SPI Marine, global leaders in specialised shipping and logistics services, partner with the tech giant on Microsoft’s Q&A project. Through this innovative venture, SPI Marine is bridging the gap between data and decision making in the shipping world. 

Using the latest AI-powered data processing technology, ship brokers and users will be able to ask questions via a Q&A style search experience and gain real-time answers to granular questions, helping them make better informed and faster business decisions. These technological advancements are further in line with SPI Marine’s brand and service offer – “Fusing Data, Intelligence, Communication”.

Mark Roberts COO at SPI Marine said: “With the traditional role of a ship broker evolving rapidly, in order to grow and prosper, a leading modern shipbroker needs to be a powerful data processing and analytics company. Getting accurate, data-driven, and real-time answers to today’s myriad of commercial and operational questions is key.”

Together with Microsoft Power BI (Business Intelligence) services, SPI is further developing The Vault – a data analytics platform, which contains the Q&A service and provides prescriptive analysis that is invaluable during client negotiations. Thus empowering ship brokers and users to draw conclusions that will affect the cost and time of their client’s voyage well before it has been executed.

Digital & Analytics Lead at SPI Marine, Cameron Amigo said: “This is a game changer. Microsoft’s ability to bridge the gap between end-users and data has helped enable us to differentiate our service offer and we are grateful for the opportunity. We’ve learned a lot by working alongside Microsoft and their partners CSG to turn raw data into real insights.”

The system will tackle a variety of questions. What are the average waiting times at the Houston LBC3 tanker terminal by month? What is the load pump rate for vegetable oils in New Orleans and St Rose? For example. The Q&A system will have answers.

Microsoft Senior Project Manager Justyna Lucznik said: “It was a great experience collaborating with Cameron and the rest of the SPI Marine team. The team provided actionable feedback about the Power BI Q&A feature which we were able to incorporate into the product to continue evolving our natural language capabilities. SPI Marine’s Power BI solution is going to help a lot of non-technical users easily interact with data through language and I am excited to see where they will go next”.

Microsoft feature the tech giant’s project, which will see SPI Marine bridge the gap between data and decision making in the shipping world. Picture: Microsoft

You can read the full article on Microsoft Stories here, alongside other major Corporations featured including The BBC, Sony, Bosch, IKEA and Mitsui & Co.