NMS Supports The Mission to Seafarers With Its Latest Online Solution
Newport Maritime Services (NMS) launched its online platform for booking ship repair, conversion and retrofit projects in January which it expects will bring a step change to the industry that is looking to adapt its digitalisation capabilities.
Through its intuitive interface, NMS provides shipowners and ship managers with a fully automated booking and management platform for high quality drydocking, retrofit and conversion works that delivers priority access, on-demand pricing and real-time shipyard availability. Through this streamlined approach, shipowners can reduce risk, improve cost management and futureproof the ship repair process.
NMS’ Managing Director, Ege Akcasoy, outlined how the NMS platform bridges the gap between shipowners and shipyards: “Digitalisation is on the agenda of all companies operating in the shipping industry, but the sector also remains true to its traditional roots. We wanted to introduce an online tool that works in harmony with the people that make the ship repair sector what it is today, enabling greater transparency and thereby validating the trust and personal relationships that this industry is built on.”
The introduction of this new digital tool also stands to support the industry with its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) mandate. Audit trails, data points, real-time information and the transparency that comes with further digitalisation all serve to help the ship repair and conversion sector clearly communicate what it is doing and how it is doing it.
Currently, some elements of ESG are largely self-determined and self-enforced. This will inevitably change as we progress in finding solutions but there will no doubt be bumps in the road. Doing the right thing without an expectation of gain could be classed as a benefit itself, but so is genuine, long-term sustainability. Ancillary benefits also include easier access to finance and on a larger scale, so it is a challenge we must collaboratively rise to.
Through implementation of the right processes and digital tools to communicate information in the right way, NMS believes that the sector can attract interest from a broader set of investors and tentatively look forward to a more prosperous and sustainable future.
NMS has decided to support The Mission to Seafarers through the framework of sign-ups that will see a donation being made for every sign-up the platform receives. NMS to support the cause has been based on the notable work that the institution has been carrying out over these troubled months.
Akcasoy comments about the decision to support The Mission to Seafarers: “The focus of funds under Sustaining Crew Welfare are near and dear to our hearts at NMS. We are in the fortunate position to be able to understand some of the key issues seafarers face on a daily basis and grateful to be able to allocate resources to contribute to some of these causes. Considering over 90% of the global trade is carried by seatrade, we strongly encourage everyone to help to the extent they are able. We look forward to further collaboration with The Mission to Seafarers”
As part of its genuine, holistic and consensus building ESG approach, NMS believes that companies need to demonstrate and prove better awareness around these topics, including how they factor these in with a company’s decisions and operations.
