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Glasgow firm unveils £500k revolutionary cloud-based app for marine crewing

A Scottish marine specialist has unveiled a ground-breaking app and portal which aims to revolutionise the way the marine operators globally can manage their crewing data better and improve their engagement and communication with staff.

Ankaa Ltd, a joint venture between Glasgow-based employment firm Clyde Marine Recruitment and recruitment and data software specialist Bala Narayanan, the team has invested over £500,000 developing the system. Called Ankaa Marine, it is an easy-to-use cloud-based platform that drastically reduces admin for seafaring businesses, helps streamline operations and improves compliance significantly.

Simple and accessible to operators of all sizes and fully GDPR compliant, Ankaa Marine is currently the only product of its type available which is accessible to operators of all sizes. It offers real time visibility of crew personal information, certification validity and copy documentation that has never previously been available, with a simple user-friendly interface and crew access on mobile and portal.

Encouraging crew engagement through mobile phones allows easier communication. Companies can also circulate safety bulletins or changes to processes in a secure company-branded space.

Jigsaw puzzles on the smartphone screen

The launch of Ankaa Marine follows years of product development and successful seafarer trials, which helped fine tune the functionality, user interface and stability for global marine businesses.

Ankaa Marine has already snapped up two high-profile customers; Serco Northlink Ferries, which runs ferry services to the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland and has around 370 marine staff benefiting directly from the innovation, and MBSS, a leading Indonesian provider of sea logistics with more than 1,200 seafarers operating vessels and crane barges.

Stuart Garrett, Serco’s Managing Director for Northlink Ferries, said: “This is a proven solution to something that affects every maritime operator and we’re proud to be in at the start of a transformation in crew management.”

Ian Livingstone, Managing Director of Ankaa Ltd, said: “This is a vital new tool for marine companies around the world and we are delighted that firms like Northlink and MBSS have thrown their weight behind it.

“The maritime community has always been challenged with effectively managing, sharing and ensuring validity of seafarers’ data. Ankaa Marine changes all this and is fully in line with GDPR rules and regulations. Ankaa Marine isn’t just an app for the marine industry, it can also be used in a variety of other sectors, from renewables to construction, aviation and oil and gas, where large data files need to be shared securely and vocational qualifications constantly refreshed.”

Seafarers have also praised the app as being highly user friendly. Bosun Joe Perkins, who is among those who used it, said: “You can’t go wrong with it. Once I had filled out my previous assignments, it was great to be able to see all the sea-time I have under my belt. The layout is really easy to use, the menus are easy to navigate and it is clear what you need to press to make it all work.”

Joe said through Ankaa Marine, he updated his medical certificate and sent it to his crew manager who saw it straight away. “This is much better than sending him a big file via email,” he added. “It didn’t take long to add my old assignments and it’s really good to see how my sea service is broken down.”

In a constantly evolving tech market, Ankaa Ltd is now focusing on new features and product developments including an employee app with mobile-enabled digital payslips, contract management and expense claims and job listings.
Source: Ankaa Ltd.

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