Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

1 2 0 FEATURE: CL ASS IFICATION “We can now survey a 50-ship fleet in a matter of hours via our new Machinery Maintenance Connect service” D NV GL is no stranger to advanced digital technologies. In fact, the organisation was the first class society to introduce remote surveys across its fleet. It has also used digital platforms and offered remote assistance for a number of years. According to Hans Eivind Siewers, DNV GL’s segment director for passenger ships and ro-ro, this experience has put the organisation in a good position to expedite a remote offering during the pandemic. “The number of remote surveys performed has risen 33 per cent since the start of the year,” he explains. “Remote surveys in particular have been critical to mitigating operational disruption for our customers and maximising staff and customer safety throughout the process, where physical attendance has been problematic.” Siewers believes the pandemic has turbocharged DNV GL’s digitalisation journey by at least five years compared to normal rates of industry progression. “This has thrusted the maritime industry into a period of renaissance where the old ways of working are now constantly being challenged,” he says. “80 per cent of surveys are now booked online using our Smart Survey Booking system and we can now survey a 50-ship fleet in a matter of hours via our new Machinery Maintenance Connect service. In the past this would have taken days, even weeks.” These aren’t the only new services that DNV GL has introduced during the pandemic. A new Certification in Infection Prevention – Maritime (CIP-M) has been established to offer the industry a way to prepare for the present challenges of Covid-19, as well as other emerging pathogens. “As part of the CIP-M certification, DNV GL assesses vessel operations, including enhanced sanitation procedures, Reshaping the industry Hans Eivind Siewers from DNV GL says that, beyond remote surveys, the pandemic has turbocharged the industry’s digitalisation journey by at least half a decade