Nova Marine Carriers
Case Details
Client: Nova Marine Carriers
Project Duration: 6 Months
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Client Overview
The client is Nova Marine Carriers, a well-established Swiss maritime logistics company operating within the maritime industry, owning /managing a fleet of around 100 cargo vessels across multiple international routes. Their operations span numerous ports globally, requiring continuous coordination between ship crews, suppliers, port authorities, and internal administrative teams.
Given the scale and geographic distribution of their activities, the client relies heavily on efficient procurement processes to ensure that vessels are supplied on time with the necessary goods and services. These operations are highly dynamic and often time-sensitive, requiring real-time decision-making, accurate cost control, and seamless communication across multiple stakeholders.
Client Goal & Challenges
Prior to this project, the client relied on a third-party Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform to manage vessel procurement activities across different ports. While the solution provided basic functionality, it presented several critical limitations that increasingly hindered operational efficiency and strategic flexibility.
As a SaaS-based system, the platform did not allow for meaningful customization. This prevented the client from adapting workflows to their specific operational needs or integrating with their existing internal systems. Over time, this lack of flexibility resulted in process inefficiencies, manual workarounds, and increased dependency on external support.
Additionally, the client faced a combination of:
- High recurring subscription costs, which scaled with usage and became financially unsustainable over time
· Limited control over data and system behavior, due to lack of access to the source code - Inability to evolve the platform, restricting innovation and process optimization
- Fragmented communication flows, especially with third-party administrative and archival systems
To address these challenges, the client aimed to design and implement a fully customized, scalable, and cost-efficient platform tailored to their operational model. The primary objectives included:
- Developing a centralized system for managing procurement workflows across all vessels and ports
- Enabling seamless collection, comparison, and evaluation of supplier offers
- Automating order generation and lifecycle management
- Establishing reliable communication channels with third-party administrative, compliance, and archiving systems
- Ensuring full ownership of the platform, including source code and infrastructure
- Reducing long-term operational costs while improving efficiency and transparency
Solution: What We Built
The resulting platform was designed as a comprehensive procurement and operations management system, incorporating the following key capabilities:
1. Advanced Offer & Order Management
- Centralized tracking and management of suppliers, quotations, and purchase orders
- Automated workflows for offer comparison, approval processes, and order creation
- Real-time status updates and visibility across all procurement activities
2. Historical Data & Intelligent Reuse
- Storage and easy retrieval of historical procurement data
- Ability to leverage previously negotiated contractual pricing when generating new orders
- Improved decision-making through data-driven insights and cost benchmarking
3. Supplier & Contract Management
- Structured supplier database with performance tracking
- Integration of contractual agreements into procurement workflows
- Enhanced negotiation capabilities through historical reference data
4. Authentication & Security
- Secure user authentication and authorization via Microsoft Entra ID (Azure Active Directory)
- Role-based access control to ensure data security and compliance
5. Third-Party Integrations
- Seamless communication with external administrative, financial, and archiving systems
- Secure integrations through Azure Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
- Automated data exchange to reduce manual intervention and errors
6. Document & Data Management
- Storage and retrieval of procurement-related documents using cloud-based solutions
- Audit-ready archiving for compliance and traceability
Team Composition
The project was delivered by a dedicated and collaborative cross-functional team:
- 1 Technical Lead
- 1 Project Manager
- 2 Backend Developers
- 1 Fronten Developer
- 1 QA Engineer
The development team worked in close collaboration with the client’s internal stakeholders, including operations, procurement, and IT departments. An iterative and agile approach was adopted, allowing for continuous feedback, rapid adjustments, and alignment with real-world operational requirements.
Regular check-ins, sprint reviews, and incremental deliveries ensured that the platform evolved in direct response to user needs while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance.
Technology Stack
The platform was built using a modern, scalable, and cloud-native architecture to ensure high availability, performance, and security:
- Backend: .NET Core 8 & 9
- Frontend: React
- Database: Microsoft SQL Server (Azure-hosted)
- Cloud Services:
- Azure Queues for asynchronous processing
- Azure Blob Storage for document and file management
- Networking & Security: Azure Virtual Private Networks for secure third-party integrations
- Version Control & CI/CD: Azure DevOps (repositories, pipelines, automated deployments)
- Project & Ticket Management: Azure DevOps Board
This architecture ensures the system is scalable, maintainable, and capable of evolving alongside the client’s business needs.
Impact
The implementation of the custom platform delivered significant measurable and strategic benefits:
- Substantial reduction in annual SaaS costs, eliminating dependency on expensive third-party subscriptions
- Full ownership and control over the platform, enabling continuous improvement and customization
- Improved operational efficiency, through automation and streamlined workflows
- Enhanced data visibility and decision-making, leveraging historical and real-time data
- Reduced manual workload and errors, particularly in communication with external systems
- Scalable foundation for future growth, allowing the client to expand functionality as needed
Overall, the solution transformed the client’s procurement operations from a rigid, externally dependent system into a flexible, efficient, and fully controlled digital platform aligned with their long-term strategic goals.