Where in depth business analysis, superior project-management, maritime best practices and exceptional training are all combined with the most awarded digital framework!

Benefit Software welcomes the international shipping community to a space dedicated to smooth Digital Acceleration:  a detailed masterplan full of skills, knowledge and technology that will connect the dots and guide you on every step of the journey, from the ground up.

Join us at Posidonia 2022 to

• discover how our expertise will tailor your company needs and requirements
• learn about our smooth and flawless one-click deployment from your current status to the new Digital era.
• find out how you will maintain your data and business continuity with Data Migration
• experience what Implementation Review and Monitoring really means and how you can increase your ROI with this.
• leverage our vast experience in developing collaborative frameworks for large-scale shipping projects, while maintaining operations on the fly.

Our multidisciplinary team is ready to discuss with you how to blend in a single, digital ecosystem the data, the processes, the ERP, the business analytics and the industry expertise for designing, building and scaling outstanding business transformation.

Your organization’s roadmap, compass and itinerary for a smooth Digital Acceleration is here: Hall 4 | Booth 318 (June 6-10, 2022)

Developed for the specific needs of the heavily regulated shipping industry, the Training module by Benefit Software is designed to support HR and Crew Management departments in streamlining the seemingly endless administrative tasks related to crew training processes and turn them into the company’s competitive advantage.

The module essentially provides an integrated framework that takes care of all areas of the training management process, addressing the complexities of timely and effective crew training needs:

• from defining, collecting, and monitoring training requests to the establishment of the training requirements
• from planning & executing the training events to budget monitoring

An automated solution that transforms the repetitive training-management jungle into a robust integrated chain, connecting inter-departmental training needs with results, all under the scope of compliance with international protocols and guidelines.

With solid proof of the training processes and the corresponding high degree of traceability, the module is a key-component of the Benefit Software Ecosystem, allowing:

• the development of training requirements per vessel type and/or rank regardless of the number of the participants
• the traceability of the source of the training-need ( e.g., an incident, a non-conformity, a seaman evaluation, etc.)
• the full integration with the accounting module for invoicing actions
• the real-time monitoring of training actions
• the reporting of training results

An integrated, fully visible central control point that upscales training management, bypasses traditional training insufficiencies and loopholes, improves business performance and critically contributes to the development of an organizational training culture.

ELNAVI Magazine, February 2021, “IT in Shipping” Special Report

What are the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in your company’s functions & operations?

Despite the pandemic’s profound effect on all aspects of modern economy, 2020 was indeed an extremely fruitful year for BENEFIT SOFTWARE, experiencing a significant increase of new installations while welcoming a great number of new users. Substantial investment made in the past towards the full digitalization of the Company’s core-operations allowed us to enjoy zero, or close to zero disruptions. Thanks to the available, hi-tech infrastructure as well as to the digital maturity of the organization, BENEFIT SOFTWARE was able to on-time utilize a fully remote working environment, where Implementation, Support and Developing could run in a “business as usual” model. All workplace tools and resources (telephone extensions, workspace environment, applications, etc) were maintained at 100% operational readiness, providing an unprecedented delivery of completed projects and uninterrupted continuous support, yet fully preserving the company’s reputation as the most reliable partner in support-related issues.

Describe your company’s business model in order to meet your clients’ needs and requirements.

Having supplied the shipping industry for over 30 years with awarded ERP, Business Analytics & Communication Management solutions, BENEFIT SOFTWARE is known as the leading provider of the most functional and efficiently integrated Office and Vessel applications in the market. It is exactly this vast experience in integrated frames, in customized work-flows, in data-analysis reports, analytics and KPIs derived exclusively from the shipping business, the in-depth knowledge of international regulations and protocols and the extensive managerial competence in achieving immediate user participation, that allow BENEFIT SOFTWARE to make the difference, acting as a valuable “digitalization” partner instead of just a reliable software provider.  It is our Company’s commitment to guide the digital transformation of each partner via a “best practices” approach, always tailored to its special needs and requirements. Such commitment is backed up by exceptionally effective project-management, implementation & support teams, all involved in demanding, large-scale shipping projects, thus very experienced in developing collaborative frameworks, monitoring project flows in relation to time schedules, achieving company-milestones, while maintaining operations on the fly. On top of that, regular implementation reviews and tailored support after installation have led to successful integration of systems and processes as well as in their full utilization, maximizing the benefits.

