January 2023 Edition

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January 2023 Edition

Welcome to the January edition of The Chart Room, where we’ll be diving into the exciting world of digital shipbuilding! In the last edition of The Chart Room, we shared our vision of how to take a “People First Approach to Digital Transformation.” In this edition, we will focus on the topic of digital shipbuilding – an outcome from the business transformation underway in the marine industry today.

Furthermore, we have shared a brief overview of our Marine Business Consulting service and how we strive towards paving the way to process excellence. As for a product tip, all our ShipConstructor users are in for a pleasant surprise!

Finally, we have also shared some exciting customer wins as well as what to expect from InnovMarine in the coming months.

 

Industry

 

Digital Transformation: According to Wikipedia, digital transformation is defined as “… the adoption of digital technology by an organization to digitize non-digital products, services or operations. The goal for its implementation is to increase value through innovation, invention, customer experience or efficiency.” Digital transformation is supported by technology, and at InnovMarine, we believe a “people first” approach is paramount to a successful outcome.

 

Digital Shipbuilding: Surprisingly, there is no entry in Wikipedia for “digital shipbuilding”. For the sake of simplicity, let’s just say that digital shipbuilding is the “application of digital transformation to the business of shipbuilding”. Or, as we like to say, business transformation to digital shipbuilding.

 

Part 1: The Digital Shipyard

The “digital shipyard” is the term applied to the adoption of Industry 4.0 capabilities in designing, building, maintaining of ships and submarines as well as using this technology to monitor and maintain the associated infrastructure (design/build/sustain)

 

Part 2: Technologies of the Digital Shipyard and Digital Shipbuilding

An article written by Bernard Ash, Accenture’s (Australia) Director Aerospace & Defense and posted to LinkedIn in October 2018: Digital Shipyard sounds great but what is it? The technologies making it possible, gives an in-depth insight into the enabling technologies for digital shipyard.

 

In this article, Bernard describes the “Thirteen capabilities that can successfully propel a shipyard into the digital age”, what they are and why they’re important. In order presented, they are 3D Modeling, Digital Twin, Industrial IoT, Additive Manufacturing, Virtual Design, 3D Scan, High Performance Computing, Augmented Reality, Master Data Management (MDM), Machine Learning & AI, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Supply Chain Tower, and Secure Collaboration.

 

Let’s take a brief look at MDM – Master Data Management. In his article, Bert states that MDM “… is underpinned by a set of technologies that makes it possible to have a single view on all the data across an enterprise.” Sound familiar? If it does, you may, like many of us, be thinking the same thing: PLM, ERP, MRP, MES, CPP, etc. While all are important, PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) is seen as one of the foundational technologies that the marine industry, including designers, shipbuilders, class societies, and owners, are betting on as vital to achieving a successful transition to digital shipbuilding and the digital shipyard.  

Click <HERE> to read the full article.

 

Part 3: Digital Shipbuilding and the Digital Thread

An important outcome of a successful transformation to digital shipbuilding is the creation of a Digital Thread.  In shipbuilding, this is represented by the creation, capture, and storage of all the digital data created by stakeholders in the vessel lifecycle, such as in a PLM tool which considers all shipbuilding disciplines and all the associated information for vessel manufacturing and lifecycle. This can include everything from the owner’s original ship specifications, the builders as-constructed digital twin, and the vessels operating data and maintenance history. No digital shipbuilding, no digital thread!

For a good read on the digital twin vs. digital thread discussion, check out a November 2019 blog post by Denis Morais, SSI’s CEO.

 

The Last Word

We have briefly discussed on the ‘what’ (Digital Shipyard) and the ‘how’ of digital shipbuilding (Tools that enable it and creation of Digital Thread). Now for the ‘why’, there are several benefits to adopting digital shipbuilding and to list a few, these are:

 

Improved Efficiency: Streamline processes, resulting in faster turnaround times and more efficient use of resources. For example, using 3D modeling and simulation software can help to identify potential design flaws before construction begins, reducing the need for costly rework.

 

Cost Savings: Reduce costs associated with materials and labor by using additive manufacturing techniques that can help reduce the amount of material used in construction, resulting in cost savings.

 

Increased Safety: Improved safety by using digital twin technology to simulate and test the performance of a vessel before it’s built and, also identify potential safety hazards before construction begins, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries.

It is becoming a business imperative for today’s modern shipbuilders, big and small. The many factors affecting the marine industry today, including global supply chain challenges, skilled workforce shortages, vessel complexity, ever increasing owner demands, global competition, etc., is what is driving smart shipbuilders to adopt digital shipbuilding methodologies.  In the words of Andrew Grove 3rd CEO of Intel Corporation “There are two options: adapt or die.” 

This is a condensed version of the article Digital Shipbuilding – An Industry Primer. To read the full version click <HERE>

 

Problem? We have the solution!

 


Problem: Planning/Production Manager – “We use MS Excel for punching time, managing all projects, and estimating new project size. This is a manual process and leaves room for human error that has led to production delays, costly rework, missed deadlines, and unrealized earned value payments. Our current planning & production control systems are not integrated with our ERP system. Information necessary to make real-time, informed decisions is not available to us when we need it.”

 

Solution: Production planners or work preparators are heavily dependent on bringing together insights from various sources to make decisions that will determine the efficiency of the shipyard in the upcoming weeks and months. Integrated planning & production control tools, such as those found in today’s advanced manufacturing execution systems (MES) would help them be more capable of sustaining the optimized building strategy, apply granular production norms and standards and, in turn be more specific in directing the work packages for the various trades.

 

Marine Business Consulting

  • Identifies low-risk, high-return improvement opportunities to achieve business goals.
  • Builds solid, long-term solutions.
  • Implements well-known improvement methodologies.
  • Focuses on delivering measurable results.
  • Considers impacts on people first, process second and technology third.
  • Creates sustainable change for every customer.

For all our ShipConstructor users, here are a few hacks that will save you time and improve the way you use the tool. Click here to download the PDF.

Innovmarine & Our Customers

 

InnovMarine updates

We will be attending Mari-tech 2023, in Vancouver, BC, from April 18-20, 2023, this year and are excited to invite all our customers to join us. More details to follow in our next newsletter.

We believe in happy customers, and we consider Customer Satisfaction as vital to our success. We will be reaching out with a short survey and would love to hear from you on how we are doing and how we can improve our services. This survey will be sent in March 2023 and will highly appreciate your participation in helping us serve you better.

 

Customer Success

We would like to share the news of Ocean Group who have recently acquired Verrault Shipyard increasing their capacity and expertise to meet the needs of their customers. Ocean Group has a solid expertise in the realization of large-scale projects, notably due to the important contract for the construction of four large tugs for the Canadian National Defence, which will put the company in a more than enviable position to obtain new contracts in shipbuilding and repair.