The digitalization wave has revolutionized the maritime industry, thus calling operators to quickly respond to rapid changes to handle critical events using digital smart systems. The traditional methods for managing critical events, using pen and paper, is not convenient anymore and hinder monitory, tracking, and controlling incidents. Without an integrated, comprehensive, and up-to-date Critical Event Management (CEM) support system, it is nearly impossible to survive.
This article explains why the traditional and manual CEM approaches are outdated and lack the effectiveness to handle critical events.
Unfortunately, Old isn’t always Gold!
In many cases, maritime and shipping operators deal with critical events using manual processes and disconnected systems. Limiting Operators’ potential to reduce the event’s impact makes it extremely challenging to understand an ongoing event and its evolution. Such traditional methods restrict your applicability to manage critical events effectively.
The maritime industry's environment is characterized by uncertainty, disjointed processes, scattered crews, and multiple disengaged stakeholders, making maritime operators coping with too much data and paper checklists. For example, during a vessel grounding event, a traditional responding approach (phone calls, SMS) becomes very complicated with numerous procedures that could expose your crew and cargo to danger and involve multiple stakeholders. How the critical event is managed will directly affect your brand and the trust you have built over time with customers and partners.
Reaching key stakeholders during a crisis doesn’t have to be a crisis!
External stakeholders of maritime and shipping operators are essential to keep business running and supply chains connected during and outside critical events. When it comes to maritime operations, the stakes are higher, dealing with a multitude of factors like:
- The vessels safety
- Crew safety
- Cargo/shipment
- Customers demand
- Insurance claims
- Potential international sensitive situation
- Environmental concerns
- Etc
To ensure efficient risk management, various maritime stakeholders like insurance firms are obligatory for ships and ship owners to claim damages. Nowadays, several marine insurance firms offer different insurance policies for the hull, owners, crew, cargo, cargo owners, etc. Raising some typical questions and concerns, such as:
How can the manual and traditional emergency response plans reach all various insurance firms and key stakeholders quickly? Which party must be informed first? Are you sure that your paper list of stakeholders’ will be comprehensive and up-to-date?
Shipping is part of the global supply chain, and many stakeholders demand frequent and transparent updates. To meet the ever-increasing demands, you may consider a digital solution for emergency preparedness, where you can share relevant information, updates and notify your key stakeholders with a click of a button.
Documentation means more than pen and paper
It is essential to have an efficient way to document the massive volume of data related to critical events, including instant notifications, response-tracking, file sharing, secure communication, etc., during and after the event.
Manually documenting the event is cumbersome and primarily prone to errors, not to mention lots of work. Implementing a digital system for the management of critical events will automatically take care of the documentation. And will provide a structured report listing all your actions, communication within and between organizations. For example, the included critical event log in a CEM platform can perform as your digital whiteboard, which saves and even protects your data and becomes your reference whenever you need it in the future!
Final words
As maritime and shipping operators face the possibility of dealing with unexpected critical events that can hit any time without warning, they have to utilize an efficient solution to save time, lives, and money. Safety operators are expected to know where their crews are located and quickly collect and share information about critical events with relevant stakeholders, predict the impact, and understand how to mitigate them.
Using the right CEM system will ensure having the right tool at your fingertips to mitigate threats and protect your assets. At RAYVN, we pioneered the critical event management field to help and support safety operators, leaders, managers, and owners in handling maritime and shipping firms to overcome, monitor, and control incidents.