Furthermore, the Company’s e-learning platform ensures significantly reduced training time, speed and ease of implementation, thereby ensuring greater user-command.

Describe the range of your company’s IT solutions in relation to the specific operational profiles of your customers.

With a view to the modern shipping company looking for business governance through a single digital solution, BENEFIT Software offers a comprehensive set of next generation, high performance, software technologies and services for ERP (bSuite), Communication Management (bTeam) & Business Analytics (bA+)  that are far beyond the typical set of software modules: instead, altogether they form a holistic digital -management environment ready to serve as efficiently and effectively as ever before the operational and executive needs of the forward-thinking shipping enterprise.

In addition, we consider it of paramount importance to keep offering a single digital ecosystem that incorporates and preserves best business processes, yet built in an open, outgoing architecture, ready and eager to incorporate future developments. This is particularly apparent in our set of web and mobile apps, designed to support business on the go, as well as, our 3^rd party integrations, indicative of continually building bridges with best-in-class partners for securing the availability of complete, consolidated information in a single, premium digital environment.

Have you diversified your services in cyber security, block chain technology, data analytics tools and other solutions?

In the Shipping industry, as in any highly competitive market, information has become an extremely valuable asset that may, sometimes, even define the company’s future. In accordance with the above, the expected further development of cloud services (due to the reduced cost of maintenance and the ease of access) will likely increase the vulnerability of companies to cyber threats unless certain security measures are undertaken.

For successfully responding to perceived security threats, we have implemented an advanced information-security management system that incorporates best-practices in controls & procedures, ensuring the full protection of data assets. Thanks to such a corporate commitment and continuous efforts, BENEFIT SOFTWARE has gained ISO 27001 by LR, the world’s leading provider of independent assessment in the shipping industry. Furthermore, from a technological aspect, our dedicated team deploys a set of well-defined security-technologies that deliver the highest levels of assurance. All our systems have been scrutinized by authoritative third-parties following penetration testing patterns while findings have been properly and fully handled so to ensure maximum security. In addition, our upgraded platform incorporates state-of-the-art security characteristics, while bCluster, a well-structured database service operating seamlessly in the background, is   equipped with truly advanced antivirus security for diminishing data-loss risk.

Of course, all of our web-apps have also been developed following the “secure by design” model (eg. http protocols, password policies, continuous credential verification, session expiry etc.) and our partners can take advantage of a comprehensive range of encryption and authentication capabilities (such the SSL Certificate with 256-bit encryption used on our Messaging Application, similar to the banking-system security systems).

Despite the fact that AI and Blockchain are still not characterized as a dominant trend in the shipping industry, BENEFIT SOFTWARE, always at the forefront of innovation, has proactively been involved in discussions with prominent data-analytics organizations to thoroughly examine and evaluate the possibility of incorporating machine learning technologies, so that meaningful information could be extracted out of unstructured ERP data.

Moreover, our 30 years of solid and exclusive expertise in the shipping sector has fully equipped the company with the necessary know-how and general operational knowledge required for handling such sensitive data, mainly, but not solely, derived from vessel performance monitoring. Our existing cooperation with well-established sensor data providers allow us to integrate such knowledge into our ERP framework, thus building a rich portfolio of vessel and technical data -analysis options, using information from other critical areas (e.g. crewing, safety, maintenance or, even finance). Furthermore, we empower such interconnected information with bA+, our advanced Business Analytics tools and services so that our partners enjoy a better, deeper, more complete understanding of the vessels’ operational environment and receive all the necessary consolidated feedback so to reach sound, sophisticated strategic management decisions.

What are the new initiatives of your company and your future plans to expand your market share in shipping? 

Shipping is rapidly turning into a data-driven industry where more and more decisions will soon be based on data analytics. It has been projected that shipping corporate data will grow by 800% in the next five years. Such huge amounts of data can reveal very important information about interrelationships that were previously very difficult or impossible to be determined. This is why we have developed bA+, the best-in class Business Analytics service which not only provides the traditional advantages of a typical Business Intelligence Suite (acceleration of decision-making time, automation of financial reports, quick and easy identification of risks, multiple real-scenarios investigation, etc) but also acts as a valuable partner for pointing out critical needs and establishing realistic targets, paving the digital path to business excellence.

