(With video) Bureau Veritas has launched a new app named Hermes that makes it easier for owners, operators and depots to manage container inspections and certifications.
Certification is mandatory for containers and tank containers, with regular inspections needed every 2.5-5 years to maintain certification. This can pose a logistical challenge for owners and operators, who must track thousands – sometimes millions – of containers worldwide.
Hermes App
Hermes is an app that enables owners and operators to book inspections, download certificates and access identity data for their own containers anywhere in the world in real time. It covers all types of container and tank: both certification of new equipment, and periodic (or statutory) inspections of equipment in-service.
The service also covers voluntary inspections, used for example when equipment is hired, to determine the container's condition, its cleanliness prior to loading, and the level of repairs needed to bring the container back in-service.
Improving Quality and Saving Time
The tool is designed to improve the quality and accuracy of inspections. To date, inspectors have had to spend time manually recording container identity data. With Bureau Veritas' Hermes the data is recorded once, simply using a smartphone, then checked on each subsequent inspection. The software automatically verifies the technical coherence of the information entered by the inspector.
Automating identity data recording also frees up the inspector to concentrate on more value-add elements of the service, such as visual inspections, hydraulic tests and verification of safety and service equipment. Record data and photos are automatically uploaded. This enables reports to be generated in real time.
Availability and Future Plans
The Hermes app is a available on desktop, mobile and tablet via a Webapp and Android app. Further services are planned for 2017, including an iOS version of the app and an additional service for maintenance and repairs. Users will be able to automatically approve repairs to be carried out on equipment, or ask Bureau Veritas to verify the repair to be carried out by a maintenance depot.
