With the presentation of a new Benchmark-Service Norwegian Classification Society DNV offers to ship owners / managers the opportunity to reduce costs and to increase the safety of ships operations. The performance of vessels and fleets that are under-performing can be evaluated in detail to find areas of improvement.
DNV’s unique database, NPS, which includes millions of findings from surveys, is at the core of the new service. The[ds_preview] product’s model structure enables extraction of the performance of a vessel within five main areas: Safety, Pollution, Machinery, Hull and Safety Management. The vessel’s performance is then compared with the benchmark performance of similar type, size and age ships in the Ship Owner’s fleet or the whole DNV fleet. The development over time of the selected vessel’s performance compared to the benchmark is also available. This performance benchmark is offered to Ship Owners of DNV classed vessels free of charge. This benchmark will identify the ships in a fleet that are under-performing and will enable the Owner to assess their operations. DNV also offers a service involving a detailed evaluation of the survey findings reported for selected vessels within selected areas. This evaluation includes both statistical analysis and a review by DNV experts within the areas of Safety, Pollution, Machinery, Hull and Safety Management. The in-depth evaluation concludes with a proposal regarding the areas and actions that could be considered in order to improve the vessel’s performance. The benchmarking and in-depth evaluation can be carried out on a regular basis to enable Ship Owners to continuously monitor and improve performance with regard to both safety and cost savings.
»It is only by finding better practices through benchmarking and implementing them, that the desired results will be achieved« (Robert C. Camp, »Business Process Benchmarking«).
What is benchmarking all about?
• Which company is the best in our industry?
• Which one has the safest and most cost-effective operation?
• Which one is able to select the right improvement actions to implement?
• Which companies will be leading in terms of safe operation and revenue earned tomorrow?
DNV’s surveyors with close to 6,000 vessels in the class’s fleet carry out over 36,000 surveys per year. Recognised for high quality performance the society has decided to offer a unique service to its clients based on the stored survey reports. Each ship is represented by a generic breakdown from system to component of a product model. This allows an efficient extraction of
• High level data: number of findings / ship – enabling benchmarking
• Detail data: survey findings / ship – enabling analysis
DNV makes the data in the product model available to ship owners managers to enable them to continuously improve the operation of their vessel(s). It starts with the initial benchmark Report with a subsequent in-depth analysis. After improved actions have been taken, a repeat of the process can be considered.
The first step in a continuous improvement process is to gather performance data, and compare these data with a benchmark. Performance data and a benchmark for similar type and similar age vessel through the Initial Benchmark report are then being provided. The Initial Benchmark report shows the frequency of findings and the history of the frequency of findings from surveys on the listed vessels in the following five areas:
• Hull – All hull parts including the compartments, external hull, foundations, rudder and superstructure
• Machinery – All machinery components in all functions on board, including crane machinery, winches, hatch hydraulics, etc.
• Pollution (IOPP) – All findings related to inspection items included in the scope of the IOPP certificate
• Safety – All safety functions, such as life saving and fire safety, etc.
• Safety Management (ISM) – All ISM-related findings for vessels with SMC followed up by DNV
In-depth Analysis – Aim and Process
• The aim of the In-depth Analysis is to recommend areas of improvement based on detailed evaluation of the survey findings
• These recommendation may in time be evaluated by the Owner with respect to cost / benefit
1. Agree on scope and cost of In-depth Analysis
2. Analysis of survey findings in the selected areas, verified by experts within each area
3. Presentation of preliminary results to technical manager
4. Final report with recommendations
The scope of the In-depth Analysis can be selected based on the findings in the Initial Benchmarking Report. Thereafter DNV-Experts are starting the analysis.
• The findings from all the surveys carried out on the selected vessels is extracted from the DNV database
• An in-depth statistical analysis is carried out on these extracted survey findings
• The preliminary conclusions are verified by DNV experts within each area of expertise.
• The preliminary findings are presented to the technical manager.
• It is recognized that the content of DNV’s database is limited, and the ship manager will have detailed knowledge about both events and root causes that need to be taken into account.
• The strength of the In-depth analysis is twofold:
– It provides a systematic approach to the analysis of a selected set of large amount of data
– The results are verified by DNV experts within each field.
Recommendations
• Recommendations from the In-depth Analysis are presented in a report to management.
• The recommendation may be evaluated by the Owner with respect to cost / benefit
• Selected actions may be implemented in order to improve financial / safety performance
In Summary the in-depth analysis aims at provided recommendations for areas of improvement. The recommendations are part of the continuous improvement process
1. Selection of areas based on the Initial Benchmark report
2. In-depth statistical analysis verified by DNV experts within each area of expertise.
3. Preliminary findings are aligned with the technical manager.
After all the Initial Benchmark report provides the basis for selecting scope of the In-depth Analysis. The time spent and the cost of the In-depth Analysis is dependent upon the number of areas and ships included in the analysis.
Last not least Improvement Actions will follow. DNV makes the data in the product model available to ship owners/ managers to enable them to continuously improve the operation of the vessel(s).
Summary
Continuous improvement is an important means to achieve cost effective and safe operation of vessels. DNV provides:
• Initial Benchmark Report
• free of charge – as a first step
• In-depth Analysis
• a sound basis for taking decisions
• Improvement actions
DNV also provides services to assist you implement improvement actions to assist you improve your operation cost effectively and to reach your business goals.
Michael Aasland/GF