In addition, advanced solutions for data forecasting and measurement services that will assist our partners with further guidance and elaborations are already in our project pipeline, for further empowering BENEFIT SOFTWARE’s leading position in the shipping industry.

The new, web-based way for touch-free crew updates

Designed to facilitate crew updates & planning during challenging times, the recently introduced web-app allows crew info to be inputted to your BENEFIT SOFTWARE Crew module straight from the source: your Manning Agent. With WebCrew © all seamen details, certifications, documents and updates are fed directly into your ERP environment without lifting a finger, eliminating double-entry errors and redundant tasks.
By securely logging into WebCrew ©, your Manning Agent will be allowed to enter seamlessly all current and future seamen details into your Crew Module, 24/7, globally, from any web-browser, with levels and records of accessibility fully controlled by the office, achieving:

• Elimination of unnecessary communication between office and Manning Agent
• Real time, instant integration between the Manning Agents’ acts and the Crew Management Module
• Full monitoring of Manning Agent’s activities

WebCrew © is the touch-free bridge between your Manning Agent’s desk and your Crew Module screen, a revolutionary upgrade in controlling the crewing process while bringing time and effort waste practically to ZERO.

The Purchasing Module “supercharge”

At Benefit Software, we are obsessed over integration of people, business, procedures and systems, providing our clients with the value, tools and results that only an industry leader can consistently deliver.

Just a few weeks after the addition of Seagull Platform into our Crew Management & Training modules, BENEFIT SOFTWARE is now taking one step further, by incorporating Procureship as the new, value-added element into the company’s ecosystem.

The new open-frame expansion supercharges the Company’s ERP with new characteristics and transforms Purchasing Module into the user’s gateway to global marketplace, where supplier lists, enquiries, orders, quotations & responses will be all tracked by case, real time. Without leaving Benefit Purchasing module, users will be able to accelerate purchasing-management, spotting, selecting and monitoring suppliers and orders from their ERP environment, enjoying:

• Full automation of data exchange between Benefit ERP and Procureship’s global network of registered suppliers, seamlessly
• One-click submission of multiple Enquiries & Orders without leaving the module
• Real-time responses to their system.
• Case tracking through Benefit ERP framework.
• Instant access to a curated global marketplace
• Improved productivity and minimization of user errors by automating repetitive tasks and eliminating manual data inputs.

all in one place, powered by the shipping-industry expertise of Benefit Software.

Committed to Integration

At Benefit Software, we pride ourselves on understanding the importance of open infrastructure, partnering with organizations and people who share our vision and core values. Moreover, we are committed in enabling our clients to extend the value of their ERP by seamlessly integrate with shipping industry’s leading applications and web-based tools.

Benefit Software delightfully welcomes Seagull Maritime as the newest member of the company’s integrated framework, a perfect complement for offering a user-friendly platform that fuels our client’s crew-management and training tools, allowing them to:

• Transfer seafarer details from Benefit’s Crew Management module to Seagull e-learning system
• Transfer e-learning and Company-Specific Training results from Seagull’s system to Benefit’s Crew Management Module,

on a fully integrated basis, on a single screen!

Without leaving Benefit Crew Management module, user will be able to view and manage Seagull seafarer details and training results for each crew member, implement transactional integration between maritime company and seafarer training report, perform crucial  crew management tasks dispersed into the two systems (eg. rank matching, update seaman details such as nationality, name, cross-check vessel type parameters, etc) and enjoy:

• Centralized monitoring
• Integrated overview of the training flow in the company
• Elimination of duplicate effort for data entry
• Modern and secure data transmission (Web API technology and secure SSL protocols)
• Data integrity
• GDPR compliance

Vessel Inspections in the palm of your hand

Benefit Software has done it again! With an increasing number of clients challenging an easier, more efficient way of performing and reporting audits and inspections onboard,  the company has just announced the launch of bAudit©:  a new twist on the  Inspections/Audit mobile apps that transforms portable and mobile devices into a powerful partner for conducting  vessel inspections anywhere, anytime, regardless of ERP system used and/or network availability

