Smart Shipping

Today, there is an app for almost everything. From managing finances to controlling home heating, booking travel tickets, uniting friends, or running global businesses, mobile technology has reshaped how people live and work – creating instant access to information and insight at anytime, anywhere.

The revolution, however, has been somewhat delayed at sea. This is not altogether surprising as shipping, with its strong traditions and fragmented nature, can be slow to adopt the latest land-based technology. As is well known, ‘big vessels take a long time to turn around’, but once they do, progress can be remarkable.

At NAVTOR, this is well understood. Having launched as a start-up in 2011, with a vision to lead the way in smart shipping and maritime technology, the company now serves over 18 000 vessels in the global fleet with solutions designed to make life easier for crews, vessels, and entire maritime organisations. Digital innovations have moved from the drawing board to the bridge and into fleet management facilities at an accelerating pace, helping customers stay ahead of objectives, regulations, and competition. So, what comes next in this voyage of transformation?

Fleet management apps. These are something that everyone, especially within the ever-competitive context of dry bulk, needs to connect with – and sooner rather than later.

From shore to ship to pocket

Recent years have seen shipowners and operators relying more and more on advanced office-based platforms for planning, compliance, and performance management and optimisation. These systems have become increasingly sophisticated, uniting crews, vessels, fleets, and entire organisations, while empowering better decision making through the integration and utilisation of vast quantities of real-time and historical data. Yet, despite their sophistication, they have obvious restrictions, keeping insights ‘tied up’ with desks, large screens, and the static facilities that house them.

So, the obvious next evolutionary step is untying them – giving users the freedom and flexibility of unlocking fleet benefits whenever, wherever, worldwide. In other words, apps.

It is a step change from centralised monitoring to continuously empowered awareness, giving decision-makers the ability to stay connected to their fleets, receiving the right information at the right time for smarter, faster decisions.

As an example of what is now possible, it is worth highlighting NAVTOR’s most recent launch, the NavFleet mobile app. Rather than being a new standalone development, the app works as an extension of the existing NavFleet desktop platform, connecting seamlessly with both iOS and Android devices. As such it puts both critical data and functionality directly (literally) into the hands of geographically scattered operators, fleet managers, and executives.

Real-time insight for real-world operations

At its core, mobile fleet management is about informed situational awareness.

Dry bulk operations are dynamic and time-sensitive, with schedules influenced by port congestion, weather, and constantly changing charter requirements. The ability to monitor, interpret, and respond to key events as they unfold is a key strategic advantage.

The latest mobile applications have the ability to integrate data from vessels and third-party sources to present a dynamic overview of fleet status and voyage progress, while offerings like the NavFleet app also provide intelligent notifications to cut through the noise. Users can set parameters for only what they need to know – for example, if a vessel deviates from its planned route, exceeds a defined speed limit, or encounters severe weather – and receive real-time alerts on their mobile devices.

There is no longer a need to reactively sift through reports or emails to address issues after the fact. Real-time alerts enable coordination between teams so that small issues can be addressed before they develop into major problems. This transforms reactive fleet management into proactive control.

In practice, this capability delivers benefits across safety, efficiency, and environmental compliance. For example, if a vessel in a whale-protection zone exceeds speed restrictions, the system can alert relevant personnel immediately. Rather than waiting for post-voyage analysis or environmental audits, operators can act when needed to ensure adherence to regulations and avoid potential penalties.

Similarly, deviations from planned cross-track distances (XTDs) or route corridors can trigger alerts that prevent costly groundings or delays – a particularly valuable safeguard in regions with complex traffic separation schemes or challenging weather conditions.

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Read the article online at: https://www.drybulkmagazine.com/special-reports/29122025/smart-shipping/