What 79% of operators are missing about their optimisation tools

Thetius surveyed maritime operators across the industry and uncovered a striking disconnect: optimisation is widely adopted at the planning level, but only 21% believe it is well understood. This insight shares the survey’s key findings, including which factors operators identify as the biggest constraint on optimisation performance, and why automation is gaining ground despite limited familiarity with it.

Thetius surveyed vessel owners and operators across the maritime industry. Respondents include technical superintendents, fleet performance managers, operations managers, senior executives, and on-board personnel such as captains.

75% indicated that speed, (Revolutions Per Minute) RPM, or power optimisation was used across most or all vessels in their fleet. This indicates the industry has largely adopted optimisation tools and processes at a planning level.

Despite the levels of adoption seen, confidence in understanding is not as high. Only 21% of respondents believe that optimisation is “very well understood” across the industry, while 54% consider it to be “poorly understood”.

In total, 79% of respondents fall into the “somewhat” or “poorly understood” categories. This is evidence of a disconnect between the use of optimisation tools and the understanding of how to apply them efficiently.

Only 42% of respondents reported that crews adjust propulsion settings several times per day or continuously, and 58% state that adjustments happen once per day or less. This gap between planning and adjustment frequencies suggests a structural limitation in how optimisation is implemented in practice.

This view was reflected in adherence levels as only 42% of respondents said vessels follow recommended speed or propulsion profiles “quite closely” or “very closely”, while 46% described adherence as only “somewhat close”. A further 12% said that vessels follow plans only occasionally. This shows that, even when optimisation is in place, its implementation is not always consistent.

When asked about the causes of deviation, weather conditions were the most commonly cited factor, identified by 42% of respondents. Commercial pressures also have a role, with 21% citing charterer or operator requests and 13% highlighting crew discretion. These responses reinforce the reality that optimisation is applied in a dynamic, often conflicting operational environment.

Data challenges are present but not dominant. While issues such as a lack of integration, inconsistent data, and limited expertise are cited across responses, they are less well-organised. In contrast, human and operational factors stand out more clearly.

When asked which factor limits optimisation performance most in practice, 54% of respondents identified human or crew behaviours as the primary constraint, far exceeding any other category.

Operational pressure reinforces this, as 63% of respondents describe it as a moderate or major challenge to follow optimisation recommendations. This highlights how, even when tools and data are available, competing priorities on board vessels continue to affect execution.

Industry awareness of automation appears relatively low, as 58% of those surveyed report being either “not very familiar” or “not at all familiar” with automated systems which adjust vessel speed under crew supervision. Despite the lack of systems available, the perceived value of such systems is high.

67% of respondents consider these systems to be “very” or “extremely valuable”, indicating strong demand despite there being limited availability.

Upon review, the survey shows a consistent theme. Optimisation is widely implemented at a planning level, but its execution is inconsistent. The key constraint appears to be the ability to apply recommendations reliably in real-world conditions rather than the availability of tools or data.

This underlines the notion that the industry’s next challenge is not identifying optimisation opportunities, but assuring they are delivered in practice.

Want to learn more? Read the full report for more insights here.