High standards of navigation are fundamental for the safety of the vessel, crew, cargo and for the protection of the environment. While the Master is ultimately responsible for the safety of Navigation, the International Safety Management (ISM) Code requires that companies set and maintains standards. Navigational assessments and audits have become more widely used and can be useful in identifying improvements for navigational practices on board vessels. However, with a lack of guidance available, audits and assessments can vary in quality and their value to the end user can be questionable.

There are subtle differences between the terms audit and assessment:

• An audit will verify on board compliance with the Safety Management System (SMS) and industry regulations.
• An assessment will additionally observe and evaluate the practices and skill-sets of the individuals and bridge team to provide assurance of standards of navigation.

The company provides customers with real time as well as remote navigation audits and assessments.