MARITIME DATA, ANALYTICS & RESEARCH

MARKET INTELLIGENCE

As information and their flows grow, our clients need only more reliable inputs that can help them make critically timely decisions. Our market intelligence offerings are systematically designed in standard periodicals, adhoc reports and bespoke research to provide the much needed clarity in the marketplace that they can rely on. A capable and lean team with systemised processes and automation enable us to continually lower cost of these valuable reports. 

 

PERIODICAL REPORTS

Our periodicals of different frequency and content focus suit clients’ varied needs. Clients’ feedback is part of the production-to-market loop that allows us to regularly adjust to changing circumstances and goals of our clients.

Here are 3 examples:

Freight Rates

Global Spot Easy Chemical Freight Grid is tailor-made for charterer-customers who want regular update of spot market rates for specified trade routes.

Daily Report

ShipsFocus Daily comes with data on cargo, ships, port, freight and monthly and quarterly updates. Clients are carriers, financiers and charterers.

5-Year Outlook

Asian Chemical Shipping 5-Year Outlook started with a major shipping company request for a forward market outlook prior its long-term budget.

ADHOC RESEARCH

Adhoc reports take opportunities responsively to market development including random events to not just inform but also alert clients on related impacts. They provide more than reporting and analysing functions, but also maintain monitoring and sometimes a predictive purpose. A client too can specify the content for an adhoc report.

Here are 3 examples:

Adhoc Example 1

Responding to a gas crisis in China and queries from clients for a specific cargo: the report provides data on impacts including plant closures, and price movements.

Adhoc Example 2

Following announcement by a regional major of a big production plan: the report provides details of products, current trades and impacts on future movements.

Adhoc Example 3

Bike-sharing trends created real business to chemical makers. A report on the demand that drives its chemical raw materials gives more clarity including key players.

BESPOKE RESEARCH

Our clients who range from major shipping companies, major charterers, traders, brokers to small companies, engage us for bespoke research for a wide range of purposes. Some of them include projects below US$1000 as we are able to utilise existing data and resources, while others may require more data, processes and longer time of analysis that cost up to US$10,000. We turn clients into repeat customers as we strive always to lower their cost.

Below are 3 examples:

Bespoke Example 1

Client: a ship-owner

Objective: pre-orderbook assessment of 2nd-hand market to understand supply of a very specific ship type and size.

Delivery: 15-page report covering executive summary, global fleet supply current plus orderbook, full profiling of fleet, area of trades, ownership and operatorship, 2-year outlook for both TC and S&P prices, and list of ships of the type and size. 

Bespoke Example 2

Client: a major trader

Objective: to further understand palmoil markets in Mediterranean from a shipping perspective

Delivery: 15-page report covering executive summary, 5-year historical trends of palmoil shipment volumes into Med countries, breakdown by key products, by exporter and importer countries, trade country-pairs, freight trends.

Bespoke Example 3

Client: a regional producer

Objective: a professional advice on appropriate TC rate and considerations to negotiate a time-charter renewal

Delivery: 7-page report covering executive summary, assessment of TC requirements – specs of ship needed, key demand for the specific type and size of ship, global supply of similar ships, and advise with methodology and list of ships.

OUR METHODOLOGY

The Research methods we take are influenced by our clients objective and their interest in a customer, a market, competitor, or a project and the type of information about them. However, our research follows a methodology and protocol to ensure quality of deliverables.

Structure & Balance

There are different ways to gather information (from primary or secondary sources) and different types of information to gather (quantitative and qualitative). We use a combination of these research approaches to get the results we need. Generally, our researchers seek a balance between them.

Domain & Research Expertise

We combine research and domain expertise in chemical shipping to ensure relevance and quality of our products:

Combination of exploratory qualitative research and explanatory quantitative analysis, delivering a deep understanding of a thematic subject while uncovering patterns, trends and causal links.

Global and macro perspectives enabling detection of patterns and trends in the bigger operating environment which are often overlooked by market players.

