Videotel Performance Manager’s scope combines Videotel’s extensive training content range with KVH’s power of web-based data analytics, the company claimed.
By providing managers with actionable insights about their fleets’ training activities, the new system is designed to help increase operational efficiency, safety and crew performance.
The cloud-based software platform ensures that a crew’s latest training records are accessible from any web-enabled device and interactive, dynamically produced reports and dashboards present easy-to-view data about crew performance, skill levels, strengths, weaknesses and training schedules.
Tanker and bulker shipmanagement company, Thenamaris, one of the early users of Videotel Performance Manager, explained the benefits: “It offers a wide range of sophisticated features and reports enabling our marine personnel team to have accurate and timely insight of the training progress per person, per vessel, per title,” said Yannos Koudounas, performance & development supervisor, Thenamaris (Ships Management). “Consequently, this application becomes a valuable tool in decision-making for our seafarers’ on board training plans. We like its simplicity and the fact that it is constantly upgraded with new features. Most of all, we have found that it is well-supported by a skilful and fast-responding team.”
At the core of Videotel Performance Manager’s training management tools is the user-friendly web application, which was developed with input from maritime training professionals.
Key features include:
· Crew Management – for managing seafarers’ training programmes as they move from vessel to vessel.
· Training Reports – for seeing what training is being carried out, where, and by whom, and for generating evidence of compliance required during an external audit or ship inspection.
· Schedule Builder – for creating training plans for seafarers based on an established safety management system.
· Performance Monitoring – for tracking progress of crew against a recommended schedule of training.
“The ability to quickly see the training status of all seafarers in a fleet provides important advantages for a maritime training manager,” said Mark Woodhead, KVH senior vice president, EMEA. “With an easy-to-use dashboard, the manager can assess the precise level of a crew’s training, preparation and compliance, which ultimately helps to keep operating costs low, and reduce safety and financial risk. This isn’t just record keeping, it’s valuable intelligence for maritime training managers.”
Videotel Performance Manager is available in three different packages - Essential, Professional, and Master, that vary in the number of features and training titles provided.
All the packages include Crew Management, Training Reports, Schedule Builder, and Performance Monitoring. Additional features will be added over time, the company said.
Woodhead also said at a presentation that face-to-face training was still a valuable tool but this depends on the skill of the trainer in passing on information and the time available to both parties.
He confirmed that around five shipping companies were currently using the software on dozens of vessels and that it took around two years to develop the platform.
An in-depth look at Videotel Performance Manager will appear within Tanker Operator’s November Training Systems feature.