Why Loading Computer Software "iStow" Need Certification?
Quality is a universal concept. It is a measure of whether a product is good or not. The assessment of whether something is good or not must be done by a third party that is neutral and competent to make such judgments. The assessment should adhere to internationally recognized standards. Why is this important for the maritime industry?
Ships navigate the oceans carrying all sorts of cargo. Maritime transportation services connect sellers and buyers, exporters and importers. Maritime transport facilitates trade. Trade requires certainty. Business certainty. The assurance that the goods being transported will reach their destination safely.
In this established quality assurance system for maritime transport, insurance companies, classification societies, government authorities, shipping companies, and ports all make concerted efforts. All hardware and software, all personnel and organizations must be reliable and trustworthy.
Sertifikat klas iStow. Foto: Pranala Digital Transmaritim
The same goes for iStow. Since 2017, iStow has been certified by the Biro Klasifikasi Indonesia (BKI). This is an important step to ensure that all ship stability calculations during loading have high precision, in accordance with the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) guidelines. In the following years, certifications continued with ClassNK in Japan, IRS in India, and RINA in Italy. In 2022, iStow was certified by Lloyd’s Register (LR). At this level, iStow is ready to be applied to ships of any class. Yes, any classification bureau.
Why is iStow certified? We want to ensure that iStow is not a second-rate or third-rate product. Why? So that users can work and sleep soundly with the reliability of iStow. Certainly, shipping companies expect the same: very high reliability.
Certification serves as quality control. Quality control is carried out by authorized parties to confirm that the product meets internationally recognized quality standards. This addresses owners’ doubts about the validity of all calculations made with iStow.