Podcast: Moving Beyond the Paper Process Mindset

Transas CEO Frank Coles

MARCH 12, 2018 — Never one to shy away from ruffling a few feathers, Frank Coles has embraced the role of disruptor. Coles, CEO of Transas, wants his company to be an integral player in the ongoing digitalization of the maritime industry. Transas has begun to provide AI-powered advanced decision support tools for operators that will make maritime operations safer, more efficient, and greener. That sounds great. So why isn’t the maritime industry embracing the full benefits of this digitalization?

“I’m afraid that all too often people think digitalization is all about technology, when it’s not,” says Coles. “Actually, well over 50% of the problem in digitalization is changing the culture of the company and changing the human attitude towards it. The resistance we meet is that you have people thinking in a paper process mindset, while trying to assimilate the use of technology. So we actually spend a lot of time trying to convince customers that they need to do things slightly differently. And then the technology will be of benefit to them.”

Marine Log recently had the opportunity to sit down with Coles at the Transas Global Conference 2018 in Vancouver, BC, Canada, to discuss his views of an integrated solution for e-Navigation, the Internet of Things, autonomous ships, and why regulators may pose one of the greatest challenges to the progress of digitalization in the maritime industry.

You can listen to the interview by clicking the play button below.