Published: Jun 09, 2022
Transforming the tech behind marine port clearance
NCS partnered with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to launch a digital platform, digitalPORT@SGTM, which serves as a single portal for all port-related documentation. This scalable solution is designed to meet the growing demands of the maritime industry. It is equipped with intelligent features that provide enhanced security, faster upgrades and improved user experience. By replacing outdated tools and integrating smarter processes such as automated testing, the industry saved an estimated 100,000 man-hours per annum.
Key takeaways
- First-in-the-world to streamline port clearance processes of vessels
- 16 different port clearance processes on single platform
- 100,000+ man-hours of savings per year
The challenge
Before the implementation of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's (MPA) digitalPORT@SG™, up to 16 forms for port clearance were submitted to three government agencies separately through their respective digital portals. This resulted in repetitive data entry and duplicate sets of documents submitted by the port users. Furthermore, the coordination between the MPA , Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), and National Environment Agency (NEA) on the clearance statuses was done through separate systems and workflows, which could result in delays to a ship’s arrival or departure. Aside from consolidating all forms in a single interface, the platform also needed to support growing maritime trade volumes. It required a scalable solution to reduce reliance on a single database and to develop a system capable of seamlessly upgrading and migrating to cloud-ready environments.
The solution
MPA partnered with NCS to deploy digitalPORT@SG™, a single and seamless portal for all port-related documentation, to be used by multiple agencies and maritime industry stakeholders, and which complies with government requirements. The platform integrates intelligent features that allow updates to be rolled out faster. Code scanning tools were introduced to automatically test system functions so updates could be rolled out faster with fewer errors. The backend processes were migrated to build a foundation for future introductions of intelligent, role-based interactions. The development process also saw embedded security and enhanced reliability with robust Development, Security and Operations (DevSecOps) practices at all stages.
Snapshot of capabilities
- Microservices Architecture
- Role-based dashboard
- Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
The impact
MPA’s digitalPORT@SG™ simplifies the submission of port clearance to MPA, ICA and NEA for all arriving and departing ships through a single platform and streamlines 16 different forms into one simplified submission. As the system was continually tested and upgraded, users could enjoy a cleaner interface and more intuitive navigation with role-based dashboards. Outdated tools were also replaced, which improved system responsiveness and maintainability. Smarter processes like automated testing and early port integration trials were implemented to enable faster, more reliable updates and clearances. The latest version also enjoyed enhanced security measures — creating a secure environment for safe deployments, stronger disaster recovery, and regular updates. Since its launch in 2019, the shipping community has saved 100,000 hours per annum, thanks to faster and simpler submission of port clearance documents. DigitalPORT@SG™ supports MPA's vision of making Singapore the world's smartest and most connected port.