This year's Annual Review reports strong financial results, continued strategic progress and enhanced support for shipowners operating in an increasingly complex and uncertain global environment.
Please use the tabs at the top of this page, or the arrows at the bottom, to move between each section of the report.
Our ECDIS Training Assessment (ETA) pinpoints those gaps. It gives ship operators a clear, actionable view of ECDIS knowledge across their vessels, while helping crews strengthen their understanding through targeted, scenario-based learning.
The result is a more confident use of ECDIS, better-informed decision-making on the bridge, and stronger, safer navigation standards across the fleet.
Watch to understand more about how our ETA tool can support Members, through enhancing crew members’ professional development and improving their ECDIS skills.
Our research shows critical gaps in passage planning, especially around electronic navigational chart (ENC) updates, scale selection and safety settings. Many crew members are also struggling to distinguish alarms from alerts, verify positions, and use key ECDIS functions properly.
Because resulting incidents can sometimes be reported as grounding or cargo claims, the root cause is often overlooked, potentially leading to more accidents.
Our first-of-its-kind online ECDIS Training Assessment (ETA) strengthens ECDIS knowledge with targeted, relevant learning that goes beyond standard training.
It helps identify where understanding is strong and where it needs improvement, while clear reporting gives shipowners visibility into training needs across a vessel or the entire fleet.
Members can also get tailored guidance from our Loss Prevention team or access our suite of free ECDIS resources for extra support as needed.
Since we launched ETA, over 120 Members have adopted it, and crew have completed more than 7,000 anonymised assessments.
This has given us a unique dataset, offering a clear overview of how ECDIS is being used in practice – and where understanding breaks down.
Key findings include:
20-45% wrong answers across the four passage planning pillars
Almost 50% failed to prioritise the right ENC scale, risking missed hazards
Around 50% couldn’t tell the difference between alarms and alerts
Misunderstandings on correctly using safety settings, including charting crucial depth contours
Misunderstanding datums and their effect on positional accuracy
Doubts about correctly installing and updating ENCs
We’ve designed ETA to be simple to run and easy to manage. You can get a clear picture of ECDIS knowledge across your fleet in five simple steps:
Administrators select deck officers, cadets or other crew members to complete the assessment.
Crew members answer 48 multiple-choice questions based on real-life ECDIS scenarios.
Each question provides explanations and learning points to reinforce understanding.
Crew members receive a summary showing their strengths and any knowledge gaps.
Ship operators receive a fleet-level report highlighting areas needing further training.
The assessment is structured around the four pillars of passage planning, reflecting how ECDIS is used in practice:
Appraisal – Understanding navigational information and chart data.
Planning – Route planning, ENC scale selection and safety settings.
Execution – Safe route monitoring and using ECDIS effectively during navigation.
Monitoring – Continuous position verification and situational awareness.
The full assessment takes around 40 minutes to complete and can be paused between sections to fit around onboard duties.
ETA gives shipowners a clearer view of how ECDIS is being used across the fleet, and where improvements can make the most impact.
With ETA, you can:
Build a clearer picture of ECDIS competence across vessels
Spot patterns and recurring gaps that might otherwise go unnoticed
Prioritise training where it will have the greatest impact on risk
Track progress over time and measure improvement
Strengthen consistency in how ECDIS is used in practice
Results are confidential. We do not see individual or fleet results, and assessment outcomes have no impact on your membership or premiums.
A simple, easy-to-use online platform with a straightforward sign-up process for Members and crew
24/7 access from any device, including smartphones and tablets
Free to Members and crew, with no limits on usage or number of users
Confidential results – visible only to the crew member and shipowner
Built-in Knowledge Base with ECDIS resources, manuals and training materials
AI-powered search to help users quickly find relevant answers and guidance
Additional crew survey to capture issues with specific ECDIS models
Free post-assessment support, including access to our Loss Prevention team
Regular updates to reflect the latest regulations, guidance and best practice
ETA learning is supported by a focused set of resources designed to help crews build understanding, reinforce best practice, and apply what they’ve learned in real situations.
Members and crew can access:
Practical scenarios to help crews familiarise themselves with their own system and embed best practice:
These resources can be used alongside ETA or independently, helping crews improve their understanding and support safer navigation.
To access the ETA platform, you’ll need a NorthStandard account.
Don’t have an account yet? Register for a NorthStandard account
Once registered:
Add crew members to the ETA platform
Crew receive an email invitation
Access the assessment immediately
ETA is part of NorthStandard’s Get SET! (Safety & Efficiency Technologies) portfolio – the latest technology designed to support safer, more efficient vessel operations, including:
Orca AI – real-time alerts and predictive insights to support safer navigation
ShipIn FleetVision – AI-driven video analytics providing insight into onboard safety and operations
VPS Fuel Insights – intelligence on fuel quality, availability and risk across global ports
GlobeView – maritime intelligence to help anticipate risks and support voyage planning