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1、TITLE IT in classDECKHEAD Classification societies, led by Bureau Veritas, ABS, Lloyds Register and DNV, are becoming very IT-savvy. They are building services and software to help shipowners manage their surveys, view survey reports and obtain information over the web.SUBHEAD Customer relationship
2、managementThe most important way class societies can use IT and the web is to manage the relationship they have with their customers. Rather than have all the reports on a paper-based system, the surveys can be available in electronic format. They can view the survey reports, download them and order
3、 surveys online.Software and online tools do not affect the core business of the class societies, which is, of course, keeping vessels up to scratch. But they do affect the way the class societies interact with their customers.The benefits of IT tools, the class societies say, has affected the busin
4、ess in many different ways. According to one, it has done a great deal to help the company develop its understanding of the relationship it has with its customers. LLOYDS REGISTER www.lr.orgPHOTOGRAPH ClassDirect surveys Caption: Managing your surveys using ClassDirect Lloyds Register makes its info
5、rmation available on ClassDirect live. Shipowners and fleet managers with vessels under the Lloyds system can access up-to-date survey listings over the web. The information is provided on two tiers. The first tier is free of charge, and allows owners and managers of LR-classed vessels to retrieve s
6、afety-critical class information. The second tier, which is charged at $1000/year, provides a great deal more information, including the full service history of the vessel. A number of new facilities have recently been introduced to the system. Clients can now customise their reports and download th
7、em to their own PCs; they can then fax or e-mail them to vessels or other offices. They can order surveys online; they can also access LRs rules and regulations. From a single screen, shipping companies can view the survey status of all the vessels in their fleets. A colour coding system is used, in
8、dicating if the survey is overdue. Shipowners and managers can book surveys in advance anywhere in the world. They inform LR of the sailing schedule through the website; LR can then schedule the surveys at a suitable time. ClassDirect information is also available through WAP. The ClassDirect survey
9、 recently won a “Knowledge Management Business“ Microsoft Digital Britain Award in the category “Best use of IT for improved decision making,“ sponsored by SAP and Management Today magazine. BUREAU VERITAS Photo available in print: Bernard Anne Bureau Veritas is taking its online services in a compl
10、etely original direction. It believes it can do a great deal to improve the use of e-commerce in the maritime industry and make people more comfortable with it. One of the most important benefits of electronic purchasing over normal purchasing is that the buyer can access a much wider array of suppl
11、iers than were previously available. The downside of this is that people are less comfortable doing business with people they do not know. The simple solution which Bureau Veritas suggests is to provide rating services for equipment vendors and the equipment they produce which can be incorporated in
12、to an e- commerce website. If you are dealing with a vendor you dont know, you can find out what Bureau Veritas thinks of the company; if it has a positive rating, it should give you much more confidence in doing business. Bureau Veritas is particularly interested in offering services for maritime e
13、quipment certification. It already claims some 25 per cent market share in the market for maritime equipment certification, and so already has a great deal of data which would be a terrific complement to a site selling maritime equipment. The company has already formed partnerhips with a number of o
14、nline trading companies, including Globalsources, i2i, ProXchange, Surplex and TradeCard, which will lead to its rating information being made available over these websites. “We want to bring some order to the internet jungle,“ says Bernard Anne, senior vice president of the marine division. “When c
15、lients want to buy products, they have to know what the quality is. We intend to evaluate the quality of the product.“ The company also plans to offer internet advisory and consultancy services, as well as a range of content services. This includes software tools to calculate the vibration in a ship
16、 design and quality control of vendors. A special team is being established in Buffalo, New York State, to specialise in e-business for the company. The company has launched ACTSnet, a suite of tools which can be used for quality assurance. This includes tools to manage and distribute and analyse data. Bureau Veritas is also offering e-business consulting services. This includes assessing a companys e-business projects and improving their
