Digital workload at sea is rising and there’s an urgent need for joined‑up systems, writes Raal Harris, the vice president of InterManager.
InterManager’s members have long supported the drive toward smarter, data led operations, but they are increasingly clear about the practical strain that digitalisation is placing on seafarers. Crews recognise the value of technology and rely on it when it is well implemented. What concerns them is the growing volume of standalone platforms and reporting tools that do not work together and often complicate already demanding routines.
The recent Splash Seafarers magazine echoes what managers have been hearing from crews for several years. New applications arrive on board for understandable reasons. Some are linked to equipment, others to customer requirements, and many are introduced to meet regulatory obligations. Yet each one brings its own format, login, and workflow. Instead of reducing administrative burden, this expanding patchwork of systems frequently creates unnecessary duplication and forces seafarers to move between platforms that behave in entirely different ways.
Shipmanagers encounter similar challenges on shore. They oversee fleets with diverse equipment types and operate under varied commercial arrangements, which means data reaches them through an assortment of systems that were never designed to interconnect. The result is information that is plentiful but inconsistent. Managers often spend valuable time reconciling datasets, correcting formatting issues, or trying to combine reports that were never intended to align. This slows decision making and dilutes the value of the data they work hard to collect.
These difficulties do not stem from a lack of ambition. Shipmanagers have invested heavily in digital capability, and many are actively piloting new technologies that hold real promise. There is also a recognition that managers and customers have a role to play in making digital tools work better in practice. That means engaging earlier with technology providers, sharing operational experience, and being clear about how systems are actually used on board. When managers participate in pilots, suppliers are far better placed to develop tools that reflect real working conditions at sea.
The problem is that digital systems have been added over time, rather than designed to work together from the start. Technology providers are often asked to solve specific issues in isolation, which can result in tools that work well individually but create friction when used together. Without closer cooperation across the industry, seafarers are left to manage the consequences of systems that do not naturally fit alongside one another. When crews are expected to use multiple applications simply to complete a single task, the industry cannot claim that digitalisation is easing life at sea.
As environmental regulations expand and reporting demands grow more complex, the need for coherent digital infrastructure becomes even more pressing. Managers require tools that can consolidate information, present it clearly, and support decisions under time pressure. Artificial intelligence may eventually help by smoothing inconsistencies and reducing manual workload, but its value will depend on having reliable, well structured data. That can only be achieved if those who collect the data, those who rely on it, and those who build the systems work more closely together.
If digitalisation is to succeed, it must be shaped around the people who rely on it every day. Seafarers need tools that reduce friction rather than add to it, and interfaces that reflect the realities of shipboard life, where connectivity is uneven and workload is already high. Ship managers need systems that create clarity rather than complexity.
The industry is not short of ideas or innovation. What is needed now is a more practical, cooperative approach. By working in partnership with technology providers, sharing information responsibly, and testing new systems on board and in day to day operations, managers and customers can help ensure digitalisation delivers genuine benefits for crews. If we get this right, digital tools can move from being a source of pressure to a genuine support for safer and more efficient operations. InterManager’s members are ready to play their part and are calling on the wider industry to do the same.
