Turn repeatable processes into structured workflows
Many operational processes follow a familiar pattern: a request is raised, it is reviewed, someone approves or rejects it, the next person is notified, and activity continues until the process is complete. Without a defined workflow, those steps may be managed differently by each team or vessel.
Automation and Workflow helps organisations turn repeatable activity into a more consistent process.
Automation and Workflow helps organisations turn repeatable activity into a more consistent process.
This can support:
- Task assignment
- Approval routing
- Notifications
- Escalation
- Status tracking
- Handover between teams
- Completion records
- Audit trails
The objective is not to automate every decision. It is to provide a reliable structure around the decisions people already make.
Reduce reliance on email and manual follow-up
Email is useful for communication, but it is not always an effective process-management tool. An approval request may sit unread in an inbox. A follow-up action may be buried in a long thread. Different people may hold different versions of the same information.
This can make it difficult to answer simple questions:
- Has the task been assigned?
- Who is responsible?
- Has the request been approved?
- What information is still missing?
- Has the deadline passed?
- What happens next?
A structured workflow keeps the activity connected to the relevant record within Shipnet. Users can see the current status without reconstructing the process from messages and attachments.
Support approvals across fleet operations
Approvals are required throughout maritime operations, including:
- Purchase requests
- Supplier selection
- Additional dry docking work
- Invoice validation
- Budget exceptions
- Document release
- Corrective actions
- Operational changes
- Expenditure above agreed limits
Different approvals may require different people depending on vessel, department, value, cost centre, type of request, level of risk, and organisational responsibility. A structured approval process helps route requests to the appropriate person and maintain a clear record of the decision - supporting both operational efficiency and financial control.
Reduce reliance on email and manual follow-up
Email is useful for communication, but it is not always an effective process-management tool. An approval request may sit unread in an inbox. A follow-up action may be buried in a long thread. Different people may hold different versions of the same information.
This can make it difficult to answer simple questions:
- Has the task been assigned?
- Who is responsible?
- Has the request been approved?
- What information is still missing?
- Has the deadline passed?
- What happens next?
A structured workflow keeps the activity connected to the relevant record within Shipnet. Users can see the current status without reconstructing the process from messages and attachments.
Reduce reliance on email and manual follow-up
Email is useful for communication, but it is not always an effective process-management tool. An approval request may sit unread in an inbox. A follow-up action may be buried in a long thread. Different people may hold different versions of the same information.
This can make it difficult to answer simple questions:
- Has the task been assigned?
- Who is responsible?
- Has the request been approved?
- What information is still missing?
- Has the deadline passed?
- What happens next?
A structured workflow keeps the activity connected to the relevant record within Shipnet. Users can see the current status without reconstructing the process from messages and attachments.
Support approvals across fleet operations
Approvals are required throughout maritime operations, including:
- Purchase requests
- Supplier selection
- Additional dry docking work
- Invoice validation
- Budget exceptions
- Document release
- Corrective actions
- Operational changes
- Expenditure above agreed limits
Different approvals may require different people depending on vessel, department, value, cost centre, type of request, level of risk, and organisational responsibility. A structured approval process helps route requests to the appropriate person and maintain a clear record of the decision - supporting both operational efficiency and financial control.
How Shipnet approaches this
Automation and Workflow isn't a module you switch on - it's how tasks and approvals move consistently through Shipnet ONE, keeping every step linked to the underlying record so status, responsibility and history stay visible across Technical, Procurement, Financial and every other area, without manual chasing.
Provide clearer responsibility →
Keep work moving between vessel and shore →
Use notifications without creating more noise →
Escalate overdue or high-priority activity →
Create consistency without removing flexibility →
Connect workflow with operational data →
Improve auditability and governance →
Support cross-platform processes →
Practical use cases
Purchase approval
A vessel raises a purchase request. The request is reviewed against operational need and budget. Approval is routed according to value or responsibility. Procurement can then continue with the approved request.
Inspection follow-up
An inspection identifies a finding. A corrective action is assigned. The responsible user is notified. Progress is tracked until the action is completed and reviewed.
Invoice validation
An invoice is received and linked to the relevant supplier and purchase activity. The appropriate user reviews the information. Any discrepancies are returned for clarification. Approved invoices continue into the financial process.
Document approval
A document is updated. The revised version is routed for review. Approval is recorded before controlled distribution begins.
Purchase approval
A vessel raises a purchase request. The request is reviewed against operational need and budget. Approval is routed according to value or responsibility. Procurement can then continue with the approved request.
Practical use cases
Practical use cases
Purchase approval
A vessel raises a purchase request. The request is reviewed against operational need and budget. Approval is routed according to value or responsibility. Procurement can then continue with the approved request.
Inspection follow-up
An inspection identifies a finding. A corrective action is assigned. The responsible user is notified. Progress is tracked until the action is completed and reviewed.
Invoice validation
An invoice is received and linked to the relevant supplier and purchase activity. The appropriate user reviews the information. Any discrepancies are returned for clarification. Approved invoices continue into the financial process.
Document approval
A document is updated. The revised version is routed for review. Approval is recorded before controlled distribution begins.
