Helm Operations, the global market-leader in harbor towage dispatch and billing software, has launched new software called simply Helm CONNECT Jobs, specifically designed to support tugboat owners and operators in a range of customer-facing tasks including contract management, tariffs, billing, dispatch and vessel logs.

The Jobs software improves on the functionality of Helm’s market-leading program Helm Dispatch Manager for Harbor Towage, which is in constant use on around 400 vessels across the globe, and has been rebranded to reflect the transition to cloud-based storage. Jobs changes the way harbour towage companies operate their businesses. With Jobs, schedulers/dispatchers are doing much less data entry and have more time to focus on ensuring top-notch customer service. Management can view data in new ways either at a macro or micro level to make better business decisions. As well, Jobs is equally relevant for operators in the Americas, Australia, South East Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Cloud-based capability makes Jobs easy to deploy, with set up possible in offices ashore and/or on vessels. It is easily configured and tailored to meet individual clients’ requirements. It can also be integrated with other Helm software including Preventive Maintenance and Compliance in order to generate automatic warnings on out-of-date certificates, for example, or other non-compliances.

A number of Helm’s current customers using the earlier software have already indicated that they plan to upgrade. Jobs is potentially also suitable for a whole range of new customers in the harbor towage sector. In addition, Helm Operations has plans to extend the Jobs market to other workboat sectors including inland dry and liquid bulk transport firms, coastal ship operators, marine pilotage and ocean towage companies.

The new software has been designed in close consultation with customers, with prototypes built and tested at customers’ own facilities to ensure the very best user experience. Jobs can be deployed in little more than a day and is easily customized. For ease of use and updates the software, much like Helm CONNECT Maintenance and Compliance, is cloud-based. Monthly fees are charged on a per vessel basis, with customers having unlimited users.

Rodger Banister, VP Marketing at Helm Operations, says the company is pleased to be able to deliver significant benefits to any operator engaged in harbor towage. “Helm CONNECT Jobs’ automation of tariffs and contracts reduces credits and rebills, improves invoice turn-around time to 24 hours or better, and has shown in some cases to increase surcharge revenue by hundreds of thousands of dollars. What’s more, it’s much easier to set up than its predecessor and will provide substantial benefits to a wider range of operators – from the largest to some of the smallest,” he added.