Custom dock planning app for shipyards
Appfront builds apps for repair and maintenance yards that need to schedule their docks, slipways and quays: per dock the dimensions, capacity and availability; per vessel the dimensions, requested period and the work to be carried out; the sequence of docking and undocking; the staffing of crews and subcontractors; and what happens when a vessel stays longer. So the yard knows which vessel can come in when, an overrun is immediately visible in the rest of the schedule, and a shipowner gets an answer in time.
What is a dock scheduling app for a shipyard?
A repair yard earns money from vessels in dock. Every dock, slipway and quay has dimensions and a load capacity, so not every vessel fits. Shipowners request a period, often around a survey or a fixed maintenance slot. A vessel that stays longer than planned pushes back the rest. A dock scheduling app keeps track of which vessel can be in which dock when, and what an overrun means for the next one.
On many yards, the dock schedule lives on a whiteboard or in a spreadsheet maintained by one person. When an owner calls, you give an answer after some calculation and discussion. Whether a vessel fits in a dock is judged from memory. If a ship stays longer because extra work has been found, the next owner only discovers it when his vessel is already at the yard.
We build custom software because the schedule has to fit your yard: which docks, slipways and quays you have, which sizes and restrictions apply, which types of vessels you serve, how you work with crews and subcontractors, and which systems you use for estimating and projects. A generic planning tool knows time slots; it does not know the dimensions of a dock or the draught of a vessel.
Does the vessel fit?
For each dock and quay, the dimensions, load-bearing capacity and restrictions, set against the vessel's dimensions, so that only suitable berths are proposed.
A schedule that adapts
A planning board per dock showing docking and undocking. An overrun shifts the following vessels along and immediately shows who is affected.
Work alongside capacity
The work package per vessel alongside the availability of crews and subcontractors, so that a dock is never booked without people to work in it.
How we build your dock planning app for the yard
We start with your yard: which docks and quays, which vessels, how planning is done now, and what happened during the last overrun.
Your docks, slipways and quays with their dimensions, the types of vessels, the way you plan, and your systems.
Docks and quays with dimensions and availability, and owner requests with vessel dimensions, period and work package.
A planning board per dock, docking and undocking, overruns and the capacity of crews and subcontractors.
Dock reporting per vessel, integration with costing and repair lists, and then management.
What a dock planning app for the yard does in practice
The components below come up at almost every repair yard. Which ones you need depends on your docks and vessels.
Docks and quays
Dimensions, load-bearing capacity, draught and restrictions per dock, slipway, lift and quay.
Applications
Requests from owners with vessel details, desired period and work package.
Planning board
A timeline per dock with docking and undocking, draggable, showing only suitable vessels.
Overruns
A vessel that stays longer pushes the next one back, with a notification to whoever is affected.
Capacity
Crews, specialists and subcontractors alongside the work per vessel.
Docking report
Per vessel: when it came in and out, what was done and what stood out, for owner and yard.
Who we build a dock planning app for the yard for
The app is intended for yards where dock planning currently lives on a whiteboard or in one person's head.
Inland waterway yards
Many vessels that need to get back to sea quickly. The planning board and overrun handling are at the core.
Seagoing shipyards
Large vessels around surveys. Dimensions and planning alongside the survey matter most.
Yacht yards
Seasonal pressure in winter. Requests and capacity are what is needed.
Multi-site yards
Docks in different locations. An overview per location is the core.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about dock and quay scheduling. For newbuilding at the yard, see our page on shipbuilding software; for surveys and class, see our page on class certificate expiry dates; and for the maritime sector, see our page on maritime software. You can read about how we work under building software.
Why Appfront for your dock planning app for the yard?
An empty dock costs money; a vessel that has to wait costs a customer. That is what we build on: suitable berths, a schedule that adapts, and capacity alongside the work.
A faster answer to the owner
When a vessel can arrive is shown on the planning board. The shipowner doesn't have to wait for a call back.
Overrun visible straight away
Extra work that keeps a vessel in the dock shifts the schedule and shows who is affected.
Docks used well
Dimensions and capacity sit side by side. A gap in the schedule stands out and can be filled.
Security and privacy for a shipyard dock planning app
The app holds schedules, vessel and shipowner details, and work packages, which is commercially sensitive data. Access is set by role: the yard manager plans, shift leaders see their own work, and a shipowner sees only their own schedule if you grant them access.
The app runs in a European data centre, with encrypted storage and daily backups. On the yard it works on tablets and large screens.
Frequently asked questions about a shipyard dock planning app
Questions yards ask before getting started.
It keeps track of the dimensions and availability of each dock, slipway and quay, accepts requests from shipowners, plans docking and undocking on a planning board, shows the effects of overruns, sets the work against capacity, and records a dock report for each vessel.
Yes. Each dock has its dimensions, load-bearing capacity and restrictions, and each vessel has its dimensions and weight. The app only suggests spaces that fit; the yard manager makes the decision.
If a vessel stays longer, the schedule for the following vessels shifts. The app shows who is affected, so the yard can inform the shipowner in time or reschedule.
Where docking and undocking depend on the tide or water level, the app can factor that into the suggested times.
Yes. The work package for each vessel can come from the repair list or cost estimate, so capacity and duration are based on it.
If you wish, a shipowner can see their own vessels, the planned period and the status through a portal.
Ask this first. A general tool is enough for a yard with one slipway and few vessels. Custom development makes sense when dimensions and capacity determine what fits, when there are multiple docks and quays, or when overruns often disrupt the schedule.
Knowing which vessel fits in which dock, and when?
Tell us which docks and quays you have, which vessels you serve and how you plan today. We will show you what the planning board, requests and overruns look like.