Custom maritime software for shipping lines, port authorities, stevedores, freight forwarders and offshore operators, from voyage and port-call management to bunkering platforms, customer portals for cargo tracking and customs flows via Portbase. We do not replace your CargoWise, Navis N4 or Veson IMOS, but we build targeted custom layers where off-the-shelf packages fall short.
The Netherlands is a global player in maritime trade. Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, Amsterdam, Vlissingen and IJmuiden also operate at considerable scale, and the Dutch offshore fleet is a leader in its field. Behind that maritime chain sits a dense stack of enterprise systems: CargoWise for freight forwarders, Navis N4 as the terminal operating system for stevedores, Veson IMOS for chartering and voyage management, DAKOSY in the Hamburg and Bremen port hub, Cassidian Sirius as a port portal, DNV ShipManager for fleet management and Q88 for vessel particulars. For enterprise scope, that layer works well.
We don't replace those packages. We are brought in for the layer around them: a custom Terminal Operating System for a mid-size terminal that doesn't fit a Navis N4 licensing structure, a customer portal for cargo tracking with live AIS data, a bunkering platform that links fuel orders to delivery on board, a voyage management layer for a mid-sized shipping company that doesn't want to commit to IMOS, or a Portbase and ICUE integration that respects your own workflow. For the broader context of what we do in transport software, see our main page.
The target audience is broad: shipping lines for container, bulk, breakbulk, RoRo and tankers; short-sea and inland waterway operators; port authorities such as Port of Rotterdam Authority, Port of Amsterdam and North Sea Port; stevedores and cargo handlers in the style of ECT, APMT, RWG, Steinweg and Broekman; freight forwarders and forwarders; offshore services in dredging, heavy-lift, subsea and wind; maritime manufacturing and shipyards; fisheries and aquaculture; watersports and yacht building; fuel traders and bunker suppliers; plus marine insurance and P&I players. The IT stack differs for each segment, but the pattern stays the same: closed standard systems surrounded by working processes that do not fit well into an out-of-the-box module.
At the same time, a lot is changing: digital customs flows are becoming stricter, the IMO is pushing decarbonisation via DCS and the EU via MRV reporting, Ballast Water Management (BWM) and MARPOL requirements are changing maintenance cycles, and Port State Control is asking for more demonstrable compliance. These new data fields are not always available in CargoWise, Navis N4 or IMOS in a form your operation can handle. A lightweight custom layer on top of your existing system is often more practical than waiting for your vendor to release a module for it.
Custom maritime software development is broad. We are usually asked for three types of projects, and most assignments are a combination of two of them.
An integrated layer for shipping companies that are not fully reliant on CargoWise or Veson IMOS, but still want control over chartering, voyage planning, route and weather routing, port rotation and bunker orders. Vessel particulars, surveys, certifications and dry-dock planning in a single record, with automated signal flow to the classification society (DNV, Lloyd's, BV) when a certificate is about to expire or a survey window opens.
The bunkering component is a separate sub-module that we often build on its own or in combination: orders from operations, delivery by bunker suppliers to the vessel, BDN (Bunker Delivery Note) registration, fuel cost allocation towards finance, and the voyage and integration with IMO DCS and EU MRV for mandatory reporting. For mid-sized shipping companies and bunker traders operating outside the top-tier enterprise suites, that replaces a paper process.
For mid-sized container, bulk, breakbulk and tanker terminals that are too small for a Navis N4 implementation but too big for Excel. We build a lighter, custom Terminal Operating System: vessel planning, yard management, gate flow, container stacking, bulk flow from ship to silo or train, breakbulk handling for heavy equipment, and RoRo flow. Including integration with the terminal's existing planning, finance and weighbridge systems.
The cargo module covers booking, B/L generation, manifest and EDI with the whole chain: shipper, freight forwarder, customs and carrier. The port call module links ETA and ETD, onboard services (pilotage, tugs, bunkering, waste reception), freight release, terminal allocation and gate slots. For freight forwarders and forwarders who want more control over customer-facing flows alongside their CargoWise instance, we often build a customer portal with live status. For the wider logistics process, see our page on automating logistics processes.
An integration layer for Dutch port IT: Portbase for the generic message flow between shipper, terminal, customs and road transport, ICUE for inbound clearance, plus the customs integrations for ENS, EXS, T1 and T2 documents and the NCTS flow. Where your operation mainly serves Antwerp, Hamburg or Bremerhaven, we carry the same pattern across to the NxtPort, DAKOSY and BHT equivalents there.
The AIS component is a separate sub-module: ingesting vessel positions via AIS providers (Spire, MarineTraffic, Vesseltracker) or your own receiver, storing time series, ETA models based on destination, speed and historical behaviour, plus customer-facing track and trace through a dedicated portal. For the wider context of a customer-facing tracking layer, see our page on track and trace systems. Compliance reporting under IMO, SOLAS, MARPOL, BWM and Port State Control runs on the same dataset.
For an ISPS-regulated port facility, there is a dedicated security plan with three levels and a designated security officer. See ISPS software.
Working maritime software in production, plus everything around it so you can manage, audit and develop it yourself within the applicable IMO, EU and Dutch standards.
Four situations in which a standard package falls short and purpose-built software adds value, based on projects we encounter with shipping lines, terminals, freight forwarders and offshore companies.
A Navis N4 or CargoWise is optimised for container flows. If you handle breakbulk with heavy project cargo, bulk with conveyors and silos, or tankers with cargo heating, vapour recovery and pumping checks, you are at the edges of what a standard package can manage. A purpose-built flow for your cargo type prevents operators from relying on workarounds that fall outside any audit trail.
