The implementation of a crewing strategy has a significant impact on operational cost, onboard safety and the well-being of the crew. There are many complex decisions to make when considering the best strategy or strategies for a fleet, which can have a lasting impact on the business of the company.
The Effective Crew Project is a two year research project, led by Solent University in association with InterManager, to establish the benefits and challenges of keeping a stable ‘top four’ together on board for more than one voyage.
Dr Kate Pike of Solent University said: “Some would call this back to back manning as opposed to a more fluid strategy, where people work on short term contracts without returning to the same vessel with the same people. Other industries, such as health care, aviation and professional sports, have shown numerous benefits from keeping teams working together but there has been very little research into this for the maritime industry despite crew costs often being as much as 50% of the ship’s operational budget.”
The Effective Crew Project is sponsored by Lloyds Register Foundation and the TK Foundation. The topic has generated much interest within the industry and the team have been working with many different shipping companies and other maritime stakeholders to collect data and provide new information on this subject.
This two year project will be completed in March 2019 and the research team are hosting a cross industry conference at the IMO to disseminate the findings and provide the opportunity to debate the topics arising from the research within themed panel discussions. If you are interested in attending, please note the details below and register on the link provided.
The Effective Crew Project Conference on January 31 2019 – Stable and fluid teams: Impacts on safety, welfare and finance – takes place at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) London. For tickets click here