Reduce process dependency on individuals
Many organisations rely on experienced employees who understand how work should move through the business. That knowledge is valuable. But when the process exists mainly in someone's inbox, spreadsheet or memory, it becomes difficult to scale and vulnerable when roles change.
Structured workflows help place the process within the platform. This makes it easier for new users to understand what is required and for managers to maintain consistency across teams.
A clearer view of work in progress
Operational activity does not only need to be completed. It needs to be visible while it is happening. Workflow status can help teams understand what is awaiting review, which approvals remain outstanding, where activity is delayed, which tasks are approaching their due date, what has recently been completed, and where management attention is needed.
This creates a more practical view of work across the organisation. Instead of relying on people to report progress manually, teams can review the status of the process itself.
Build automation around the process, not around automation
Charter performance, maintenance planning, procurement approvals, compliance reporting and financial management all depend on operational information moving clearly across the organisation. Yet many shipping companies still manage these responsibilities across disconnected systems, spreadsheets and manual workflows.
Shipnet ONE
brings these operational disciplines together within one integrated maritime platform - built specifically for how shipping companies actually operate across ship and shore.
Explore related areas
PLATFORM
See how connected workflows support operational activity across the wider Shipnet platform.
RELATED CAPABILITY
Discover how review, approval and controlled distribution support reliable document management across the fleet.
RELATED CAPABILITY
See how automated invoice processing connects supplier invoices with procurement and financial workflows.
Frequently
Asked Questions
What is Automation and Workflow in Shipnet ONE?
Automation and Workflow is a capability that runs through Shipnet ONE rather than a standalone module. It gives Technical, Procurement, Financial, Safety, Dry Docking, Documents SE and ShipInspect a consistent way to manage tasks, approvals and process steps, helping organisations move work more consistently, reduce manual administration and maintain a clearer record of what has happened, what is outstanding and who is responsible.
Is Automation and Workflow a separate module that needs to be switched on?
No. It is not a module in its own right - it is how tasks and approvals move consistently through Shipnet ONE, keeping every step linked to the underlying record so status, responsibility and history stay visible across every area of the platform.
Which areas of Shipnet ONE does workflow automation support?
It spans Technical, Procurement, Financial, Safety, Dry Docking, Documents SE and ShipInspect, and can support cross-platform processes rather than being limited to one area — for example, an approval that begins in Procurement can continue directly into a Financial workflow.
Can approval routing differ by vessel, department, or value?
Yes. Different approvals may require different people depending on vessel, department, value, cost centre, type of request, level of risk, and organisational responsibility. A structured approval process helps route requests to the appropriate person while maintaining a clear record of the decision.
Does workflow automation remove management oversight or automate every decision?
No. The objective is not to automate every decision or replace management oversight — it is to provide a reliable structure around the decisions people already make, and to help direct oversight towards the activity most likely to need intervention, such as overdue or escalated items.
How does workflow automation support processes that cross vessel and shore teams?
Connected workflows help activity move between vessel and shore while maintaining the context of the original request — for example, a defect reported by a crew member can move through review, procurement sourcing, financial validation and management approval without information being repeated or manually transferred between systems.
How does workflow automation improve auditability?
Structured workflows create a record of activity as it progresses, which can include who raised the request, when it was submitted, who reviewed it, what decision was made, when it was made, supporting comments, changes in status and final completion — supporting internal governance and reducing the effort needed to demonstrate that approvals and controls were followed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Automation and Workflow in Shipnet ONE?
Automation and Workflow is a capability that runs through Shipnet ONE rather than a standalone module. It gives Technical, Procurement, Financial, Safety, Dry Docking, Documents SE and ShipInspect a consistent way to manage tasks, approvals and process steps, helping organisations move work more consistently, reduce manual administration and maintain a clearer record of what has happened, what is outstanding and who is responsible.
Is Automation and Workflow a separate module that needs to be switched on?
No. It is not a module in its own right - it is how tasks and approvals move consistently through Shipnet ONE, keeping every step linked to the underlying record so status, responsibility and history stay visible across every area of the platform.
Which areas of Shipnet ONE does workflow automation support?
It spans Technical, Procurement, Financial, Safety, Dry Docking, Documents SE and ShipInspect, and can support cross-platform processes rather than being limited to one area — for example, an approval that begins in Procurement can continue directly into a Financial workflow.
Can approval routing differ by vessel, department, or value?
Yes. Different approvals may require different people depending on vessel, department, value, cost centre, type of request, level of risk, and organisational responsibility. A structured approval process helps route requests to the appropriate person while maintaining a clear record of the decision.
Does workflow automation remove management oversight or automate every decision?
No. The objective is not to automate every decision or replace management oversight — it is to provide a reliable structure around the decisions people already make, and to help direct oversight towards the activity most likely to need intervention, such as overdue or escalated items.
How does workflow automation support processes that cross vessel and shore teams?
Connected workflows help activity move between vessel and shore while maintaining the context of the original request — for example, a defect reported by a crew member can move through review, procurement sourcing, financial validation and management approval without information being repeated or manually transferred between systems.
How does workflow automation improve auditability?
Structured workflows create a record of activity as it progresses, which can include who raised the request, when it was submitted, who reviewed it, what decision was made, when it was made, supporting comments, changes in status and final completion — supporting internal governance and reducing the effort needed to demonstrate that approvals and controls were followed.
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