As a part of the Iino Group, Iino Gas Transport Co., Ltd. (IGT) handles liquefied gas transport in domestic waters(Japan) and adjacent waters (Asia), focusing primarily on small gas tankers.

In domestic shipping in particular, IGT’s integrated operations span the full range of marine transport service functions, from ownership, maintenance, management, and manning of ships through to operation and chartering. IGT is thereby able to perform these functions in-house for most of the vessels it owns. Compared with ocean-going vessels, domestic vessels make more frequent voyages of fewer days each, necessitating faster decision-making and operational execution. Domestic and adjacent shipping companies generally focus only on areas in which they excel—such as ship ownership, maintenance, or operation—and outsource their other operations. In contrast, IGT has chosen to fully integrate operations in-house. We believe that this is the best option for several reasons. It allows us to quickly address diverse needs that arise at all stages of the operation chain, from both our customers and society at large. It also enables us to maintain a uniform, high level of quality with respect to our vessels and services.

IGT have acquired ISO 9001 certification as a means of keeping our service quality in line with international standards. We also strive to contribute on the environmental front as a part of our corporate social responsibility initiatives, employing an ISO 14001 certified management system.

IGT manages and operates vessels that transport hazardous materials and is therefore required to employ a management system that complies with the ISM Code (International Safety Management Code: a vessel management system established by the International Maritime Organization for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention) both on routes in adjacent waters and on overseas routes. IGT voluntarily employs this ISM Code-compliant system in its domestic shipping operations also.

Service quality in the shipping industry is affected significantly by how skillfully onshore and offshore operations communicate with each other. The introduction and smooth operation of IT systems aboard vessels has therefore been a longstanding issue in domestic shipping which was backwards from ocean-going shipping in the respect. We have actively addressed this issue through in-house development of our own Web-based system, WING (Web Integrated Groupware), which we recently put into full operation. This system was designed and developed to be user friendly for domestic transport ships with small crew sizes and, first and foremost, to cause no stress for crew members. It allows many key tasks, which previously relied on phone and fax systems, to be performed and managed online in real time—these tasks include vessel movement management, purchase and order management, and crew deployment. This new system allows us to perform tasks with greater precision and speed, and will enable us to provide customers with services that satisfy their expectations better than ever before.

We look forward to your continued support as IGT continues to evolve with an eye on the future.

Shigeki Miyake
President
Iino Gas Transport Co., Ltd.