Affordable sea connectivity became a life-changer for many marine businesses. Companies like Sealogic are now able to provide cloud-based solutions that make crew management, finances, and overall planning more efficient and convenient. They do this via Maritime Software Solutions, platforms that combine all the essentials in one place. Once piloted, these solutions are now an inevitable part of marine operations.
Given the available tech solutions, those companies that decide to work in an old-fashioned way should be ready to face multiple issues. Their list includes inefficient crew management, enhanced risks because of errors in scheduling, dissatisfied seafarers due to possible mistakes during payments, and constant delays. So with all the risks and increased costs that come with spreadsheets and emails, transitioning to cloud-based software is one of the best solutions.
What a Modern Platform Delivers
Of course, the exact set of features offered by maritime software companies differs from brand to brand. Here are the potential options based on what Sealogic offers to its customers:
- comprehensive crew profiles;
- seafarer’s employment agreement management;
- advanced shifts and rotation planning;
- travelling coordination;
- role setting and management.
However, a modern cloud-based platform is not only about benefits for the company. It is also about the convenience for seafarers, who are offered timely payments, clear schedules, and mobile self-service.
Real-Life Advantages of Having Maritime Software Installed
All those features mentioned above shape the following advantages that leave no doubts that quitting the isolated and in-house crew management for cloud-based solutions is the right choice:
Real-Time Data Sync
No more delays, as maritime software allows instant updates. Regardless of the edited information, the changes are displayed immediately. Thus, version conflicts and communication delays do not influence the seafarers’ work.
Automatic Notifications
Instant notifications of any changes allow the team to be alerted about relevant changes. Thus, no more of the constant checking of email or phone to discover what is delayed or missed.
Improved Collaboration
With shared access to standardized data, both sides reduce miscommunication, speed up approvals, and maintain accurate pay records. As a result, the business gets streamlined operations, strengthened compliance, and transparent financial reporting across the fleet.
Access from Anywhere
The crew management team members or those in the finance department can access the platform seamlessly and with no issues from anywhere. Thus, no business trips or vacations will delay the work.
Bank-Grade Security
Crew data is fully protected due to the following measures in place: end-to-end encryption, secure logins, and strict compliance controls. Moreover, regular audits and role-based permissions further reinforce data integrity, ensuring only the right people can access the information that is not for public view.
Zero Infrastructure Costs
When opting for cloud-based solutions, remember that there are no servers to maintain and no on-site issues. Indeed, cloud crew management eliminates expensive infrastructure costs.
How to Implement without Challenges
There is a clear guide on how to make the transition to the cloud-based crew management solution seamless and effective:
- Clean up the data, which will later be integrated into the platform.
- Map access for masters, crewing, tech, HSE, finance, and agents
- Integrate HR and accounting to avoid constant re-keying.
Right after that, everything is ready for testing. Trying the software on a bunch of vessels before scaling is a good way to collect feedback and insights for potential improvements before expanding the solution to the entire fleet.
Conclusion
Summing up, cloud-based maritime software is an excellent alternative to spreadsheets and emails that are still widely used by crew management teams. It offers no delays, easy integration, and effectiveness in scheduling and shift management, and much more. Thus, it can be the future of the shipping industry shortly.