Moving to a new system can be a cumbersome process for ship operators. Solutions such as DA-Desk, which seamlessly integrate with existing VMS and ERP systems, provide ship operators with quick transfer of data ensuring accuracy, efficiency and time savings, writes Marcura’s Masaki Kaneko, Head of Customer Integration and Applications.
Ship operators run multiple systems to manage operations, unfortunately, they do not all interact or transfer data seamlessly. Too often staff have to carry out the time-consuming task of manually transferring data from their voyage management systems (VMS) to their disbursement account (DA) systems. This also leaves the process open to human error.
However, there are solutions designed to seamlessly integrate with VMS and other process-related systems to automate this process, freeing up teams to concentrate on their core roles and add greater value to the organisation.
Marcura’s DA-Desk supports the integration of data through the DA-Desk Integration System (DIS), allowing VMS systems, accounting systems or any other approved system to push port call data to and/or retrieve disbursement account (DA) data from the DA-Desk System.
This streamlines previously time-consuming manual data entry, while providing a high level of accuracy and efficiency. It saves staff precious time so they can instead focus on the strategic and high-value parts of their jobs, boosting productivity and the bottom line for their company. Removing mundane administrative tasks can also help boost job satisfaction and employee well-being.
Minimising errors
Let’s take an example; imagine manually entering port call information for a vessel with five cargo discharges, a tedious and error-prone process that could take hours to do. Integration between a ship’s VMS and DA-Desk eliminates this onerous and repetitive task by automatically transferring the data from the VMS to DA-Desk.
Thanks to DIS, teams can hand over previously time-consuming tasks and DA-Desk pre-populates the interface with vessel details, port information and cargo data. A staff member needs to then simply verify it before submission, supplementing it where necessary. This avoids risks of duplicate entries and enhances overall workflow efficiencies.
Similarly, proforma disbursement account (PDA) or approved final disbursement accounts (FDAs) data can flow seamlessly from DA-Desk to the VMS, thereby saving accounting and finance teams significant time, while also enhancing accuracy and security. Audit logs created during automatic data transfer provide a clear track of changes, which in turn minimises the risk of human error or manipulation.
This can happen in the other direction as well, for example, when a port call is created on the VMS that information is updated on DA-Desk. Both actions are completed via the DIS.
Integration also ensures timely updates and eliminates the need for manual adjustments for tasks such as updates to the estimated time of arrivals (ETA) and associated port call payments. Importantly, it empowers the ship operators to have better financial management and ensure sufficient cash flows.
Integration with major VMS
For the past 20 years, the DA-Desk team has used DIS to integrate and onboard hundreds of customers’ voyage management systems, no matter what software is being used. It can integrate with major VMS such as Dataloy, IMOS, Q88, ShipNet and Softmar in as little as two hours.
Additional development is required with custom in-house systems that have never been integrated with DA-Desk before. In such instances, DIS provides the interface and the DA-Desk team will fully support the customer’s team during the implementation process. The team’s experience and expertise enable them to support customers regardless of the system they use.
The benefits to shipowners and operators are clear. More than 84% of DA-Desk’s total port calls have been integrated with customers’ VMS systems, automating the transfer of vital data between the systems such as DA event notifications, port call management, and DA invoice data.
Most customers would also integrate DA-Desk through the VMS with major enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems such as SAP, Oracle Financial and Microsoft Dynamics.
How does it work?
DIS does all the hard work for you. It supports automated data integration between the VMS and DA-Desk, whether a system is off-the-shelf or bespoke. It facilitates seamless data exchange through the use of an Application Programming Interface (API) that helps other software programmes communicate with each other. This then allows DA-Desk to ‘talk’ to VMS or other software programmes to retrieve and exchange data. With both off-the-shelf VMS systems and bespoke systems data transfer can take a few seconds.
Finding the right partner
By working with the right solution partner support is provided every step of the way. The DA-Desk team provides 24-hour support during weekdays and standard working hours on weekends.
The integration of VMS and DA-Desk via DIS means that port calls, PDA and FDAs can be created within minutes. This results in significant time savings for ship operators, which in turn increases accuracy, efficiency and productivity.