Driven by safer navigation and cost-effectiveness, Stolt-Nielson canceled the paper chart using an electronic version of the 3-screen Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). However, training is also important.

      During the implementation of the new shipbuilding program for its 20 ships, the Norwegian multi-cabin LTL tanker operator Stolt-Nielson concluded that it is no longer cost-effective to place a global chart of up to $35,000 on each ship. It should be replaced by a complete paperless operation. The first batch of five tankers to be delivered has already done so. There is no paper chart on board, instead it is a 3-screen ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) device.
       "What we want with our customers is safety," said Petter Brandt, head of sailing at the company. "The goods vary greatly, from relatively harmless olive oil to industrial substances containing cyanide and phenyl. The latter is more dangerous in the event of an accident and has a significant impact on the environment and the company's reputation." 
      However, if installing ECDIS instead of paperless navigation, Mr. Brandt also knows that there must be significant cost benefits. "We are equipped with these small devices on board, not equipped for equipment, but to transition to electronic charts, we have experienced safer navigation and higher cost-effectiveness."
      Among the crew members on a typical ocean-going ship, there are four officers who drive the ship. In addition to the core work of transporting goods, the team is also under tremendous pressure to meet many of the requirements for port control and the Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE). "Using paper charts, these senior crew members will be trapped in fixing the position of the ship on the chart. From my point of view, this is a transactional job that the senior crew should not do," Mr. Brandt said.
      The electronic chart means that the position will be automatically corrected, and Mr. Brandt estimates that this will save 1000-1500 man-hours per ship. "Instead, they can get a better break and concentrate on more valuable tasks, such as handling goods."
      Mr. Brandt observed that when companies were looking for training units, especially for the driver of the driving department, most organizations liked to show off the fancy visuals of their most advanced simulation systems. Although this may have been a factor in screening in the past few years, this is no longer the case today. "We must remember that the simulator is just a tool for instructors, and more importantly, the skills and attitudes of the instructors themselves."
      Using this as a yardstick, Stolt-Nielson chose two units for training. One in Europe and one in the Philippines. The company has set up the same replicas of its standard ECDIS system at these two training points and, as far as practicable, ensures that the basic configuration is the same.
      Team work is always important for effective cab management. Mr. Brandt found that switching to paperless operations provided more opportunities for senior crew members to gain experience. "In the past, they were at the chart table almost all the time, after the correction and plotting of the position. Because the electronic chart makes this work unnecessary, we can let them do more work," he said. Explain.
      Stolt-Nielson has always advocated the use of the navigator/deputy navigator system when ships enter the port. Part of the reason for this was that they felt about the "personal show" of the navigator and the experience of causing the navigator to safely maneuver the ship into port and cause damage to the ship. On the contrary, one time when passing through the US inland waters, a third officer was asked to replace the sub-navigator. It is understandable that the captain was nervous at first. But now he is very satisfied with this new way of working. He can see His crew grew and played a role, while becoming more confident.
      "The result is that they become a team that is more closely integrated. Because they no longer need to bury their heads to constantly correct the position of the ship, they can look out the window, thus helping to understand the surrounding situation. It sounds like it is not Possible, but looking at the direction of the ship's progress, if any problems occur, they can handle it better."
      Stolt believes that new members entering the company should have received basic training in operating ECDIS. “This technology is not new and has been around for more than 20 years. So for ship interns who graduated from the Maritime Academy, this should not be a problem. But before they boarded a paperless ship, we They will still be sent to a five-day training course offered by the manufacturer. At least one day will be spent learning the intricate details of our chart management software to order and obtain charts while the ship is in operation.
      Electronic charts can be delivered in a variety of ways, including sending CD-ROM discs to ports where ships are docked, via WiFi downloads at ports, or via satellite communications connections from ships. However, if used improperly, the latter method may be expensive and usually retained as a transfer license file (unlocked for charts already loaded in the system) or upgraded.
      "There was a ship driver trying to download a full CD-ROM image via the Inmarsat connection, which is really a costly mistake." Stolt says the problem is often overlooked, but it emphasizes that from a purely commercial point of view This is very important.