Browsing by Author "Venkadasalam, Saravanan."

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    Developing a marine engineering centre of excellence for competency-based training
    (WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, 2017) Balaji, Rajoo.; Venkadasalam, Saravanan.
    Institutes imparting training in marine engineering require replication of shipboard ambience for strengthening the competencies. For building an engineering centre for training, five options at different physical levels were considered based on a model of a new liquefied natural gas tanker ship build. A mock-up facility, simulator, full-scale engine room, scaled down version and a combination arrangement with live and dummy equipment were the options. Analytic hierarchy process was applied for selecting a suitable option based on criteria of cost, effectiveness in attaining competencies, practicability and environmental conduciveness. Analyses were carried out on the eigenvalues based on eight subselection criteria. The combination of live equipment (boilers and turbo alternator) and non-live shipboard equipment (auxiliaries) was chosen based on the global weightages obtained from the pairwise comparison matrix computations. The reliability was ascertained from the consistency index which was less than 0.1. For selection of the learning modes and the equipment, a constructivist approach of learners reflecting and choosing the learning mode was adopted. Industry practitioners were made into learner groups composed of trainers, shipboard personnel and company personnel. Established competencies were assigned as scores to the different learning modes. ANOVA application and statistical methods were used to analyse the scores to verify if there were too much variation in the choices. The calculated F ratio values were low (0.14 to 0.40) compared to the reference values indicating that the choices were even. The chi-squared test indicated that the group composition did have an influence on choosing the learning mode and equipment for training. The objective of identifying the learning mode and equipment for the training centre was achieved.
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    How efficient are malaysian shipping companies: a stochastic frontier approach with malmquist productivity Indices
    (Journal of the Institution of Engineers (India), Part MR: Marine Engineering Division, 2016-01) Venkadasalam, Saravanan.; Balaji, Rajoo.
    The purpose of this paper is to analyse the performance of the Malaysian Shipping Companies. The company’s performance indicators such as technical efficiency and total factor productivity (TFP) have been measured using the stochastic frontier approach and subsequent Malmquist index. A secondary data for selected shipping and transportation service provider’s annual reports for the past five years were analysed using Frontier 4.1 and Data Envelopment Analysis Program (DEAP)software. It was found that 80% of the shipping companies were operating below the frontier line (<1.0). The findings are expected to contribute significantly to the business progress and performance metrics of Malaysian companies and also help to benchmark the shipping industry’s best practices.