Connected to the Benefit ERP system through a dedicated cloud service, bAudit© receives and sends back Audit/Inspections check-lists and templates, allows the user to record easily all key-info, to use the device’s camera for photo evidence, to monitor quality actions and to access powerful reporting features.

bAudit© is another advancement of Benefit Software’s digital leadership in the shipping industry, another step in delivering greater value to our clients. The new Inspections/Audit “On-the-Go” app is born from the company’s experience in successfully developing innovative solutions exclusively for the maritime community, a truly smart-product that accelerates productivity, quality, compliance and safety.

BENEFIT Software welcomes the maritime community to Posidonia 2018, challenging again the digital stereotypes of the market and positioning the Company once more at the front and center of innovation. In a hyper-changing shipping-business environment, Benefit Software will introduce visitors to a comprehensive set of next generation, high performance, software technologies and services, a literally holistic digital-management fabric ready to serve as efficiently and effectively as ever before the operational and executive needs of the forward-thinking shipping enterprise.

Being the shipping industry’s favorite developer and provider of world-class software products and services for more than 27 years, Benefit Software will proudly present:

• bSuite® : the awarded ERP framework
• bA+ : the best-in-class set of business analytics tools and services, and
• bTeam^©  : the revolutionary  Information & Communication Management suite

All suitable for both office and vessel, fully compatible with major web/mobile platforms.

With a clear vision of what is ahead, we are confident that visitors to Benefit Software’s booth (Hall 4 – no. 318, June 4 – 8, Metropolitan Expo) will enjoy the opportunity to explore the industry’s truly leading integrated solutions required for accelerating the process towards the digital-management era.

This year’s 3rd ShipIT Conference, organized with the cooperation of AMITEC, was not just marked by the Benefit Software’s sponsorship of the event; a striking presentation given by Mrs. Lempesi, HSQE Manager of Empire Navigation Inc. captured the attention of maritime business and IT executives by addressing a Business Analytics case-study, where the necessary steps, the challenges faced and the benefits of such an ambitious project implementation were in-depth analyzed.

Benefit Software is honored that bA+, the company’s Business Analytics set of services and tools, was recognized by Empire Navigation as a critical contributor for the development and successful implementation of Business Analytics into the corporate structure.

Moreover, we are proud that Empire Navigation has already started harvesting the benefits of such a service, advancing successfully into a new era of “data-driven” organization, where decision-making time is accelerated, opportunities and risks are well and on-time defined, automation of financial reports is a reality and management strategy is accurately served based on facts and impressive dashboards.

View the entire Empire Nav’s presentation at the following link

Posidonia 2016 proved to be a record-breaking week for Benefit Software participation: reaching the highest number of visitors ever, the Greek and International shipping community warmly confirmed the undisputable impact the newly launched bTeam^© suite will bring into the industry.

At a company stand that quickly became the “talk of the fair” due its unique design and appeal, Benefit Software presented the revolutionizing collaboration and information management suite through impressive demos and real-case working scenarios, proving to hundreds of attendees the unlimited capabilities bTeam^© carries and justifying its reputation as “the next evolution in communication”.

The long-awaited information management suite that connects ERP, mails, messages and documents, all in a single platform at a case-grouped base, as well as the awarded ERP and Business Analytics solutions the company offers, attracted, as expected, the strong interest of maritime professionals, reaffirming the leading position of Benefit Software as the no1 provider of software solutions, exclusively designed for the shipping industry.

BENEFIT SOFTWARE revolutionizes corporate networking and collaboration, unveiling bTeam^©, the most powerful information management suite in the shipping industry.

Visitors of the Company’s booth at Posidonia 2016 will have a first-hand experience of the new concept and will realize the unlimited capabilities of bTeam^© to expand team dynamics at a level never seen before. bTeam^© creates the next evolution in communication: users, for the first time, will be able to connect ERP, mails, messages and office documents, case-grouped into a single platform, to integrate them with the rest of the applications, to transform unstructured data into meaningful info, all in one screen, under a single goal: to build the most powerful teams and dramatically increase productivity.

bTeam^© takes collaboration to an exciting new direction, where location, company size and company structure are not an issue any more, case information tracking becomes a reality and powerful storage and search options are combined with maximum security and full conformity to mobile platforms.