Stevedores and cargo handlers handling between 50,000 and a few hundred thousand movements a year are in a tricky position: the licence and implementation costs of a Navis N4 or Cassidian are out of proportion, yet Excel and loose modules don't scale. A targeted, custom Terminal Operating System - covering yard, gate, planning and weighbridge - fits the scale and flow of your site precisely.
Shippers, freight forwarders and end customers expect live status, document access and self-service flows like those they know from retail and parcel tracking. Standard packages rarely deliver that portal layer in your own branding with exactly the relevant data fields. A custom customer portal built on your cargo, port-call and AIS data reduces customer enquiries and sets you apart in a sector where that is hard to do.
The layering of IMO DCS, EU MRV, MARPOL, BWM, SOLAS cargo-securing and LSA requirements, plus Port State Control reporting, rarely fits into one standard module. A targeted reporting and audit flow that draws all data from a single source and exports it in the right formats to flag state, classification society, customs and the EU MRV verifier saves duplicated work and risk.
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 →The building blocks we draw on. The combination and depth differ by organisation and by maritime segment, but these elements come up again and again.
Vessel particulars per ship, including IMO number, MMSI, flag, classification, P&I club and relevant surveys. Certificates - SOLAS, MARPOL, BWM, ISM, ISPS - with expiry dates, automatic alerts to the fleet manager and direct export to Q88 format for charterers who request it.
Chartering with fixture data, voyage instructions, port rotation, route planning with weather routing, laytime calculation and demurrage. Bunker orders linked to the voyage and cost allocation to finance. Accessible to operations ashore and to the master onboard via a low-bandwidth web interface.
A bunkering platform for fuel orders from operations, allocation to bunker suppliers, delivery onboard with a Bunker Delivery Note, BDN archiving in line with IMO requirements, and cost recharging to voyage and finance. For independent bunker traders as a standalone tool, and for shipping companies as an integration with their own voyage layer.
A crewing app for rotations, contract management, STCW certifications (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping), medical checks, vaccinations and travel arrangements. Includes integration with payroll and the Maritime Labour Convention requirements on working and rest hours onboard.
Booking, B/L generation (master and house), manifest, cargo-securing plan and stowage instructions. EDI with shipper, forwarder, customs and carrier using standard maritime EDI formats (BAPLIE, COPRAR, COREOR) and the Portbase and ICUE message streams.
ETA and ETD coordination between agent, terminal, pilot, tugs and authorities; booking services on board (bunkers, waste reception, ship supply, fresh water); cargo release and terminal allocation. Mobile access for the port captain and agent, with direct sync to the Port Authority system.
Pre-arrival ENS, pre-departure EXS, transit documents T1 and T2, customs declarations via Portbase for Rotterdam and Amsterdam, ICUE for inbound clearance, NCTS for transit. Plus equivalent patterns for NxtPort (Antwerp), DAKOSY (Hamburg) and BHT (Bremerhaven) if your flows run that way.
Live vessel positions via AIS, combined with booking and port call data into a customer-facing tracking portal. ETA models based on AIS speed, destination, historical port call behaviour and weather. For shippers, freight forwarders and end customers, in your own branding.
Planned Maintenance System (PMS) for onboard maintenance, work orders for the chief engineer, inventory management for spare parts and oil, plus dry dock planning with scope of work, classification input and yard quotes. Ship-to-office synchronisation via a low-bandwidth protocol.
A single consolidated reporting layer for the IMO Data Collection System (DCS), EU Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV), Annual Efficiency Ratio (AER), Ballast Water Management reporting and Port State Control checks. Includes electronic signatures where the standard requires them, and export formats for the flag state, classification society and EU verifier.
For offshore operators in dredging, heavy-lift, subsea, decommissioning and offshore wind — companies such as Boskalis, Van Oord, Heerema, Allseas or IHC — we build project modules that bring together spread planning, vessel utilisation, marine spread overview and project DPRs (Daily Progress Reports). Often with an integration to our oil and gas software for the upstream context.
A clean API layer that structures and exposes your cargo, voyage, port call and customs data to CargoWise, Navis N4, Veson IMOS, Portbase, ICUE, AIS providers and the classification societies. Part of our API integration practice: build it properly once, and every subsequent system becomes easier to connect.
A conversation in which we establish which bottleneck is affecting your operations, terminal flow or the chain with customers and authorities, which enterprise systems are in use (CargoWise, Navis N4, IMOS, Portbase, ICUE), and which maritime standards apply to your segment.
We model your operational flow for your maritime segment, whether fleet, terminal, freight forwarder or offshore operator. Interviews with operations, planners, port captains, customs coordinators and IT, plus a systematic review of the integration landscape and the applicable IMO, EU and Dutch standards. The end result: a scope document, a plan and a first screen flow.
Fortnightly working builds, tested on a pilot flow: one terminal, one voyage cluster or one customer portal. For ship-onboard apps we test the low-bandwidth sync early, and for Portbase and customs flows we work alongside the actual message exchange from the outset. Feedback from your operations team is incorporated straight away.
Phased rollout per location, vessel or segment, a validation package for classification, flag state or customs, training ashore and onboard, plus ongoing management for security patches, further development and expansion into new compliance modules such as EU FuelEU Maritime or CII.
What clients in shipping, terminal, freight forwarding and offshore contexts typically want to know before we start.
A no-obligation introductory conversation of half an hour. We listen to your operations flow, probe on compliance, integrations and port IT, and point you in a direction that is useful to you, even if custom development ultimately isn't the answer. For the wider context of where this type of project fits, see our page on transport software, our work on oil and gas software or our API integration practice.
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