Harnessing the power of big data in navigation – White Paper
Mr Bireshwar Kumar started his career as a sea-going officer, sailing on merchant vessels before working as a maritime consultant for the past 17 years. In his role as a Regional Manager at Global Navigation Solutions, he shares his thoughts on how big data can help save money on navigation and enhance compliance at the same time.
Let’s start by sharing why we created this white paper.
It began a few years ago when something very surprising happened. We started collecting AIS and other data like port state control histories about SOLAS vessels worldwide and began using that data to identify which navigational products vessels needed.
We then started to analyse that data – comparing it to the paper and digital chart and publication purchases our customers were making and the navigation inventories we held – to see whether our shipping company customers were carrying the right navigational products on board their vessels.
“Companies are actually spending much too much on navigation products. They are just buying the wrong things.”
After analysing vessels in 50 or so shipping companies, we began to see a not-very-cool pattern which was that in virtually every single shipping company, vessels were spending too much on navigation. In some cases considerably more than they needed to spend.
They were also sailing with some quite significant gaps in their holdings which in some cases were creating some worrying compliance risks. Compliance risk that are also are born out in PSC inspection observation and deficiency records worldwide.
At GNS, we love data. We love using data to help make things more efficient. So when our data showed how many shipping companies were overspending on navigation supplies – we knew we needed to get out in the market and show as many shipping companies as possible how using data could make a massive difference to what they buy and how much they spend.
This White Paper is officially called Harnessing the power of big data in navigation. But it could quite easily also be called “How to save lots of money on navigation and enhance compliance at the same time.”