Stark Portal: port calls management and cost-estimating system
“Stark Portal” is a CRM app for automating the ship and cargo management processes of “Stark Shipping”. The company works by sea and river through the ports and terminals of the Azov and Black Seas and the Danube Rivers.
The company’s focus was on managing ships and cargo transportation by sea, but due to the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine, the company’s work by sea was blocked. The company had to put its focus on working via rivers.
Client
Stark Shipping has over 15 years of experience in shipping various cargoes and vessel types. The company continues to build its own branch network, offices, and strategic partnerships to provide high-quality services, regardless of the port size. Its services include:
- full port agency (arrival, stay, exit)
- organization of vessel delivery and its servicing in the port
- protection of the interests of the shipowner
- registration of cargo documents
- collection of freight and collection of the amount of freight forwarding, etc.
The Problem
The client addressed the problem of difficulty in performing estimating due to large volumes of data, and how inconvenient it was.
The client needs integration of other clients' products into one system, supported by a functional UX design, and a pleasant UI.
The Task
Our main tasks were:
- UI/UX design;
- Full platform development;
- Integration of other client’s products into Stark Portal;
- Creating and implementing the PDA and its formulas;
- Integration of the system into the client’s accounting software;
- Receiving statistical data from other clients' systems.
The Process
The work of our team began with getting to know the field in detail, the specifics of the work, goals, and capabilities. To understand each aspect of the industry, we conducted a precise business analysis that included:
- Understanding workflow, using diagrams of business processes;
- Analyzing working conditions;
- Identifying specific data used for work. With the use of tables, diagrams, and forms the company had throughout its career, we learned the state and time of actual processes, regarding port calls;
- Seeing the work of the client and his business operations.
After that, we moved on to UX development and visualization of screens and interface prototypes.
With a created prototype, the designed team built a UI that would be understandable and pleasant to use for the client’s team.
Special custom components and interface elements were also developed to add to the design.
Stark Portal
“Stark Portal” is an internal product of the company, developed as a CRM for convenient port call and freight management.
The CRM helps to automate all processes relating to the port call through features such as:
- transparent order visibility;
- monitoring and control processes (ship maintenance, port call management, supply barge rental, bunkering for refueling, steady tugboat operations for loading/unloading of goods, availability of all tools and necessary materials);
- simple commercial offer registration (PDA);
- easy data-entry of all financial operations;
- automated final cost estimation;
- swift estimation and billing of the final cost to the client (FDA).
The product also allows you to:
- manage all events trouble-free;
- see all stages and changes of services that estimate the cost of the port call;
- provide effortless remooring and towing;
- control overtimes as well as the whole workload;
- safely keep all documentation;
- communicate with a client;
- follow the filing of processes (operation start, progress, stage of execution) that occur with the ship, starting from the approach until the full completion.
All the info is conveniently displayed in the app for further analysis and estimating of the final cost of services.
Calculations
The platform gives an opportunity to predict, estimate and determine the actual price of a ship’s port call.
At the beginning of the process, the customer provides the agent with complete information about the vessel. It includes its parameters, cargo, etc. Also, the customer often notes all necessary operations and maintenance features of their ship and crew.
After receiving the data, the agent enters it into the PDA form.
During the port call, the client may request additional services. These services can and will affect the final cost of the agent’s work. Also, outside factors can influence the final cost as well. These factors include port queues, weather, tugboat shift changes, data, and time of operations.
All these factor changes are automatically added thanks to the integration of another client product called “Stark Research”. “Stark Research” provides up-to-date statistics for the “Stark Portal”, including queues, loading/unloading time, port rates, mooring, cargo or towing operations, etc. The data greatly helps in predicting the cost and the time of waiting for a port call.
Calculations are then added to the PDA form.
PDA (proforma disbursement account) is a commercial proposal for services.
When the form is complete with all the factors included, the PDA calculator estimates the final cost of the vessel’s port call — FDA.
In order for estimating to work, a special PDA system of formulas (port rates, tugboat rates, wait time, etc.) was developed. Every estimation is adjusted by the formula to help with getting the final cost.
Also, the platform was integrated with the company’s accounting & business management software. The integration helps the client to manage the accounting, and sign invoices, and contracts.
The Final Result
A detailed business analysis was conducted. The UI/UX design was developed in Figma and implemented using Vue. js.
The product was built on a Web platform using Laravel, ElasticSearch, MongoDB, and PHP, hosted on DigitalOcean.
Such services as Fleetmon and Google Maps were integrated into the system, as well as other corporate programs.
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