I’ve been working in various parts of the shipping and DP industries for almost two decades – from running a fleet to developing a training centre company. This breadth of experience has given me a genuine appreciation of an industry that I really enjoy working in. But it has also shown me some of the ways that things could be done better.
One of my major bugbears in recent years has been the way that the recording of time for DP operators seems stuck in the last century – or the one before – while the DP systems themselves use some of the smartest technology around.
So I decided to change things. Which is why I created DP Desktime.
I imagine you’ve already seen smart-card systems in other aspects of your daily lives. Now this convenience comes to the logging of DP hours. And it brings with it a level of precision that the current system could never even hope to match.
Imagine you’ve been on a difficult shift in tough conditions, with XX hours of high-intensity work ensuring that everything stays where it should be. Just as you leave your desk, the weather calms down and the next operator only has to spend a couple of fairly relaxed hours keeping on top of things.
According to the current log book system, you both had exactly the same day at the office. With DP Desktime, it will be clear you didn’t.
Now, you might argue these things average out, but that’s not necessarily the case. If people on board know you can handle difficult conditions and long shifts, you’re likely to be given them to handle. Even in just a few weeks, the gap between you and the next operator could get wider and wider, rather than moving closer together.
Of course, they deserve the opportunity to show what they can do, just as you do. But I believe you should be able to show exactly what you did. So when you’re looking for your next role, you can be recruited for your actual skills, not a vague approximation that means everyone looks much the same.