Software for ship agents supported with digitalisation grant
Software solutions provider Softship has been selected as a ‘pre-approved vendor’ under the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) Sea Transport Industry Digital Plan (IDP), a SGD3.7million fund to support ship agency and harbour craft businesses in Singapore to build stronger digital capabilities.
Softship is one of only two companies to be listed by the MPA as a pre-approved vendor and provider of a maritime-specific digital solution for small and medium sized (SME) ship agency businesses seeking to upgrade their digital capabilities. The Sea Transport IDP and @SMEGoDigital Programme was established to provide SMEs with step-by-step guidance to support them in the adoption of new digital solutions and provides a list of vetted and approved maritime-specific digital solutions which qualify under the grant.
As Softship have been pre-approved, Singapore-based ship agency SMEs can access Sea Transport IDP funding for up to 70%, or up to SGD$30,000, of the cost of Softship’s Advanced Port Agency Solution (Softship.SAPAS), a cloud-based software solution designed specifically for ship agency businesses. Softship.SAPAS allows ship agency businesses of any size to manage all port agency and husbandry activities through a single on-line platform, from any web-enabled device.
Lars Fischer, Managing Director, Softship Data Processing Singapore, said: “Agents require software solutions that enable greater mobility so that staff can multitask, have better visibility over suppliers and transparency over accounting and customer relations.They must upgrade from Excel spreadsheets and basic IT tools to more fluid, reliable and future-proof software solutions based on cloud technology. This will make it possible for them to have the same IT capabilities as even the biggest global players.
“The MPA has recognised the challenges that smaller and independent ship agency businesses face in what is a rapidly digitising maritime economy – and they recognise how valuable these businesses and individuals are to the Singapore maritime economy. Under the Sea Transport IDP, eligible ship agency businesses can benefit from this additional support and can continue to provide services that are vital to ship owners and operators calling at Singapore’s ports, and beyond.”
The Sea Transport IDP is a joint initiative between MPA and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG).
Softship is the leading provider of software solutions to the international shipping industry and port agency sector. The company offers its Softship LIMA software suite and associated applications to serve the needs of liner shipping carriers; Softship ALFA, its software suite for liner agents; and Softship.SAPAS, a cloud-based software package for port agents. Softship products serve more than 120 companies globally and are designed to streamline tasks in order to deliver greater efficiencies to the full list of processes that comprise shipping. Softship additionally provides a range of business management tools that allow shipping executives to fully analyse their commercial and operational activities. Software is offered in a modular format which provides clients with flexible licencing options. Software can be easily modified to meet specific market or company requirements and is delivered as a locally installed application or through a hosted or cloud-based solution. Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, Softship employs more than 140 industry experts across a global network, with offices in, Singapore, The Philippines and the USA. Softship is a member of the Wisetech Global Group, Australia (WTC:ASX).
