Singapore’s DATE Centre Asia marks ten years of service
It’s the first technical service centre outside DNV’s headquarters in Norway to support ship managers and owners 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Sanjiv Mishra, Head of Section, DATE® Centre Asia, talks about the impact DATE has had in its ten years of operation and how it continues to evolve.
Featuring in this interview
Sanjiv Mishra, Head of Section, DATE® Centre Asia, DNV
Sanjiv is a maritime engineering professional with more than 28 years of experience on board and ashore. He supported the development and roll-out of DNV’s remote survey programme and its effective implementation for Asian customers. He joined the Technical Support Management Team of DNV’s DATE service centre in Singapore right from the beginning and took over as head of section in 2019.
Why was it necessary to set up such a service in the first place?
The regulatory landscape, both global and local, showed signs of becoming increasingly complex ten years ago. So, our technical experts have to keep themselves up to date to provide quick explanations and authoritative answers to ship operators, who are often under enormous time pressure. They are always in need of getting the latest clarification and interpretation of rules, so they can always remain in compliance with local and international requirements wherever they are. As we now have new and changing technologies at our disposal, as well as new conventions to improve the safety of life at sea and to protect the environment, we have to make sure this is accessible at all times. DNV felt it was timely – and very necessary – to make sure all owners and managers of ships in our class had access to the latest information 24/7 from what we call “a one-stop shop” for all compliance needs.
How does the help desk actually work?
DATE literally provides “Direct Access to Technical Experts” whenever and wherever help is needed – 24/7 via fleet status at Veracity or by email. The service is also available via a mobile application for iOS and Android. With our easy-to-use solution, ship operators gain quick and easy access to more than 200 experts across the globe who are ready to answer all sorts of questions, but mostly related to class and regulatory matters. Cases are routed to our technical experts in one of the DATE centres – if not Singapore, then Høvik, Hamburg, Piraeus or Houston, therefore covering all time zones. We make sure we have technical experts on hand from many disciplines including class systematics, hull, machinery, MARPOL and SOLAS. While shipboard incidents like grounding, flooding, listing and structural damage are referred to DNV’s Emergency Response Service (ERS), DATE experts support ship operators with repair evaluations, rule interpretations, questions on survey requirements, and clarifying PSC findings for prompt closure. They are also authorized to issue class and statutory certificates, and to conduct remote surveys.
How do you measure the impact of a service like DATE?
The Singapore DATE centre has transformed in the last ten years from a team of surveyors to technically experienced experts who are able to respond to owners’ urgent queries in the same time zone. We started with five employees in 2012, mainly to bridge the time gap with the head office in Europe. The initial intention of the unit was to provide technical support to surveyors and business development teams in Asian time zones. We received positive feedback from the surveyors and other front-line staff who interacted with the customers and provided prompt responses. Now the seven-person DATE team in Singapore handles approximately 450 inquiries from ship operators and conducts 225 remote surveys each month. Since all DATE experts work on a common platform, the Singapore centre also takes care of cases from other time zones, for example from the US, after the Houston office has closed for the day. A total of 65,000 DATE cases were logged worldwide in 2021, averaging about 180 per day.
How have more recently available technologies helped the DATE centre do an even better job?
To ensure the fastest possible response, DATE also uses machine learning (ML) technology. The ML algorithm identifies a question’s type and urgency, and cases are routed to the right experts accordingly, with the time frame marked by the querist in the Veracity portal. For less complex queries, FAQ management based on machine learning (DATE Digital Assistance) helps customers get immediate answers. We also make sure we have the best available communication equipment to help us, since we all realized during the pandemic – whether on land or at sea – that we have become even more reliant on advanced devices and communication platforms. We also found that providing Direct Access to Technical Experts has been an essential service, especially during the pandemic, which has put additional strains on ship operations. But technology alone cannot do the job. Human intervention is a vital requirement, and that’s why we started DATE in the first place. We are giving ship managers and owners direct access to real people equipped with the knowledge and the technology to provide assistance where it’s needed most.
How does DATE compare to what others in the maritime industry are offering?
It seems we have something unique here in the industry. By its very nature, it’s a service that provides direct access to technical expertise 24/7, something that is only provided by DNV for its global network of vessel owners and operators. Maybe this is because DNV is also in an ideal position as the world’s leading classification society and a recognized adviser to the maritime industry. If we’re here to enhance the safety, quality, energy efficiency and environmental performance of the global shipping industry – across all vessel types and offshore structures – we’re also here to deal with all sorts of issues as they crop up at sea or in port. We know from customer feedback that we are on the right track. The average customer rating on DATE’s service is 4.8 (out of 5). But we’re always on the lookout for ways to expand or improve our service. DATE is not standing still. Like the industry it serves, it’s always moving forward progressively.