Powerful analytical tools such as statistical applications, asset valuation and forecast models, which are currently underutilized in the shipping industry.

Collaboration & Support

Our research seek out and enjoy support from research institutes for their experience, capabilities and computing power. We are open to joint work with academic, research institutes and government agencies who are looking for practical industry and commercial applications for their research and studies.

INTELLIGENCE FRAMEWORK

Our focus on chemical shipping market data collection, market intelligence and research processes culminate in a market intelligence framework that helps us respond effectively and quickly to customers’ requirements.

Production to Market

Our clients needs on market intelligence range from short-term ones like response to a random event to long term requirements like budget planning. But they go through a same cycle with different time responsiveness.

Competitive & Market Understanding

In this regard, our work in Market Research and Market Intelligence correspond with customers increasing needs in Market Understanding and Competitive Understanding respectively. Our standard products, adhoc products and bespoke research deliver these objectives.

Database structure

Naming, structuring and organising our data, files, references and documents (metadata) allow us to effectively and quickly update and add context to our data. Our colleagues, whether analysts, production or sales can understand it in the short, medium and long-term. Such efficiency saves us time and lowers production cost.

Feedback

Write and give us your feedback. We appreciate it!

INTERVIEW WITH COO, JAMES KIM

What is really unique about Chemical Shipping (vis-à-vis other segments of shipping)?

James: 1) other bulk cargoes like oil, ore, or even container liners move in one direction, chemical cargo has more myriad ways of flows to/fro multiple ports and berths. 2) chemical cargo is not generic: there are hundreds of different types of cargoes and grades by multiple producers, users and traders involved. that leads us to: 3) the hardware: chemical ships have multiple segregations. voyage options and decisions for which cargoes to combine to where and how are much more varied, furthermore 4) while there may be some standardisations, many ships are built for specific needs. with this multiplicity of factors, optimal loadable quantity and performance of a ship can be a BIG VARIANCE. ironically, this also makes for an attraction and a low entry barrier into chemical ship operating as each operator believes in his one-upmanship within that big variance.

How is that uniqueness important in what you and ShipsFocus are doing?

James: maritime shipping faces various issues, like in 1) HR: people with great skills and experience are aging and leaving the industry, while new ones are not catching up fast enough; 2) PR: constraints to improving its image as an industry that has a wide spectrum of jobs ranging from off-shore to land-based; 3) TALENTS: shipping lull in the last decade did not help in attracting talents; 4) 24/7 nature it’s hard to sell ‘work-life balance’; 5) SYSTEMS: experience, know-how and network within a knowledgeable person are not captured systematically over time.

Our role is to fill gaps, bridging 3 major gaps: (1) between the ‘Old’ and ‘New’, (2) more and better use of data (3) optimising the ‘variance’ and efficiency. there are not many people in this unique space, and on such pursuits. to make it work, we have to cater to this uniqueness, using our unique knowhow, experience and network.

Which part of your background is most helpful to what you are doing now?

James: I believe it’s my background as a ship-owner and operator. I was with Hanjin first in VLCC and then Aframax, then to Chemical Tankers. that gave me tremendous opportunities adjusting from one to another. there were so many varieties and details in high frequency I had to know and adjust to. i became sensitive to the uniqueness in Chemical shipping. coincidentally, Hanjin was undertaking a PROCESS INNOVATIONS initiative, and I was required to provide inputs for a chartering and operations system, including on how it should work. unfortunately, users had to work for the system when it was developed, not exactly a system i dreamed of.

What is the biggest challenge in marrying tech and shipping, and what is your specific strength in this respect?

James: mainly it’s people’s fixed mind-set that’s the biggest obstacle. people say they are busy, while tech can help, they are reluctant to adopt such change. it’s a chicken and egg issue. our strength is the ability to cater to the specific and minute details that make chemical shipping unique, and the network we’ve gained trust from previous roles we played as shipbrokers. we get better chances than the tech people to hear the pain points and thus introduce the right solutions.