Plan Approval: Paperless Process Well under Way

Hamburg/Oslo, 9 June 2005 – Shipyards, engine manufacturers and equipment suppliers are increasingly making use of the new possibility for exchanging technical drawings and documents with Germanischer Lloyd in paperless form. Only a few weeks after the start, over 30 customers worldwide are participating in the new Internet platform “global exchange” (or globe for short).  “Over 400 drawings a month are already being exchanged electronically – with a steep upward trend,” says Tobias Vorberg, IT specialist and project manager at Germanischer Lloyd. “Thanks to globe, all the information needed for plan approval can be transmitted conveniently and speedily in digital form.” Shipbuilding differs from the aircraft or automobile industry in that the construction plans and design drawing are examined by a classification society. Through this external plan approval, the processes involved display a great diversity of structures. For each newbuilding project, new partners come together in fresh constellations. The requirements posed by all participants regarding the functionality and security of an electronic exchange medium for design and construction plans are correspondingly high. Up until now, the conventional process meant that mountains of paper were produced during the plan approval of ships and their equipment. As many as 1,500 documents were sent back and forth by “snail mail” between the yard or subcontractors and Germanischer Lloyd for every newbuilding. Through the worldwide shipbuilding boom with ever shorter building times, the demand for tight scheduling is growing steadily. In view of the increasing technical complexity of ship designs and the intensity of scrutiny for the documents, “globe” achieves a transparency which continuously reflects the current status of the project documentation. The benefits offered by electronic transmission of the documents to be approved are clear: Faster throughput times for plan approval: no more postal delays. Lower costs: the administrative effort is reduced and there is no longer a need to make copies. Improved overview: information on the state of plan approval is updated continually and available worldwide. Via “globe”, the documents to be approved are exchanged between the yard or manufacturer and Germanischer Lloyd in the commonly used PDF format. Another benefit is that the platform can be reached through a standard browser without the need for any additional software. Access is protected by password and the security of the digital data exchange is ensured by SSL encryption, as is also used for homebanking. In addition, enhanced security is available on the basis of the RSA Token system (throwaway password). At the largest Scandinavian shipping fair Nor-Shipping, Germanischer Lloyd will be presenting its entire spectrum of maritime services at Stand D03-21 in Hall D. GL expert Tobias Vorberg will be glad to answer questions on the topic of “globe”. For further information about “globe” and registration, please visit: www.gl-group.com/globe Further technical information is available from: Tobias Vorberg Head of the e-Business Portals Department and Project Manager for globe Phone: +49 40 36149-3974 Email: tobias.vorberg@gl-group.com

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