Like many other industries, the barge transportation industry is undergoing something of a digital revolution: More and more workflows are being carried out with the aid of software and automation, and the data being created is being shared, analyzed, and used to make any number of strategic decisions. Which means that staying ahead of these changes is crucial to maintaining your competitive edge.
With the increasing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and meet evolving regulatory requirements, the shift to digital technologies is inevitable for most players in the industry. But this kind of digital transformation can also come with a number of headaches. The key is to implement practical tools and best practices—“go digital,” in other words–while minimizing disruption and maximizing long-term benefits.
Of course, that’s easier said than done.
Luckily, a digital transformation does not need to be a single project, done all at once—in fact, a more phased approach is less likely to disrupt operations. Starting with some simpler projects, based on software tools, will help realize an ROI sooner and avoid overwhelming changes. Start with these steps:
1) Make Clear that You are Implementing a Digital Workplace
The old saying is that “Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” and it’s true: No matter what changes you try to bring to a company, their reception will depend on the overall company culture. So start getting your employees used to the idea of digital tools now, even as you are implementing them.
This isn’t as hard of a task as it might seem. Most people today own, or have frequently used, a smartphone and/or a tablet. So the transition to, say, filling out a form on a tablet versus doing so on paper will not be a shock to your employees.
In fact, younger employees might be put off if you aren’t a tech-savvy company. Today’s job candidates assume that communications, forms, billing, and more will be done via digital tools. So starting your digital transformation will make your company that much more appealing to today’s workforce.
Changing the company culture is a topic that could fill a book, but the strategy is simple: Get your leadership on board, share the plan with your employees, offer training as often as possible, and reward those who embrace the changes.
2) Start with Paperless Systems
There are a number of logbooks that boats and ports keep during the course of business. When kept in a spreadsheet—or worse, on paper—the logbooks have a tendency to accumulate errors, even have chunks of information missing. Transitioning to electronic logbooks and digital reporting tends to reduce errors, validating that information was entered correctly and keeping an audit log of changes. Such logbooks can keep better track of things like ship maintenance can be done gradually, and it can be integrated into existing workflows without major changes.
Once logbooks are digital, they can also make reporting across your fleet easier. For example, imagine being able to combine maintenance logs across boats in your fleet to see, at a glance, which ones are most costly to maintain, or which kinds of services are most often required.
3) Digitize Invoicing and Billing
Another area where someone can get “lost in the weeds” rather quickly is in keeping the books for your company—especially when it comes to billing. Barge transport pricing is influenced by many variables, such as cargo type, distance traveled, fuel costs, and port fees, and these elements are often unpredictable, making it challenging to provide accurate upfront pricing. On the other end, when it is time to send the bill, the process can be equally convoluted: Tracking billable activities, calculating costs, generating invoices, and sending them out to individual clients in a timely manner.
This is why invoicing and billing are often automated in many industries. The barge transport industry is no exception here; companies can benefit from digital invoicing software for determining final rates and sending invoices to customers in a timely fashion.
4) Streamline Data Sharing
Once paper systems are digital, sharing that data with others becomes easier. A great example of this is onshoring: Once you start tracking operational activities—such as loading, unloading, midstream-in, midstream-out, shifting and daily fleeting charges—it is easy to consolidate and share this information, as needed, with a harbor and the customers that are being billed.
5) Think Cybersecurity
When more and more of your business lives in the digital realm, you will need to start thinking about cybersecurity. This is the unseen background of a digital business, but it is crucial for keeping your business safe.
Luckily, most cybersecurity measures—implementing secure data encryption, stronger passwords, and multi-factor authentication—can be done without affecting the day-to-day operations of the company. This can be phased in without any significant disruption, and will provide long-term protection for your digital systems.
6) Investigate Innovative Technologies
There are other technologies that are much more of a “heavy lift” when it comes to investment and implementation. But these are worth investigating now. Once your company has gotten used to digital data entry, reporting, and analytics, it might be ready for something like:
- Real-time GPS tracking paired with fleet management software
- Cargo tracking systems enhanced with RFID (or other IoT technology)
- Advanced analytics and AI for route optimization, analysis of fuel consumption, vessel performance, etc.
- Semi-autonomous barges
- Predictive maintenance
Getting the Right Software
There are a handful of different options for the forward-thinking owner who wants their barge transport company or department to “go digital.” It is worth gathering information about each, seeing demos, and thinking hard about
which features will move your business forward.
And of course, BargeOps should be on your list. You can use this form to schedule a demo with our team of experts.
