24/7 maritime IT support needs no further explanation. We’re always available to support our partners at sea. But what is proper?
Proper means "of the required or correct type or form; suitable or appropriate." It doesn't sound too tricky, but identifying "proper" is easier said than done when supporting complex maritime and offshore operations.
Proper know-how
Your IT systems are essential tools for supporting your OT systems. Whether for safety or efficiency, you digitalize to improve your operations. To properly support an IT system supporting an OT system, you must understand the purpose of the OT system itself.
Which functions of an IT system are critical to maintain, and which ones belong in the "nice to have" frame of your Maslow? This insight is essential to support maritime and offshore operations properly.
As in most projects, it starts with "why." If the purpose of an IT system is unknown, it's also hard to recommend a proper fit and provide support when needed. Understanding the context of the IT systems you supply and support is critical.
State-of-the-art IT systems on board have little to no value on their own. However, with knowledge of the operations they support, the baseline for identifying the sense of ticket urgency is strong.
Proper timing
To support or not support—that's never the question. When to support, however, usually is. Downtime in one system at a specific time can be inconvenient, while another can be safety or business-critical.
Subsequently, supporting for the sake of supporting can take time and effort. On the other hand, patience when a situation requires urgency can be disastrous.
So, what do you do when a crew member contacts IT support from the middle of the sea on a Friday night? First, you immediately take the call and listen to his request. But do you act? The proper answer is as simple as it is complicated: It depends.
Ships are constantly moving and seldom available from shore. Physical attendance needs to be planned and coordinated in detail. Wireless internet communications are subject to restrictions in certain areas and/or blindspots, sometimes leaving the ships completely offline. In other words, timing is everything.
Proper execution
Whether the task calls for immediate resolution, future troubleshooting, or a note for dry-docking, you'll want someone to take it seriously. All deviations from standard procedures, however small or seemingly unimportant, can be a lesson or area of improvement.
And with safety, cyber security, or the risk of delayed operations on the line, you will only settle for experts. Whether you depend on an onboard technician or a remote access consultant, you cannot leave anything to chance.
There are countless skilled technicians and data analysis specialists across the globe that you can rely on to get the task at hand done. After all, IT is a borderless professional field? Only maritime and offshore IT isn't.
A vessel can be a harsh environment for hardware and operations, infrastructure, and schedules, calling for extra measurements and robust solutions. Choose a maritime IT partner with the know-how, timing, and execution to support it properly.
