Digital technology is driving positive change across the maritime transport sector, enabling fleet operators to reduce fuel consumption and costs, bolster fuel security, and protect crews.
But with a bewildering array of vendors out there, choosing the right digitization partner for your business can be challenging.
Here we explore five key questions to ask when considering a partner to help you optimize fuel use and protect your fleet.
A truly digital solution relies on digital data collection methods, such as sensors and automated systems, rather than manual processes. This ensures the accuracy and reliability of the data, which is crucial for making informed decisions about fuel and fleet management.
However not all digitization is equal.
Designing a customizable dashboard with multiple features is the easier aspect of creating a digital solution for displaying and interpreting maritime data. However, it’s an entirely different challenge to travel to places like Walvis Bay, Namibia, or Campeche, Mexico, and install reliable sensors that can feed that dashboard with high-fidelity, trustworthy data.
A truly digitized fuel measurement solution will provide an end-to-end, highly accurate data chain of custody through the entire journey from sensor to delivery. So, ask your vendor where the fuel consumption data their system interprets comes from.
If it comes from noon reports emailed from the ship to the system, then it’s not truly digital. That’s just a digital dashboard fed by analog data derived from traditional, manual fuel measuring processes that are prone to error. In other words, if the fuel ‘sensor’ is someone dropping a measuring stick into a tank on a moving ship, no system can rely on it. Bad data leads to lousy interpretation and bad decisions, and the flashiest dashboard in the world will be worthless if the data feeding it is flawed.
If, on the other hand, the system you’re considering features fuel measurement sensors, what kind are they? As with digitization, it’s important to remember that not all sensors are equal. As the sensor forms the base of your digitization pyramid, it’s critical to understand exactly what type of sensor is being used.
For the highest level of accuracy, the fuel sensors must be based on mass flow meters, which in the marine environment means a Coriolis, or a meter of equal ‘tier one’ specification. Other meters are available, but what you save by using a volumetric meter or a positive displacement meter will be lost in increased maintenance costs and reduced accuracy.
If the solution you are considering is high accuracy based, ask your vendor where they source their meters from. In our experience only ‘tier one’ meters with best-in-class sensors meet our standards and they’re likely to be pharmaceutical, food, and beverage-grade scientific instruments.
Finally, a digital solution will track your vessels’ voyages and ensure they stay on track. As with the fuel measurement data, ask the vendor where their vessel tracking data comes from.
The International Maritime Organization and other management bodies require large ships, including many commercial fishing vessels, to broadcast their position with AIS to avoid collisions. AIS data is open source, so your solution may use an API from a provider that captures and packages this data for commercial sale.
Unfortunately, the AIS antenna isn’t exceptionally reliable because it can be hacked and spoofed to provide false readings. When ship crews manipulate AIS data to go ‘dark’ this way, it usually means they’re using your vessel for their own ends.
The best tracking solutions will install a dedicated, tamper-proof, hack-proof GPS transponder onboard each vessel to provide 100% reliable location data and give you peace of mind that your ships are precisely where they should be.
Theoretically, anyone can climb Mount Everest, but very few do. Why? Because it requires years of experience, countless close calls, and valuable lessons that seasoned climbers rely on to safely reach the summit and descend.
Similarly, digitization is meant to help mariners navigate unique challenges. So, ask whether your vendor’s team has firsthand experience with those same challenges and how that has shaped their product development.
At Fueltrax, our team comprises seasoned mariners, military veterans, and former Nasa engineers who have worked in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Over the past two decades, they’ve harnessed this experience and used feedback from our customers to continuously refine our product.
If a vendor has never set foot on a working ship, it’s unlikely they can develop a solution that’s robust and relevant.
Pricing a product to secure a sale differs from pricing a product for post-installation success. So be sure to explore the company’s confidence in their post-installation service and support with questions like:
Then, ask your competitors, peers, and industry contacts which company has the best reputation for continued post-installation success.
Finally, bear in mind that short-term cost savings rarely drive long-term success.
A commitment to R&D shows that your vendor is developing new and improved products and services to fit your needs. So, ask them how they gather the knowledge and insights needed to create new products or discover new ways to improve their existing products and services.
Ask what their relationships with existing customers are like, and whether they have a Customer Panel or Board to help them with R&D. Remember that part of the purpose of research and development is finding ways to gain cost efficiencies without sacrificing accuracy and quality.
When you purchase an electronic fuel monitoring system (EFMS), you’re not just buying a tool or one-off service – you’re investing in a critical part of your operational infrastructure. Selecting a vendor should be as strategic as any other decision that has a long-term impact on your business.
Ensure your selected vendor has a culture that aligns with yours by checking:
Remember that your employees are your first feedback regarding your selected vendor’s performance. Their day-to-day interactions with the product mean they will be the first to feel the impact of poorly considered choices. Low morale can lead to decreased employee engagement, reduced job satisfaction, and higher employee turnover.
So, try to find a vendor who understands that the actual value of the relationship emerges after the EFMS installation. With a foundation of shared values, mutual respect, and open communication, you set the scene for a long-term partnership and continuous innovation focused on delivering more efficient operations and a loyal, happier workforce.
In summary, selecting the right digitization partner isn’t just about choosing the shiniest solution. You need to ask the right questions and focus on a vendor’s technology, experience, post-installation support, commitment to R&D, and cultural alignment. This will ensure you chose a partner equipped to help you navigate the complex challenges of fuel and fleet protection with clarity and confidence.
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