Wilson Sons
About two years ago we started the partnership with Brazil's largest integrated port and maritime logistics operator
Wilson Sons has more than 180 years of history and is Brazil's largest integrated port and maritime logistics operator. It has complete solutions for international and domestic trade with coverage throughout the national territory, serving more than 2,000 active clients, including shipowners, importers and exporters, oil and gas companies.
"The process became much more assertive, much faster and much more efficient (...) this brought a cultural change for both on-board and on-shore personnel. This project brought us much closer together, it was a mutual and fantastic learning experience!"- Juliano Maia, IT Manager at Wilson Sons
About the company and its needs
Wilson Sons has more than 180 years of history and is Brazil's largest integrated port and maritime logistics operator. It has complete solutions for international and domestic trade with coverage throughout the national territory, serving more than 2,000 active clients, including shipowners, importers and exporters, oil and gas companies.
In the last two decades, Wilson Sons has been implementing various improvements in the so-called back-office sectors, but they felt the need to modernize other processes, mainly in the tugboat area and in the processes carried out on board. Several problems were identified with outdated processes, done on paper, clipboards, systems not integrated with each other and informal conversations.
The partnership between Tugboats and Monditech
In 2018, Wilson Sons acquired the platform, parallel to the beginning of a project that aims to restructure and automate various internal processes. Looking for a solution for support and development within the Business Management platform, Wilson Sons' Tugboat division reached Monditech and then began a strong partnership, aiming to customize and adapt flows to the reality of teams that work with port and maritime tugboat vessels.
Developer allocation
Wilson Sons' IT team has the support of the exclusive dedication of two experienced Monditech developers. The learning is mutual and the professional relationship is one of great respect, with a lot of vision and sincerity. Our developers are fully available for development on the company's business management platform, whether to find solutions for new workflows, or support for fixing failures and bugs.
"Monditech is always taking on the challenge."- Juliano Maia, IT Manager at Wilson Sons
Identified problems:
Outdated Processes
Processes done on paper and clipboards, without automation
Disintegrated Systems
Systems not integrated with each other, causing inconsistencies
Informal Communication
Informal conversations without adequate documentation
Lack of Automation
On-board processes without automation and integration
Maneuver Flow
THE ENTIRE PROCESS IS DONE ON A PHONE, IN INTEGRATED MOBILE APPS AND OTHER TOOLS USED BY THE TEAM. THE USE OF QR CODES AND EASY BUTTONS WITH INTUITIVE DESIGN MAKES THE ROUTINE EASIER FOR COMMANDERS AND CHIEF ENGINEERS.
This is a process that takes place on board the tugboats. Its purpose is to allow vessel commanders to record notes and observations about maneuvers, which become events in the system for on-shore operators. Before Monditech implemented this process in the Business Management platform, it was done on paper and clipboards (maneuver sheet) and then manually entered into the system. The result was an average reduction of 3 days in billing time compared to the previous flow, along with other improvement actions in the company, generating time and financial savings for the organization, employees and customers.
Pre-Operational Checklist
For the commander to check if the vessel is fit to perform the maneuver, or if it needs maintenance and materials.
Maneuver
If no problems are identified in the checklist, the commander can proceed with the maneuver.
Maintenance
If one or more problems are identified in the checklist, the commander must proceed with the maintenance process.
Maneuver and Events
The maneuver is performed and events are generated by the commander for operators in the operations center.
Maintenance
Stage where all problems and failures must be fixed.
Commander Feedback
The commander answers some standard questions about the maneuver and maintenance.
Billing
A robot developed by the Wilson Sons team assists in the billing process and sends the invoice instantly to the client.
Maneuver Flow
Pre-Operational Checklist
For the commander to check if the vessel is fit to perform the maneuver, or if it needs maintenance and materials.
Command Handover Flow
Tugboat commanders work 24/7. For this reason, shift organization and a command handover process are required so the outgoing commander can pass all vessel information to the next one. Before the customized flow in the Business Management platform, the handover was done via papers and informal conversations, resulting in communication losses and issues not being documented. With the handover flow built specifically for commanders on board, routines and information reliability improved. In this process, the outgoing commander fills a checklist with maneuver data, maintenance/material needs and other pending items. Everything is recorded directly in the platform, and purchase orders and service requests can be triggered automatically.
"Our focus is heavily on mobile. Because usage happens on board, even though the crew has an onboard computer and can use the browser, they use it a lot in the operation; during maneuvers and inspections in the engine room, they record everything in the mobile app on their phone."- Juliano Maia, IT Manager at Wilson Sons
Inspection Process
This process is similar to the pre-operational checklist used during the maneuver flow. The chief engineer inspects the vessel on board or in the engine room and creates a note in the platform used by the area. This generates a maintenance order and activities such as purchasing materials and requesting services (mechanic, electrician, third parties...). The flow returns to the Business Management platform, which assigns tasks to each responsible person. When all activities are completed, the requester evaluates the work and activities are either closed or revised, with final approval and service feedback. Operational dashboards track what is being measured and provide indicators for managers to follow all activities. While it may seem simple, this process brought agility, efficiency and better understanding across areas because it is automated, integrated with other systems and everything is properly documented.
Service and Material Request Process
The flow previously relied on paper, clipboards and manual typing into a non-integrated platform, with no efficient communication. Duplicate requests, delivery delays, or lost paper orders were recurring problems. Today, the request is made on board by the crew directly in the mobile app and can be integrated with other processes (such as checklists and inspections). It is integrated with the platform used by other company purchasing departments, which receive requests immediately and keep correctly documented records.
Implemented Processes
Maneuver Flow
Process that takes place on board the Tugs for commanders to make notes and observations about maneuvers.
- • Average reduction of 03 days in billing time
- • Fully digitized process
- • Integration with on-shore systems
Command Handover Flow
Shift change process between commanders with complete documentation of vessel information.
- • Efficient communication between shifts
- • Complete documentation of pending issues
- • Automatic purchase orders and requests
Inspection Process
Vessel inspection by the chief engineer with automatic generation of maintenance orders.
- • Digitally documented inspections
- • Automatic maintenance orders
- • Operational panels with indicators
Service and Material Request Process
Integrated system for material and service requests directly from the mobile application.
- • Elimination of paper processes
- • Integration with purchasing departments
- • Correctly documented records
Main Results
Mobile Application
The entire process is done by cell phone, in integrated mobile apps with intuitive design and QR code usage.
Operational Efficiency
More assertive, faster and efficient processes with organizational culture change.
Team Integration
Greater proximity between on-shore and on-board teams with total work integration.
Client Satisfaction Level
We asked Juliano to evaluate Wilson Sons' partnership with Monditech and the satisfaction level of his team with our work. His answer was clearly 5/5. With the processes implemented by Monditech, they now have specialized support, efficient automated workflows, and operational time savings. He also reported that improvements brought on-shore and on-board teams much closer, with far better integration between activities. Many suggested changes and new workflows proposed to Monditech now come directly from the onboard team, showing strong user involvement in continuous improvement.
Count on Monditech
Just as we improved the routine of Wilson Sons Tugboat team
Monditech is prepared to improve and develop processes for the most varied segments. Contact us and find out how we can work together.