The Project
Client and brief project overview
African Marine Solutions (AMSOL), an expert in ship management and marine services, approached Cape Town software development company Khanyisa Real Systems (KRS) to develop a centralised management system for their various marine operations. AMSOL, needed to optimise multiple components of the business to improve its marine and deep-sea mining support services. At the time, AMSOL’s existing marine management systems were not integrated, and they needed a single, integrated system that could enable better workflow to counter management and administration inefficiencies such as:
- Marine services operations that needed improved ship management procedures.
- Ship-to-shore operations required better coordination between ships and crew.
- Real-time transmission of data and messages between ships and on-land crew.
KRS was tasked with developing SMART (a Ship Management And Reporting Tool), a comprehensive bespoke software solution that could facilitate seamless communication and reduce inefficient business operations.
Client solution: SMART
SMART was developed by an experienced team that consisted of a Scrum Master and five software developers. KRS’s collaborative software development approach ensured continuous delivery alongside AMSOL’s product managers. The system ensured the optimisation of critical business areas, including:
- Crew planning, certifications, leave, and payroll management.
- Overseeing vessel operations, including certification and performance management.
- Policy management and distribution.
- SHE-Q (Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality) administration and reporting.
- Information message queues are used to communicate with remote vessels.
- Procurement management, including Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BEEE) compliance and budget monitoring.
The Technology
Modernising AMSOL’s software over a decade
As technology advanced, particularly in the web development space, AMSOL’s needs evolved, and their existing software, which was originally developed and supported overseas, became outdated.
KRS senior developer Francois Rossouw, who spearheads technical engagement with AMSOL, remarks that ten years ago when AMSOL approached KRS, their software was rigid, slow-to-update, and outdated.
For the KRS technical team, the quickest and most efficient approach was to build new .NET WinForms applications for the front end and with SQL Server as the relational database engine. Message-queuing software RabbitMQ was chosen as the message broker for data distribution between the central system and vessels out at sea.
This technology stack provided a rapid time-to-market solution with an existing suite of user interface (UI) components and out-of-the-box capabilities. Over the past decade, KRS took advantage of the maturation of web-based technologies to rebuild AMSOL’s software to transition the traditional WinForms desktop application to Single Page Applications (SPAs) for the web, using modern JavaScript frameworks like Aurelia and Svelte. These technologies offered a more flexible and responsive user experience (UX), allowing AMSOL to benefit from smoother interactions and a cleaner UI as well as centralised app deployment. For the backend, RESTful ASP.NET Core APIs written in C# were implemented to ensure a scalable, high-performance system for managing AMSOL’s complex operations. Adopting these modern technologies ensured agility, easier maintenance, and scalability.
To manage data transfer, KRS used an offline-first design approach where data would be queued up and only synchronized when the remote vessel was back within range, ensuring that AMSOL could manage its data reliably without incurring excessive costs or sacrificing performance.
Agile in action: The KRS way
The adoption of agile software development methodologies enables better team collaboration. From requirements gathering and development features to a User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment, as early as possible, it allows for rapid feedback and adjustments that improve delivery.
Behavior-driven development (BDD) was used to capture user requirements in the form of user stories and scenarios, which were treated as acceptance criteria used to develop automated test suites to demonstrate that the software met AMSOL’s needs.
Domain-driven design (DDD) was also employed. This methodology enables a shared language between stakeholders to ensure an aligned development process. In the development phase, the adoption of the Test-driven development (TDD) methodology facilitated the transformation of user scenarios into working code while continuing to focus on system quality and the client’s acceptance criteria.
Continuous delivery (CD) tools were used to automate the deployment of features to the test environment, ensuring that any updates underwent regular testing and before implementation.
What the Client has to say
Business impact delivered for AMSOL
The KRS collaborative software development approach assures that the client’s needs are met throughout the project. The development team successfully addressed the challenge of integrating ship-to-shore communication, ensuring seamless data flow between vessels and the head office. The phased roll-out of SMART allowed AMSOL to gradually implement the system across operations minimising disruptions to daily workflows.
SMART transformed AMSOL’s operations by providing a centralised platform for managing crew, vessel, and policy information, alongside procurement and safety reporting. The system reduced administrative complexity, improved compliance with maritime regulations, and optimised communication between the head office and vessels. The streamlined processes resulted in more efficient crew scheduling and payroll management, contributing to smoother daily operations and better cost control through procurement monitoring.
At KRS, we let our clients speak of the results. Here is what Caven Leale, the Financial Director of AMSOL, had to say:
“For many years, AMSOL used a few vessel and crew management systems from abroad. Licensing and support were expensive, enhancements were slow, and integration was problematic. We decided to commission KRS Systems, a local Cape Town-based software company, to develop a bespoke system because of their excellent reputation and skills in Microsoft technology stack development. What a difference it has made to our business!
The monthly payroll-run is fast and accurate, and crew and vessel planning are a pleasure. Combine this with the ability to synchronise management operations, reporting, and data across vessels that are often out at sea for weeks, and we have a leading software product that enables us to confidently grow our business. The software support is outstanding, and it has been a pleasure to work with KRS Systems over the years.”
Project conclusion
KRS helped AMSOL achieve their goal of seamless ship management, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards. Throughout the development and implementation of the bespoke SMART system, KRS ensured that the system was not only tailored to the client’s immediate needs but that it was also scalable and adaptable to accommodate future growth.
AMSOL’s modernisation and incremental upgrades of software exceed a decade and demonstrate that we embrace evolving technological innovation to help clients meet current and future demands.
We did so by delivering a faster and more reliable solution through:
- agile development and testing practices that are robust,
- changing outdated desktop systems to modern web technologies, and
- deploying an offline-first data transfer approach.
As a versatile pragmatic software company with inter-generational teams, we have the unique capability to operate in both legacy and modern technology environments effectively bridging traditional systems with innovative technologies to deliver robust, future-proof solutions.
