It may look like national and global logistics companies make progress in unbelievable leaps and bounds on a daily basis, and that staying competitive with them may be out of reach. In reality, though, these companies are just really good at taking advantage of innovative new tech and leveraging it in the right ways. And the truth is that your company can do this too.

Getting More Work Done with Less Effort by Automating Marine Operations

In the past, more customers meant more work…but automation can help cut down on the amount of work per customer, making for more efficient operations. 

Barge Dispatch Solutions

Without automation, barge dispatching can be a time-consuming process. Orders are called in over a radio, and the captain must spend time transcribing the details by hand. Then that same information is later re-entered when creating invoices. Other staff must also log traffic and operational updates from boats to shore offices manually.

With automation technologies, like BargeOps Onboard, detailed information is sent and entered automatically. Orders and updates are transmitted and logged in real-time. For example, when the boat captains manage their activities through the system, electronic deck logs are stored automatically and exchanged between the boats and the shore. This kind of software can also keep track of crew changes with digital logs that can be accessed easily by management.

Give Customers the Transparency They Need

Regardless of how much the barge industry is growing or how much competition you have, if you can’t give your customers a good experience, you won’t be able to effectively scale your barge business.

An essential part of good customer service is providing customers with the information they want when they want it. For barge companies, this means ensuring you know where their cargo is and when it will arrive safely at its destination. And even more importantly, letting customers know about unexpected delays is crucial in maintaining their confidence in your company and your communication skills.

Now, all of this can be automated with software that tracks inventory, automatically sends customers updates about their cargo, and creates invoices that are transparent and customer-friendly. All of this keeps customers happier, and you hardly have to lift a finger to do it. Gone are the days when a customer had to take time out of their busy day to call in to check on their cargo and wait while someone rifled through paperwork or made another call to figure out where the freight was.

Stop Drowning in Paperwork

Paperwork is not just a problem for dispatching; it is often used for keeping track of everything from customer transactions to maintenance activities. This includes digital manual paperwork, like spreadsheets and email, which are still time-consuming and prone to mistakes and version control issues. But paperwork is a thing of the past, and most–if not all–industries are switching to modern software solutions.

Software with digital logs is easily integrated into existing workflows, saves all information with the click of a button, and allows it to be accessed easily from other terminals. This reduces time spent on emailing spreadsheets to other staff and reduces errors (which can lead to more time spent fixing them). In some cases, like with predictive maintenance systems, the data is uploaded automatically through a series of sensors and tracking devices. 

Digital logs are available for nearly every aspect of barge operations, including maintenance logs, customer information, and fleet tracking, allowing you to streamline processes throughout your business. In most cases, these logs and the data they collect are how the big players maintain efficiency across their fleet.

Data is the Key to Unlocking Lower Costs and Higher Efficiency

It’s not just automated marine operations that keep the big companies ahead of the game. These companies know how to leverage their data to keep costs down and operate as efficiently as possible. Nearly every industry has begun to realize the power of data, and the barge industry is no exception.

All of the logs, invoices, and paperwork for keeping track of inventory, fuel use, and more, contain a lot of data about how your barge company operates. And when you switch to automated software that stores this information in a database, it can be used to improve processes with the help of data analytics. Your own data is the best tool to leverage when determining how best to optimize fuel use, reduce downtime, and improve cargo handling, which in turn significantly impacts profitability.