MSC Cyprus standardises its fleet communications with Entel
Background
With a reputation for effective frontline-driven management and delivering cost efficiencies, Cyprus-based MSC has experienced considerable organic growth in recent years.
The company now manages more than 500 vessels and crews. Having exceeded a five-year target by achieving this growth within three, MSC has demonstrated that standardised equipment, fixed costs and reduced pressure on resources improves efficiencies and provides competitive advantage.
The Management Challenge
As one of the few shipping companies to achieve a suite of Quality, Environmental, and Energy Management and other recognised ISO standards, MSC is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards across its fleet, particularly onboard safety.
Nowhere are safety standards more critical than in ensuring that every vessel can rely on its onboard daily communications, firefighter and GMDSS survival craft handsets. However, as with all evolving technology, radio handset models change, and warranties expire, so many shipping companies struggle to keep track of thousands of devices.
The lack of a standardisation strategy resulted in a wide variety of onboard radios across the fleet, this is typical of most shipping companies. The challenge of keeping track of thousands of portables and ensuring all are fit for purpose was a big overhead for MSC. Radios on board were from various manufacturers including Entel, Motorola, Icom, Kenwood and others, purchased at different times, from different suppliers around the world, MSC found that just keeping track of the number of sets onboard, warranties, and frequencies was challenging. Added to this, the MSC purchasing team also had to handle a large volume of time consuming RFQ’s for new handsets from different brands each week.
Single Brand Managed Solution
Entel, a market leader in design and manufacturing commercial-grade maritime onboard communications, had been supplying radio handset equipment to MSC through a dealer for several years. As the relationship developed, it became clear that MSC had a huge overhead in supporting the wide variety of radios in use across its fleet and standardising on a single brand would be a better and more cost-effective solution.
Outlining clear, specific and demanding requirements, the MSC management team started discussions with Entel and our dealer.
After an initial exploration, it became evident that meeting MSC’s expectations was logistically too challenging for the dealer. However, although Entel’s primary focus is proactively promoting its brand and developing market share through its global network of dealers, the company has a direct specialist division geared to provide large-scale managed solutions direct to shipping companies. This specialist team was ideally placed to provide one point of contact globally for all onboard handsets and deliver the single brand, managed solution MSC required.
Utilising Entel’s three global distribution hubs – the UK, Philippines and Korea – an aggressive 12-month rollout was agreed upon, with prices fixed for the entire three years of the contract and standard warranties extended from 24 to 36 months. As an additional benefit, MSC could also part-exchange some of its more recently purchased units to support the new budget spend.
Warrantying Standards
From the outset, the dedicated Entel team has been responsible for maintaining records of frequencies used by each ship, a log of each type of radio onboard, serial numbers, supply data and warranty details. They ensure all vessels meet radio compliance requirements, including keeping track of GMDSS primary battery expiry dates and encouraging best practice, such as alternating batteries with spare units to prolong life and reduce ongoing costs.
The Entel-managed service gives MSC complete visibility of all its radio assets across the fleet, guaranteeing standards, compatibility and accessibility and providing technical support where needed. For example, Entel has solved the onboard issue of cost-effectively addressing radio range problems on many ships using Entel-provided passive aerial systems. Crews now have coverage in all critical areas of the vessels.
Steve Mulka, product manager, commented, “Passive aerial systems are inexpensive and simple to install onboard; ideal for overcoming range issues.”
Entel also worked closely with MSC fire teams to test their latest CXR bone conductive technology throat microphones; a safety critical accessory that delivers clear, intelligible communications at all times, even under the harshest conditions. After trials, the MSC Firefighter teams concluded that not the CXR bone conductive throat mics were easy to wear under protective equipment, but crucially did not pick up ambient noise.
About Entel
Entel offers a complete portfolio of onboard portable products from VHF, UHF, intrinsically safe, MED Fire Fighter and GMDSS survival craft products, supported by a strong network of global dealers. We pride ourselves on delivering product excellence with unparalleled support.
