One of the world’s largest semi-submersible, heavy-lift crane platforms has been awarded the ABS Integrated Software Quality Management (ISQM) notation, recognizing its risk-based approach to critical software control safety systems.

Key operational software on the ABS-classed OOS Serooskerke, a 138m-long vessel with hotel capacity for 750 people, has undergone failure mode effects and criticality analysis as well as thorough functional testing.

The vessel’s power management, dynamic positioning, ballast and bilge and loading computer systems have all been evaluated in accordance with the ABS Guide for Integrated Software Quality Management.

“Due to the specialized, heavy-lift operations this vessel will undertake, all the systems evaluated by ABS are critical to the safety of both personnel and the asset. As the load is picked up, the ballast must be shifted quickly to maintain stability, so the software must achieve a high degree of reliability throughout its lifespan. The ABS ISQM process provides a framework to allow the identification and mitigation of software-related issues that could negatively affect the safety of a unit and its crew. It is one of the only viable software quality notations on the market and is an example of how the nature of class is evolving beyond steel and physical systems into the safety of systems that you cannot see and cannot touch,” said Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Engineering and Technology.

“I cannot say that we’ve learned the hard way the importance and full meaning of the ISQM notation only because we were lucky when, due to VCS and DPS software failure and, connected with poor commissioning and FMEA, one vessel suddenly lost control and start running on her own.  Only thanks to good luck and crew readiness and preparedness was an accident avoided. Since then, we have decided that all our new buildings will have the ISQM Notation for all of the important software installed on board,” said Dragan Maslovar, New Builds Director, OOS International BV.

Developed in response to industry needs, the ABS ISQM process and notation provides a framework to coordinate and control the way software development, integration and maintenance are managed throughout the life of the equipment.