Ports & Pilotage Authorities

Atlantic Pilotage Authority

IT Infrastructure Upgrade
Dispatching and Billing System
(DABS)

Customer Profile

The Atlantic Pilotage Authority (APA), established in 1972, is responsible for instituting, operating, maintaining, and administering an efficient Pilotage service within the designated waters of the Atlantic region. These waters span from east of Restigouche Harbour to the Bay of Exploits, and south of St. John's Harbour to the Port of Halifax. Marine Pilotage involves directing and controlling the movement of a vessel through near-shore and inshore waters unfamiliar to the ship's master or providing navigation advice to the master for this purpose. The pilot is expected to integrate an in-depth knowledge of local geography, climate, and traffic patterns with operational information to make possible a safe passage. Atlantic Canada is regulated and administered, under the Pilotage Act, by regional authorities.

Business Situation

Prior to Nicom's involvement, the dispatching of pilots was being performed by a variety of different organizations, depending on the location of the port. At the time, there was only a single computer in the APA office used for the financial system and assorted personal computers used for stand-alone productivity applications. The APA recognized the need to merge the dispatching operation by using a single organization located centrally. It had to improve efficiency and dependability in its dispatching and billing system. This process involved implementing a wide range of different systems and technologies and created the need for a computerized system to help with the dispatch operation. The APA realized it was essential to upgrade the IT infrastructure within its organization.

Solution

Through a series of stakeholder meetings and key user interviews, Nicom gathered the system requirements which, once prioritized, became the foundation of the system design. Nicom was responsible for defining the IT infrastructure; defining the hardware and software required; negotiating with suppliers; procuring a new financial information system; implementing a Windows server network; and managing the development of a custom billing system. During this timeframe, the APA also decided to implement an in-house, computerized dispatching system which Nicom developed. The design went through several revisions to ensure the system would not only meet their current needs but also provide the flexibility required for future expansion and enhancement. The applications were developed using Microsoft products of Visual Basic and SQL Server with comprehensive e-business capabilities. The initial development culminated in the Dispatching and Billing System (DABS), an integration module to their accounting and financial software system and secure web sites for pilots, agents, and APA administration. With the success of DABS, a number of supporting modules have been developed using various technologies. These supporting modules include a pilot boat maintenance tracking system, a pilot leave and recall tracking system, and a number of web-based administrative reports.

Benefits

The new system has proven to be a valuable tool for APA dispatchers, management and pilots alike. The system manages the dispatching of pilots to inbound and outbound seafaring vessels all over Atlantic Canada. This is a daunting task for even the strictest disciplines, but DABS has allowed the APA to not only keep pace with an ever-growing number of Pilotage assignments, but also to better manage their resources and expenditures by streamlining the dispatching process. For example, through the web, dispatchers can see which ships are currently in the harbour and which ships are scheduled for arrival or departure. They also have live marine and land-based weather forecasts at their fingertips from Environment Canada. Agents can easily make a request for a pilot through a web page and the request is immediately entered into the APA dispatching system via the Internet. The pilots are able to view upcoming assignments, their rotating duty roster, and any special notes they require for their assignments. Pilots can then enter the particulars of a completed assignment through an online interface. This system has also provided the APA with the capability of billing for pilotage services based on tariffs established by Transport Canada.

As a result of this successful project, the APA is very efficient in many of its business activities using the new technologies that have been implemented. "The level of efficiency for our whole organization has increased with the implementation of this new dispatching system. Nicom did an excellent job of designing a system that is both easy to use and highly functional for each of the dispatchers, pilots, and management", says Peter MacArthur, Chief Financial Officer of the APA. The dispatching system, created using Microsoft Visual Basic and Microsoft SQL Server, offers a highly scalable, stable foundation, proving to be a critical and ever evolving tool for the APA. Along with its software development services, Nicom also provides the APA with a number of other IT related services such as ongoing infrastructure support, software procurement, and web site design and development.

New System

The Atlantic Pilotage Authority has recently contracted Nicom IT Solutions to build a second release of the Dispatching and Billing System in a combined client-server/web-based environment, employing new .NET technology and adding new functionality.

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