Can you please comment on how RightShip and INTERCARGO are now working to finalise the standard?
Having been working together for some months now it is great to see the synergies at play and we are both now working full speed to deliver the product to the industry. Through the various reviews that are taking place with the industry at large we will be able to turn the final draft into a final package for industry to work with and to ultimately achieve the goals of safety and operational excellence intended by the programme.
Please outline the most significant benefit of the partnership and how that in turn benefits the industry?
By harnessing the knowledge and experience of both organisations we have been able to create a standard that benefits from that wisdom and that will therefore benefit the industry as a whole. As has been stated many times in the past – this is a standard by the industry for the industry and I’m proud to have been able to play a part in that.
Are there any major challenges still to overcome before the standard is completed?
As with any major project I expect there to be many challenges to be faced and overcome probably of which the most difficult will be changing ‘hearts and minds’. There will always be those who, while embracing the challenge of improving safety, will not necessarily see DryBMS as the right catalyst and who will need to be convinced that this is the way to go.
With ‘management of change’ being a key theme within DryBMS my expectation is that we will turn any negative or neutral views into strong, positive voices for change.
Would you like to share any comments on the timeline from now until the standard is used actively in market?
We have waited a long time for this initiative to finally get off the ground and if it takes a few months more then I’m not particularly worried. It is my preference that we get this right first time and by spending a little time listening to the views of the end user we will do just that. 2021 seems like a good vintage to me so sometime this year would be fantastic.
Is there anything you would like interested parties to do now ahead of finalisation?
It is incredibly important that we get this right and make sure that the industry, as a whole, gives their buy in to what we are trying to achieve. The mechanism is there for everyone to make comments, ask questions, seek clarification etc. and so I would very much encourage the reader to think hard about any concerns they may have with the Standard as published and make them known to us through the correct channels as noted on the DryBMS website.
How is INTERCARGO supporting its membership to prepare for the introduction of DryBMS?
To date, INTERCARGO has been keeping its membership informed of progress via circulars and bulletins and has also held a webinar describing in some detail how DryBMS works. I anticipate several workshops this year where we will analyse the system in detail and give our members the chance to ensure they are fully attuned to all aspects of the program as it is rolled out.
