Germany: AWT Announces Its Fleet Decision Support System at SMM

Applied Weather Technology, Inc. (AWT), announced today at SMM Hamburg its Fleet Decision Support System (FleetDSS).

The new fleet management system is completely customizable, designed to improve efficiency and fleet safety while facilitating reductions in total voyage costs.

“The shipping industry is in constant change and the needs of fleet managers change with it. To respond accordingly, AWT has worked closely with its customers to develop its fully customizable fleet management system,” said Skip Vaccarello, president and CEO of AWT. “With FleetDSS, we provide a range of practical tools which give fleet managers the flexibility they need to manage their ships safely while simultaneously enhancing vessel performance.”

According to Captain Michel Cochennec, Deputy Director, Fleet Navigation Center, CMA CGM, “Working with AWT’s knowledgeable development team to customize the Fleet Decision Support System has been very rewarding. With FleetDSS, we can now compare actual vessel performance to our pro forma that results in quick, proactive management during the voyage. We can easily determine confidence levels of a route, and with the alarm dashboard we can assess risks such as pirate attacks in time to properly manage them. Coupled with AWT’s exceptional routing service, CMA CGM is better able to manage its fleet to improve efficiency and safety.”

Quick and Easy Access to Important Data

Ships are displayed in a Global Mercator projection map with full-screen capability. FleetDSS has an extensive filtering capability that allows companies with large fleets to focus on the few vessels that need the most attention for safety or performance reasons.

The dashboard feature allows operators to easily manage the vessels based on the filters selected. This makes it quick and easy for an operator to address those vessels with the highest risk first. Reports can also be exported to an Excel spreadsheet and used in meetings or company reports.

Operators can view alerts when any issue comes up with the voyage, ensuring that their attention is focused where it is needed most. These alerts are customer-controlled and customizable to meet the needs of each specific voyage. With one glance at the dashboard, operators can see which ships are at elevated risk and may need immediate attention.

Improved Vessel Performance

Pro forma graphs allow operators to compare the vessel’s expected performance with its actual performance while en route. Operators are alerted when a ship deviates from the pro forma voyage plan, enabling them to quickly spot vessels that are over consuming fuel and proactively address the problem during the voyage to minimize excessive consumption.

At the end of the voyage, operators can use the summary report to compare the ship’s performance with past voyages in an easy-to-read graphical display. They can also compare vessels on the same trade run to each other and to their pro forma requirements, making it easy to spot those vessels that are under performing.

Safety Features in FleetDSS

In addition to the customized alerts, FleetDSS includes several safety alerts. Operators can see alerts when there has been a recent pirate attack within the vicinity, if vessels are entering a war risk area, and if there are any hazards nearby. Operators are also easily able to view dangerous weather conditions such as rogue wave risk areas, iceberg areas, significant wave height, tropical cyclones and more.

“Today, an operator’s biggest barrier to ensuring efficient voyages is a lack of concise information to make quick and informed decisions,” said Rich Brown, AWT’s vice president of product management. “With FleetDSS, AWT built a true decision support system that gives operators custom data to identify and manage vessels in need of attention en route. The result is improved vessel performance and safety, in addition to increased efficiency on shore.”

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Shipbuilding Tribune Staff, September 4, 2012; Image: AWT