Marimsys SHORE BASE is an MIS, a Management Information System. It manages the flow of information between a fleet and the various support personnel and stakeholders ashore. This interchange enables the vessels and shore based personnel and suppliers to work more closely together, achieving greater efficiencies of operation.
Authorizations are at the base of the system. It delivers the particular information required by the particular stakeholder to integrate better into the overall information flow - and locks unauthorized information from system users. For instance the President will want to see vessel positions on a map, click on vessels to learn catches, and see who is scheduled for vacations next trip - and he wants to do it from his hotel room in Vladivostok. The fuel oil supplier needs information just as to vessel ETA's and estimated tonnage to load, by e-mail. The Captain wants a report on lifeboat permit expiration dates. The fleet manager wants the maintainence history on the #2 generator on one vessel that seems to be running high service costs. The system provides the necessary information to each according with his authorizations.
The task is two-fold. There is the medium in which the communications take place, which can range from information passed in a VHF radio conversation, manually entered into the SHORE BASE system and then retransmitted over the shoreside LAN; to fully digital satellite database reports passed directly from one database aboard into another database ashore, with SHORE BASE automatically creating reports and then distributing them to specified persons worldwide via encoded e-mail. The other side of the task is "the message", what it consists of, and to whom it goes and how its privacy is assured. This can range from passing along to the indicated recipient just the e-mail type message that comes in addressed to a particular person or office; to adding the incoming data to other information already in the database and generating new summary management reports.
The basic system is capable of linking conventional marine communications radio (including cellular and satellite telephone connections, Inmarsat 'A, 'B, 'C or 'M, ORBCOMM, and conventional VHF / UHF). Modifications for other communications systems are the adaptation or "plug-in" of other digital protocols. On the land side the system is designed to operate in a computer which has a network connection to the necessary networks; this might include the LAN, a WAN, the Internet and a shoreside satellite reception / transmission system. With LES (Low Earth Satellite) linkups this frequently means utilizing the inherent "store and forward" system capabilities. The system is designed to mesh with the communications media available, and the fleet communications systems in place, to create a seamless network of ships and land based support and management personnel.
The system graphically displays fleet positioning on the shore-based computer using either directly received position reports (whether directly from the satellite system, included in messages as part of the message text, or from copies of e-mails, generally received as part of an EEZ position reporting, or fishery management system). Access to this fleet disposition screen can be provided to local fleet management, or to management anywhere in the world over the Internet. You can look at your screen located in the office in Vigo, or from your hotel room in Madagascar, and see your vessels in the Southern Ocean. And then check fish in the hold, incoming lists for Maintenance at various ports, fuel authorizations emitted - and by whom, personnel aboard and scheduled replacements - status of personnel ashore to change out replacements ...
A variety of systems have entered the market in recent years oriented toward organizational or "enterprise" efficiency. These systems aim to bring the benefits of conventional management information systems down to all levels of the organization and its outside contractors. Through providing many more members of the organization with better information, it is possible for these personnel to do their jobs better - they are "empowered". These systems have not entered the marine market past the level of message routing for an individual satellite system, such as the many Inmarsat 'C or 'M messaging systems - because the goal of these vendors is essentially to increase message traffic. The serious providers of enterprise efficiency software such as SAP, have not penetrated the inherent difficulties of marine communications.
SHORE BASE is designed to bring the benefits of better information flow to help make decisions. Besides managing communications it reports fleet logistics and communications by department. It is oriented toward the routine information needs and flows of a fleet and to perform basic fleet administration tasks such as assembling communications over time in Maintenance, Nets and Fleet Operations. Point and click answers are available to questions like: ETA of the vessel? How much fish is aboard, when was the first fish for the trip put in the hold? How much fuel is aboard? What is the "To Do" work list when it arrives?
Marimsys SHORE BASE is a communications and management information systems backbone for shore - fleet communications. The system is capable of "out of the box" fleet management using conventional marine communications. If the client desires to fully integrate the system with enterprise information flows and needs, the full range of report customization and security settings possible using the MS Access database is available. A full management information system can be customized to the needs of the enterprise - complete with custom reports, and individual security for access to information. Likewise, custom communications and security protocols can be "plugged-in" to the basic system to facilitate unique combinations of hardware / computer and network protocols / security needs and information flows.
We would be delighted to present the basic system and to discuss your information needs. Marine Imaging Systems consulting is keyed to design a complete enterprise information system which precisely corresponds to individual Client needs.
Other fleet level products of Marine Imaging Systems
SIRS HRPT (Satellite Infrared Reception System - High Resolution Picture Transmission) Scientific grade NOAA satellite reception for thermal, climatic and cloud analyses. This system is typically mounted in the head offices of fishing companies, universities and ministries. It suits fleets where the fishing cycle is less than about 5 days (depending upon current variability in the target zone) and hence new updated satellite infrared thermal images can be passed to vessels when they dock.
SIRS-APT (Satellite Infrared Reception System - Analog Picture Transmission) This is the VHF based, line of sight infrared reception system which is ideal to place aboard fishing vessels. Its' use aboard is indicated for vessels that have a fishing cycle of greater than 5 days (during which time the currents generally change) and who thus cannot receive fresh images from their land base. The system is designed for simplicity of operation, is relatively inexpensive and is widely used in tuna fleets.
Marimsys BRIDGE, the individual vessel chart data collection and vessel plotting system works well in fleets. Charts made with the data of one vessel can be used in another, thus enabling the more rapid creation of a complete series of charts for the fleet home area. Fishing information can be selectively and easily passed from one vessel to another. Reports generated by the ship system can be easily meshed with SHORE BASE reporting capabilities ashore through common compression and codification algorithms, and adding information directly from one database to another. The data intensive operations can be done on the SHORE BASE computer ashore, thereby minimizing the amount of data transferred to shore, and the processing that takes place aboard.
Please click on links below for information on vessel level systems.