Japanese ship operator Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has announced that, along with MOL Group company MOL Information Systems it has developed and introduced the Online ABLOG web application which processes and utilises abstract log (ablog) data, improving operational efficiency both onboard and on shore.
Conventionally, crewmembers have recorded ablog data using dedicated onboard software, and emailed it to those involved, but this required time to download the data on the shore side, making it difficult to analyse data immediately. In addition, not all systems onboard and on shore can be linked, requiring duplicate input of the same data.
To solve that issue, MOL and MOLIS built an application that can be used from a web browser via satellite without dedicated software. At the early stages of development, it took time to connect to the server from the vessel due to the limitations of satellite communications onboard, and the discrepancy in speed compared to shoreside systems made the app impractical to use. However, in cooperation with Microsoft Japan the development team successfully achieved superior performance of the app, improving operational efficiency and connectivity with other systems.
Specific improvements in efficiency include the following:
- Eliminating the need for email transmission of ship operational data, system management, and upgrades of dedicated software (about 880 hours/year/vessel)
- Reducing data input workload by linkage with other systems both onboard and on shore (about 270 hours/year/vessel)
- Simpler analysis of ship operational status and enhanced monitoring functions from shore side, by making ship operational data available in real time
- Improving searchability by database of bunker fuel reports
- Simplifying changes in system configuration
MOL has already installed the web app on 197 vessels and will continue to install it on more vessels in succession.
