Vision/Mission
ShipsFocus vision is to achieve AGGREGATED SHIPPING to Optimise Utilisation, Cut Waste and Reduce GHG Emissions in the maritime industry, starting with chemical shipping.
ShipsFocus will achieve ‘Aggregated Shipping’ by leveraging on Industry 4.0 and its three core pillars in Intelligence, Technology and Service. We are the go-to shipping data powerhouse; maritime digitalization combinator; and service deliverer. While having a noble vision, we ensure all offerings are practical and deliver immediate gains and longer term benefits.
Business Description
The shipping industry pipeline business model favors players who take advantage of imperfect competition, asymmetric access to information and resource. But it also motivates opacity. Such lack of transparency leads to unintended results like frauds; aggravation in peak and trough of shipping cycles; and demand and supply mismatch, causing inefficiency and wastage. The advent of Industry 4.0 poses great threat of disruption to this traditional model which shipping companies and people, including many serious and good ones, rely on.
ShipsFocus business model is based on helping these companies and people ride the digitalization wave; adopt technology and adapt to changes that create value. All at low cost.
We specialize in chemical shipping data, analytics and research on the INTELLIGENCE core. Our time-series (since 2003) chemical freight data and
indices provide market reliable benchmarks. Our freight and bunker price forecasts continue to produce high level of direction accuracy with low deviation. Other data products include standard periodicals, ad-hoc reports and bespoke research plus products that leverage on big data like Portview, Cargo+, Position+, etc.
On TECHNOLOGY, we co-develop operational tools for port services, shipping agents, ship-brokers, ship-operators and charterers that ease their frontline personnel workload. More importantly, these tools also help our customers digitalise, capture data, and build a scalable, cohesive and integrative system.
On the SERVICE pillar, we offer a Cloud DA management which incorporates Aggregated Marine Services for ship-operators to save significant cost. Accompanying these products and services is a strategic consultancy for companies to adapt and win in a rapidly and vastly changing seascape.
Background
ShipsFocus founders saw that, among many things, Industry 4.0 was bringing about a transparency that disintermediated several industries and marketplaces. Such disintermediation can reduce transaction cost and thus motivate consumers for more market transparency – it goes into a cycle which creates new business models and some re-intermediations. Being in the ship-broking business for over 30 years, our founders were ultra-sensitive to this development. Together with his protégé James Kim, Chye Poh Chua set out from their corporate comfort zone, to disrupt any such disruption that could cause damage to many of the good companies they were serving.
Maritime Technologies (R&D) Pte Ltd. was registered in Singapore on 4th Dec 2015 with a paid-up capital of S$1,000,000 to form a first TECHNOLOGY pillar for the group.
Chua who had earlier founded EP Consulting in 2010 to monetize a 10-year market research and analysis department of a ship-brokerage, acquired EP Consulting and renamed it ShipsFocus Intelligence Pte Ltd. in 2016 as an INTELLIGENCE second pillar.
In the same year, ShipsFocus Services Pte Ltd. was formed because customers who were hesitant with technological adoption offered an opportunity for us to innovate and create new value via what was later known as “Aggregated Marine Services”. A 3rd SERVICE pillar is thus formed.
These three entities are operated independently with their distinct focus of business but provide synergetic values to each other. They leverage on each other to reduce cost of operations, and maximize value creation. Together, the group has a rare combination of maritime domain expertise, innovative skills and a strong service attitude.
Products/Services
OPERATIONAL TOOLS: (TECHNOLOGY CORE)
Chartering & Operations System (COS) – the only specialized and modular system for chemical & parcel tanker chartering and operations business. COS has three versions: COSo, COSc and COSb for ship-operators, charterers and brokers respectively.
AgenSEE – specifically made for small and medium sized ship-agencies which rely mainly on manual processes and face disintermediation pressure.
Book-a-Launch – booking and tracking system for the launch operators with services in port to streamline manual processes and improve productivity.
INTELLIGENT & DATA PRODUCTS: (INTELLIGENCE CORE)
FUELSAVE – a bunker price forecast service that keeps getting better from its 63% directional accuracy and 7.5% MAD.
Chemical Freight Indices – 5 Global and Regional chemical freight indices with time-series data from 2003 providing consistent and independent price-discovery and benchmarking.
PortView – port, terminal, support service and carrier-interface, communications, coordinating and decision-support tool with visualized dashboard specifically designed for non-container segment.
Cargo+ – liquid chemical trade and shipping data, analytics and research with visualized dashboard.
Position+ – chemical tanker forward open positions and supply with visualized dashboard.
SERVICES: (SERVICE CORE)
Cloud DA – Port Disbursement Account (DA) management specifically tailored for chemical tanker operators.
Aggregated Marine Services – aggregation of port services including tugs, launches, cargo boats, cleaning services, etc.
Aggregated BunkeRING – aggregation of bunker procurement system imbedded with FUELSAVE bunker price forecast and bunker delivery monitor.
Markets
The group products and services are all scalable for the global shipping markets. However, for new products, ShipsFocus takes advantage and focuses on the Singapore and Asian markets. Its clientele include: financial institutions, investors and banks; shipowners, shipoperators, shipbrokers; and oil & gas, chemical companies, charterers and users of chemical shipping services globally.
Industry
ShipsFocus is in the intersection of traditional shipping and shipbroking and Industry 4.0 technologies – where demarcation has become unclear. However, our offerings are distinct and tangible, usually starting small and growing steadily. Our focus in chemical shipping means we are alone in a field few has ventured into – we hear and make little noises. Our unconventional approach in getting to a platform business model is completely unique from other platforms out there.
Location
While we are located in Singapore, our products and services create positive impacts to our customers around the world.
Competitive Advantages
Professionalism: ShipsFocus continues to build on its capability in chemical shipping. Years of dedicated focus has enabled every of our model and algorithm to be tailor-fitted for chemical shipping markets. This combined with decades of industry domain experience allows us to confidently say: “We Know Chemical Shipping”.
Multi-skill and mindset: Company culture of ShipsFocus encourages every employee to learn from each other and mutually expand skill and mindset continuously. We are proud to have an IT and analytical team that understand shipping; while our shipping professionals are technologically savvy.
Pragmatism in Optimism: While we see new opportunities for shipping are enabled by Industry 4.0 technologies, we do not think that the industry will and should be disrupted overnight. We take steps to develop apt applications. We do not sell concepts, we create real values to make concepts work and deliver.
Passion: Every ShipsFocus product and service is result of a combination of technology and our keenest enthusiasm towards this magnificent industry that we serve.
Management
CEO – Chye Poh Chua
COO – James Kim
Employees
The ShipsFocus team consists of expertise in Chemical Shipping, Port Services, Data Science, Research as well as Computer Science and IT industries. This gives us a unique combination of maritime domain and I.T. expertise that sets us apart from others.
