Although the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic felt intense, frantic and fractious, the ensuing months have given us all a chance to focus on what really matters – and this is particularly true for those operating in the marine and energy sectors.
Although the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic felt intense, frantic and fractious, the ensuing months have given us all a chance to focus on what really matters – and this is particularly true for those operating in the marine and energy sectors.
While much of the world was in some form of lockdown and everyday life as we knew it ground to a halt, marine and energy organisations had no choice but to continue operating and find ways to enable crew changes and wider organisational travel to continue.
After working closely with our marine and energy clients throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen that there has been a collective refocus on the elements of a travel programme that are absolutely essential in helping business to continue – one of these being achieving greater efficiency when it comes to crew travel.
Achieving greater efficiency has always been a challenge for the maritime and energy sectors and the context of a global pandemic has only served to amplify this. The logistics of crew travel have become significantly more complicated now that the threat of Covid-19 is present and so the idea of a smooth crew change could feel like a distant dream, but there are still ways to ensure that this is process is as cost-effective and time-efficient as possible, without compromising on duty of care to travellers.
Prior to the pandemic there was noticeable shift within the marine and energy sectors to adopt digital solutions as a way of achieving greater efficiency. Due to the strain on resources that has occurred due to the spread of Covid-19, there is still a tendency to rely on digital solutions to streamline travel processes, however marine and energy organisations should consider that this in itself can bring about
new challenges; “Now that things are digital, the management of data can be a problem. Ensuring that this is accessible and shared in the right format is essential to maintain efficiency,” explains Marjan van Vliet, global account manager at ATPI Marine & Energy.
We’ve assisted our clients in maintaining and improving the efficiency of their travel processes the entirety of the pandemic, and will continue to do so as the situation develops. In this short guide we’ll share what is really important for marine and energy organisations to focus on when it comes to efficiency right now:
Identify inefficient processes
Unfortunately for many crew and travel managers, crew rotations are a good example of a process that is at high risk of becoming inefficient, as each rotation involves various people working on it, usually a mix of internal and external involvement – and that’s before you add in the context of a global health crisis.
There are also the added logistical elements of dealing with port agents and the subsequent back and forth communication that this brings, which can only further increase the likelihood of a crew change not going to plan. For example, when crew arrive at a location there is often a need for ground transportation, but this will only happen if there has been communication between the shipping organisation, crew managers, port agents and the ground transportation supplier. There now also needs to be
reassurances made on both sides that the travel can take place in a Covid-19 secure environment and that the necessary measures have been taken in order to minimise risk of transmission.
If you’re looking to increase the efficiency of crew changes within your marine or energy organisation then the best way to start is to identify the weaknesses within your current processes, as this will provide the bare bones of a strategy for improvement. Pay particular attention to areas that involve a lot of stakeholders and management from multiple people, as it is often here that communication becomes challenging and time can be lost.
Adopt integrated travel technology
Crew being in possession of the correct travel documents and visas might sound like an obvious part of managing a rotation, but the reality of contending with different nationalities and varying entry requirements is anything but straightforward – particularly now that staying up to date with travel restrictions and visa requirements has taken on even more importance in light of Covid-19.
Using a travel profile system can simplify the process of managing travel documents for crew as they travel throughout the pandemic and beyond - especially if the system can integrate with your organisation’s current HR processes.
This technology should store all crew travel details and current visas – alerting crew managers when travel documents are due to expire and ensuring that delays due to incorrect paperwork are few. Using travel profile systems can also reduce the risk of delays caused by human error.
Examine your workflow systems
Complex travel booking processes that act as a game of ping-pong between aupplier and travel booker can be a real drain on time when resources are stretched and travel is not as simple as it once was.
The unpredictable nature of crew rotations means they rarely allowed for the use of traditional ‘corporate’ travel booking tools prior to Covid-19, but this has only been exacerbated as last minute travel restrictions are imposed around the world. Therefore it is worthwhile searching for a workflow management system that has been specifically designed for marine and energy organisations.
Tools built for these sectors should manage travel while integrating with payroll, HR and finance, as well as the functionality to request travel via your TMC - this will increase both accuracy and efficiency.
24/7 travel advice and alerts
A successful crew change has always been at the mercy of uncontrollable factors such weather, airport traffic or political or social unrest, but the outbreak of Covid-19 has really highlighted just how unpredictable the world can be, causing travel chaos around the world. However, it’s not the delays that impact your organisation’s efficiency – it’s the response. The inability to react to travel delays in a timely and flexible way is what leads to lost time and lost productivity.
Having 24/7 global support will take away the pressure off of your teams who are trying to amend rotation itineraries every time there is a change to scheduling or personnel. Alleviating this pressure is something that is essential right now,
whether that comes in the form of an online booking tool that will search for new travel options or simply a support team who will take over to find an alternative journey.
Technology can also help your organisation to fulfil its duty of care obligations. Traveller tracking tools will allow you to monitor your travellers and provide support when crises occur – ideally this will be via an online platform. This will help to increase efficiencies and provide ultimate control, as well as creating a much-need feeling of reassurance amongst your employees.
ATPI Marine & Energy will be appearing at Crew Connect Global Virtual 23-26 November 2020.
The conference agenda will bring together the global crewing community to inform and inspire change in recruitment & retention, training & safety at sea, and mental health & wellbeing.
Find out futher details here
