LogCentral is a central reporting solution for record-keeping, monitoring, reporting and compliance verification. It is one of the most versatile tools on the market, enabling crews to rapidly complete logbook entries with ease, while allowing shoreside teams to monitor and review entries in real time.
Below are some examples of how LogCentral can help a variety of users, both onboard and onshore.
The Challenge: Presenting Record Books for Inspection
A vessel arrives at port and presents the required logbooks to inspectors. Onboard, logbooks are still paper based, and each one has a different format, requiring different information. In one record book, there has been an accidental omission of information, causing the inspection to fail and an inevitable delay in allowing the vessel to progress with procedures until the issue is resolved.
The Solution
LogCentral standardises logbook entries, providing consistency in how they are completed and ensuring they are all in the same format. All of the fields are pre-set, so users know exactly which information is required and therefore no longer have to worry about accidentally omitting mandated information. If there is an error, it can be amended instantly. Each user has a pin and password, so when an entry is submitted, there is a name assigned to it.
LogCentral’s preformatted forms automatically code and format entries, so less time is spent trying to determine the correct way to enter the data. There is also an added layer of security as all entries are time stamped and traceable.
The Value
Shoreside teams have full access to view record books as they are completed onboard, allowing them to detect and address any errors prior to vessel inspections or port calls.
Any alerts generated onboard are also duplicated and sent to the shoreside user, giving them a greater understanding of onboard activities.
User pins and passwords provide multiple levels of security and allow shoreside teams to track entries and see a full picture of actions undertaken onboard.
The Challenge: Fleet Maintenance and Vessel Performance
Technical Superintendents regularly review vessel logbooks for general monitoring, pre-inspection, loading and auditing purposes. There is quite a bit of complex data to analyse in a limited amount of time.
This process is even more complex for vessels using paper logbooks. Technical Superintendents can only review photocopied entries once they are emailed from the vessel. This inevitably causes a time delay and an increased risk of human error, as more time is spent collating and analysing the information.
The Solution
From shore, the Technical Superintendent uses LogCentral Core which is accessed through FleetManager to get a complete overview of record books for the fleet instantly. Entries can be sorted by vessel, and groups of vessels can be sorted by categories (by sister vessel, similar voyages, and more) to extract and compare data. The user can then drill down to view all record books for a specific vessel within these groups. Frequency of use is also displayed, so the user can see how consistently a vessel is making entries.
The Value
The user has full, instant access to all records for the fleet. They can check records simply and efficiently, saving time in ensuring vessels are compliant. The Technical Superintendent can also spot potential errors in a timely manner and flag them with the vessel prior to inspection.
The Challenge: Review and Approval
The Master is conducting his regular review of vessel logbooks. Working predominantly with paper logbooks, these documents take a great deal of time to review due to the number of books, the quality of the entries, the categories of information and the analysis required.
Occasionally, entries are not completed correctly, or missing entirely. The Master is responsible for following up with crew to make corrections before he can sign off on the record book. This is a time-consuming and inefficient process of reviewing record books.
The Solution
LogCentral’s preformatted record books provide a uniform way of entering data. Users are prompted to enter records into pre-determined fields that auto-populate the record book with required information.
Entries are always completed in full since the user cannot submit an entry if fields are left blank, and the Master can assess and view all the entries from one station, with no physical product to review. From here, the Master can determine if any amendments are required and notify the user who made the entry, as their name was recorded upon submission. All record books are presented in the same format, making it easier for the information to be reviewed and signed off. The Master can click on specific entries and drill down to see more detail on the entry, giving greater understanding. Entries can be verified and traced based on the user’s credentials, makes it easy to identify who submitted each entry for audit and accountability purposes.
The Value
Shoreside users have full, instant access to all records for their fleet. They check records simply and efficiently, providing the high level overview needed to keep vessels compliant. The Technical Superintendent can spot any potential errors in a timely manner and flag them with the vessel instantly, before an incident can occur.