Common questions about automating port agency operations with PortFlow.
PortFlow automates the complete four-phase port call workflow. Phase 1 (Pre-arrival): ETA is confirmed, vessel records are created from the registry, and required services are identified. Phase 2 (Arrival and Operations): permits are filed, pilots arranged, and services executed with status tracking. Phase 3 (Completion): service confirmations are logged and departure clearance is recorded. Phase 4 (Billing): invoices are generated automatically from confirmed operations data with no manual re-entry. Agencies using PortFlow achieve up to 60% reduction in operational overhead versus manual processes. The platform eliminates the 22 hours per week agencies previously spent on data re-entry alone. Service rates are auto-populated, fuel pricing is calculated automatically, and bilingual PDF invoices are generated with a single click. One agency reduced quotation time from 4 hours to 2 minutes using this workflow.
PortFlow's multi-service quotation engine bundles pilotage, towage, bunkering, customs, ISPS, water, provisions, and crew changes into a single quotation with automated approval workflows. Rate sheets are stored in the platform, eliminating manual lookup from shared drives. Quotations auto-populate vessel details, apply pre-configured service rates, and calculate fuel pricing for IFO, MGO, and VLSFO. Once operations are confirmed, invoices are generated directly from quotation and operations data with zero manual cross-referencing. This flow reduced one agency's quotation cycle from 4 hours to 2 minutes, a 98% reduction in quote generation time. The platform supports multi-service bundles, tiered pricing, and bilingual PDF and CSV exports in English and Spanish. Sequential invoice numbering (INV-XXXXXX) and real-time payment tracking are included in all plans.
Maritime agencies running on spreadsheets and WhatsApp face four critical failure points: vessel details manually retyped from emails, rate sheets buried in shared drives requiring quotations built from scratch, service confirmations arriving via WhatsApp that never enter official records, and invoice delays due to cross-referencing multiple files. PortFlow addresses each point directly: vessel data imports via CSV or Excel, rates configured once and applied automatically, all service confirmations captured with timestamps in the operations timeline, and invoices generated from confirmed data. Implementation takes 1 to 2 business days. The onboarding team assists with data migration for Professional and Enterprise plans. The 14-day free trial requires no credit card and includes full feature access so agencies can validate the complete workflow before committing.
PortFlow's Captain Portal gives ship captains token-based URL access to request services (fresh water, provisions, crew boat, bunkering, waste removal) without phone calls, email, or WhatsApp. Captains receive a unique link before arrival. No account creation, passwords, or training is required. The portal works on any web browser. Vessel details are pre-filled automatically. Requests integrate into the agency dashboard and flow directly into the quotation and invoicing modules with full audit trail timestamps. This eliminates early-morning calls: a fresh water request submitted at 06:00 is captured immediately rather than waiting until the office opens. Operators shift from handling routine phone calls to coordination, vendor management, and exception handling. Captain Portal is available on Professional ($349/month) and Enterprise ($799/month) plans.
PortFlow tracks all fuel types including HFO, MDO, MGO, ULSD, VLSFO, IFO, and lubricants, with automatic quotation generation on bunkering request creation. Pre-configured fuel rates eliminate manual lookups. When a bunkering operation is created, the platform auto-populates fuel type, quantity, price per metric ton, and applicable surcharges, then generates a line-item quotation ready for client approval. Confirmed bunkering operations flow directly into the final invoice with zero re-entry. The audit trail timestamps every bunkering request, quantity confirmation, and pricing change. Miscalculated fuel surcharges, one of the most common sources of margin reduction in manual bunkering workflows, are eliminated because all calculations run from a single configured rate sheet that all operators use consistently across the agency.
PortFlow is a multi-tenant SaaS with data isolation enforced at three layers: application-level filtering by organization ID, PostgreSQL Row-Level Security policies, and defense-in-depth database query restrictions. Each agency's data is logically separated so no tenant can access another tenant's vessels, clients, quotations, or invoices. Authentication uses JWT tokens stored in HttpOnly SameSite=Strict cookies with 24-hour expiration. All data is encrypted in transit with TLS 1.3 and at rest with AES-256. Automated encrypted backups retain 30 days of data. The platform runs on Vercel (SOC 2 Type II, 99.95% SLA) with Neon Postgres (SOC 2 Type II, 99.99% SLA). Role-based access control provides five permission levels: Administrator, General Manager, Operator, Sales, and Auditor. Every action is logged with user, timestamp, and operation type.
PortFlow provides automated compliance tracking for STCW crew certifications, MARPOL documentation, SOLAS compliance, ISPS requirements, and port clearances. The platform generates expiration alerts before certificates lapse, preventing crew change delays caused by expired documentation. The vessel registry stores complete profiles including IMO number, flag, gross tonnage, captain information, and all associated certificates with expiry dates. Crew and STCW management tracks every crew member's documentation with automatic expiration warnings at 90, 60, and 30 days before lapse. An immutable audit trail records all approvals, status changes, and data modifications with timestamps and user attribution, satisfying port authority and regulatory compliance requirements. Zero manual calendar reminders required. This capability is available on Professional ($349/month) and Enterprise ($799/month) plans.
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