Daniel Parkhurst
(Co-Founder & Partner)
In an era defined by technological disruption and heightened competition, the oil & gas shipping industry is embracing digital transformation as a catalyst for operational efficiency, safety, and sustainability. As these companies navigate the complexities of modernizing their operations, the need for agile, scalable, and innovative solutions has never been more pressing. Enter Mendix, a leading low-code application development platform that is revolutionizing the way companies approach software development and digital innovation.
In this article, we will explore the compelling benefits of using Mendix for shipping and how it enables them to thrive in an increasingly digital landscape. We’ll also see how Rapid App Werks has made big strides solving the frustrations of the schedulers and maintenance engineers that make these companies go!
Agile Application Development
Mendix empowers oil companies to rapidly develop and deploy custom applications that address their unique operational challenges. With its low-code approach, the platform enables both IT professionals and domain experts to collaborate seamlessly, accelerating the delivery of innovative solutions. Whether it’s optimizing vessel scheduling, enhancing cargo tracking and monitoring, or streamlining maintenance workflows, Mendix enables agile application development, allowing companies to respond swiftly to market demands, like spikes in demand during hurricane season. For a scheduler, easy access to movement and inventory data is key to your job. We connect to SAP and display movements and inventory in an easy to use platform.
Here is a sneak peak into our scheduling launchpad:
Integration and Analysis
In the dynamic world of oil and gas, real-time data integration and analysis are essential for informed decision-making and operational efficiency. Mendix excels in integrating with disparate data sources, including IoT sensors, onboard systems, and enterprise databases like SAP, to provide a unified view of operational data. By leveraging Mendix’s capabilities, shipping companies can harness the power of real-time analytics to optimize voyage planning, monitor fuel consumption, and proactively identify maintenance needs, ultimately driving cost savings and operational excellence.
Use real time data to see where your ship is on its voyage:
IoT and Predictive Maintenance
The proliferation of IoT (Internet of Things) devices onboard vessels presents a wealth of opportunities for companies to optimize maintenance processes and enhance asset performance. Mendix seamlessly integrates with IoT platforms, enabling companies to harness sensor data for predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, and performance optimization. By leveraging Mendix, oil shipping companies can transition from reactive to proactive maintenance strategies, reducing downtime, extending asset lifecycles, and enhancing overall operational reliability.
Here is a look into an application we built to manage maintenance on a ship or anywhere!):
IoT devices are providing sensor readings and our bots are ready to act to report a problem, at a terminal, on a ship, wherever you need!
Compliance and Safety Management
Compliance with stringent regulations and ensuring the highest standards of safety are paramount in the oil industry. Mendix provides a robust platform for developing custom applications to manage compliance processes, safety protocols, and regulatory reporting. By leveraging Mendix’s capabilities, companies can streamline compliance activities, automate safety checks, and ensure adherence to industry standards, ultimately mitigating risks and enhancing operational resilience. Having the highest safety standards means have technology capable of reporting when something goes wrong. Using the latest in AI technology, Rapid App Werks is on the cutting edge of helping companies identify issues before they become emergencies.
We found a leaking actuator and generated a work order:
A mobile view provides maintenance staff a view of what they need to be safe and what tasks they need to accomplish:
Scalability and Performance
As shipping companies expand their fleets and operations, they require technology solutions that can scale alongside their growth. Mendix offers robust scalability and performance, ensuring that applications remain responsive and reliable even as the demands on the system increase. Whether it’s supporting a growing user base, accommodating larger data volumes, or adapting to new business processes, Mendix provides the foundation for scalable and high-performing digital solutions. With it’s ability to scale vertically or horizontally using AWS, there is hardly a limit to what we can build for you. The Mendix Runtime instances can be scaled horizontally by adding more instances and vertically by adding more memory for each instance. Since the Runtime is stateless, no additional effort is needed to run your Mendix app in cluster mode.
What do we conclude?
Rapid App Werks and Mendix offers a compelling value proposition for shipping companies seeking to embrace digital transformation and drive sustainable and safe growth. By empowering agile application development, enabling real-time data integration and analysis, facilitating IoT and predictive maintenance, and ensuring compliance and safety management, Mendix is at the forefront of empowering companies to thrive in an increasingly digital and competitive landscape. As the industry continues to evolve, the adoption of Mendix is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of shipping operations and driving operational excellence.
What ideas do you have? What do you need built for your company? Did one of these tools pique your interest? We are only scratching the surface. Contact us and let us go to work for you, solving your problems! Info@rapidappwerks.com