespread compliance with safety and environmental regulations is a daunting task. Maritime regulations are governed and enforced by various bodies at international, national and regional levels around the world and it can be hard to keep track of them all at the best of times. Often, regulations only come into effect under specific situations based on the time of year, cetacean habits or a variety of other arbitrary circumstances. Regulations can also be specific to ship classes, as many only apply to vessels with certain equipment.
The new Voyage Planner displays information from several sources on environmental areas, NavArea warnings, piracy risks and more. Integration with EnviroManager presents environmental warnings by colour coding waste stream categories and speed restrictions. Regs4Ships provides further clarity on compliance by granting direct access to maritime legislation. These modules provide critical insight bridge personnel need to monitor and managing compliance at all stages of voyage planning.
For shoreside HSEQ users, the integration between OneOcean and FleetManager allows them to monitor vessel compliance and ensure that company policies are also clearly communicated and followed. Through FleetManager, shoreside users can set company policies to further mandate safety and environmental compliance. These policies can be fleet-wide or vessel-specific. They can also be situational only coming into effect, for instance, when ships are at certain laden/ballast ratios. These policies can then be deployed to all applicable vessels and appear in OneOcean alongside externally mandated regulations.
Complex, paper-based and manual processes have traditionally caused confusion, conflicting information and consequent problems. The reality is, that within the maritime industry, there are so many factors at play that determine the performance and safety of a ship, its crew and the welfare of cargo. A lot of processes need to come together and the need for clear communication between stakeholders is huge. A standardised digital workflow ensures cohesion in process and methodology, everyone is working with same information and in the same way.