Responding to global COVID-19 travel restrictions, many firms are offering increased remote assistance to vessels where on-site visits are not an option.
Technology company ABB said Wednesday it has increased the remote availability of technical service teams to help crews from shore at the time when many countries close borders and impose travel restrictions to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With a network of 800 service engineers in 40 locations worldwide, ABB noted it is, wherever possible, assisting customers on site, from units closest to the vessel’s operation and in line with governmental measures. When on-site support is not feasible due to travel restrictions, ABB’s pool of experienced local service engineers has been made available to help crews remotely, with additional technical guidance from ABB Ability Collaborative Operations Centers situated around the globe, the company said.
Key to this approach is an integrated global network of centers and services that can take care of the full scope of ABB systems onboard vessels from afar. Today, with over 1,000 ships connected to the ABB Ability Collaborative Operations worldwide, digital services are at the core of supporting vessel crews from shore. ABB experts monitor onboard systems, coordinate equipment diagnostics and offer maintenance services 24/7 from eight ABB Ability Collaborative Operations Centers around the globe.
Furthermore, responding to customer requests, ABB has also introduced a basic level solution that enables secure access to onboard systems from ashore and enhanced digital support for crews.
“We are taking all possible steps to help our customers through this challenging period. Providing 24/7 care to ships sailing around the world with onboard and remote services is an integral part of our ‘Electric. Digital. Connected.’ approach,” said Juha Koskela, Managing Director, ABB Marine & Ports. “We are committed to assisting vessels globally, while putting the health and wellbeing of our employees, customers and partners first.”
Remote diagnostics of shipboard equipment has become a key feature of shipping over the last decade. Sensor-driven onboard monitoring software that fully integrates with analytics ashore plays a central role in facilitating this approach.
A number of other technology companies, equipment and services firms and classification societies have also increased their remote services offering as the coronavirus outbreak continues to affect global operations.