MOL: New app processes ship operational data in real time

Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has, together with MOL Information Systems (MOLIS), developed and introduced the ‘Online Ablog’ web application which processes and utilizes abstract log data (ablog), improving operational efficiency both onboard and onshore.

Specifically, the ablog report records vessel movements such as names of calling ports, date and time of calling in and out, navigation time, vessel position, speed, bunker fuel, lubricant, berthing time, and engine operation data. The data is utilized for ship operation management and analysis of fuels.

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 analyze data immediately.

In addition, not all systems onboard and onshore 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 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 onshore (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 plans to install it on more ships in the future.