Seafair launches first digital platform for end-to-end crew management

Seafair launches first digital platform for end-to-end crew management
June 8, 2022 https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/06/08/business/maritime/seafair-launche...

TECHNOLOGY startup company Seafair officially launched this June, its crew management platform, a cloud-based, user-friendly software product that aims to radically transform the experience of stakeholders involved in maritime crewing.

This was announced by Agapitos Diakogiannis, Seafair chief executive officer (CEO), recently in a press statement wherein he also pointed out the irreversible impact of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine on maritime crewing.

He said, "Even best-in-class ship managers with optimized processes face the threat of deteriorating crew retention.

The crew departments are in a constant crisis management mode, and subsequently cannot strengthen planning and improve processes, at a time when these are most needed."

He said that while all companies have been impacted, the toll is significantly higher for all the companies that do not have the scale to invest in their tools — like a seafarer app or a data management system.

There is too much effort put on seafarer sourcing and crew changes, topics that were previously burning priorities. Compliance, for example, may now fall through the cracks, increasing the risk of incidents during inspections and remarks (or even blacklisted) in charterer audits.

Unlike other crewing ERP providers that serve as passive data repositories, Seafair's crew management platform allows crew departments to collaborate directly with internal (eg seafarers onboard, technical, accounting) and external partners (e.g. manning agents, port agents, seafarers on vacation) in one place.

This is the first time that shipping companies of any size can offer their own, customized app to their seafarers to help them track their documents, payroll, and automated notifications. The platform enables crew managers & operators by automatically providing the most relevant data every time they need to decide — like managing line-ups, aggregating interview results, and scheduling crew changes.

At the same time, all the non-value-adding activities, like data entry, are automated to free up time for what matters most. The platform is supported by state-of-the-art data infrastructure that automatically flags potential nonconformities and presents data in any form top management, employees or auditors may want to view.

On top of its innovative crewing features, the platform offers improved versions of features that already exist in the market, like MGA and rest-hours. Ship managers use Seafair's crew management platform to:

– Engage directly with seafarers to improve seafarer retention and satisfaction and accelerate their development

– Collaborate seamlessly with external vendors to minimize emergencies and hidden crewing costs

– Structure data to generate insights, achieve operational excellence, and ace audits/inspections.

Diakogiannis said, "We've seen shipping giants managing more than 300 vessels build competitive advantage over competitors by using their proprietary technology. We are proud to be serving shipping companies that may not have the scale to build their tools, but love shipping and crewing. Global trade relies on these great companies and we are excited to help them compete in these demanding market conditions."

Seafair is a technology startup offering maritime crewing software and digital manning services through its owned licensed agencies in Eastern Europe and the Philippines. Since its launch in 2020, it has raised $7 million and was awarded the Big Data company of the year by Lloyd's List in 2021. Seafair has offices in New York, Athens, Berlin, Manila and Odessa.