For a preview of bTeam^©, as well as for exploring BENEFIT SOFTWARE awarded ERP solutions and Business Analytics services, visit our booth.  (Hall 4, no. 318 / June 6 – 10, Metropolitan Expo)

BENEFIT SOFTWARE is proud to announce another milestone in the history of the Company: Lloyd’s Register, the most respected and leading certifier in the shipping industry has just granted Software Conformity Certification for “Document Control”, “Plan Maintenance System” and “Rest Hours” modules, positioning all of them at high levels in terms of security, functionality, support, reliability and conformity to international standards and protocols.

For Benefit Software, this is also another exciting world’s first: “Document Control” becomes the first document-workflow module in the shipping industry worldwide to attain the Lloyd’s Type Approval, positioning the Company once more as a center of excellence and a pioneer in developing user-friendly, office and vessel applications for the shipping industry.

We are glad our clients and partners will be benefited from such a distinction, both from a financial as well as a time-management perspective, since the need for in-house certification of certain functions is waived, while inspection risks are minimized.

Benefit Software will continue meeting marketplace requirements and exceeding user’s expectations, maintaining the Company’s position as the leading developer and provider of world-class software products and services, exclusively designed for the shipping industry.

Over 150 maritime industry experts and IT professionals attended last Thursday, September 29, the official bTeam^© presentation during the 2ndShipIT Conference, organized with the cooperation of AMITEC. Mr. Anastasakis Michalis, a member of the bTeam^©development crew presented the first, in the shipping industry, information and communication management tool that successfully groups ERP with e-mails, office documents and communications under a single, case oriented platform.

As Mr. Anastasakis explained, « bTeam^© represents the next evolution in information and communication management. From now on, users will be able to integrate in one place all sources of information, increasing productivity substantially, while ensuring operational awareness and expanding team dynamics at levels never experienced before. »

The in-depth knowledge of the specific market, the high degree of responsiveness to support-related issues , the innovation and constant development of break-through applications, and the superior price/value ratio of the products/services are the corner stones of our success.

Based on such a mix, BENEFIT enjoys

• 26 consecutive years of growth in clientele base
• 25,6% clients annual growth rate during the last decade.
• 900 vessels equipped with BENEFIT SOFTWARE applications.
• 3500 active users
• More than 180 clients worldwide

Trust and loyalty has driven us in reaching a stunning 0% clients’ turnover while 10% of our clients are listed. An additional proof of BENEFIT’s solid relation with clients is the fact that our company remains the ERP partner even when companies experience extremely rapid corporate expansion and/or in cases of merger.

Benefit Software, a Grand Sponsor of the ShipIT Conference that took place on September 30, under the auspices of A.M.M.I.TE.C, would like to express a heartfelt “Thank You” to all contributors, speakers, delegates and exhibitors for their valuable support.

The one-day event successfully presented the importance of IT in creating best practices, innovative approaches and business models leading to a more efficient operation of the shipping companies.

The conference can be described as a successful encounter of world-class Industry experts and IT professionals whereas impressive presentations and inspired in-depth discussions examined the critical role of IT in responding effectively to constantly increasing challenges.

Special attention was drawn on the importance of Business Analytics in the Shipping Industry as well as its significance in strategy formulation and risk management. Learn more about the nature, the characteristics, the benefits and the concerns related to Business Analytics as they were presented at ShipIT Conference here.

For more info regarding Benefit Software Business Analytics Services click here.

Take advantage of the best Implementation & Support dpts in the market and enjoy the shortest lead-times in problem solving.

It is not only the smooth and flawless functionality nor even the user-friendliness or the extra decision-making applications available that have positioned BENEFIT on top of the ERP providers for the shipping industry. It is first and foremost the high degree of responsiveness to support-related issues. Our on-call availability of staff and the extremely short lead time of problem solving have become the “talk of the town” reaching an average reaction and problem solving time of about 3hrs.

All layers and departments of the company (including top management) are ABSOLUTELY and ALWAYS accessible to all customers needs. After all, it is our very culture to act as “internal” client’s team as opposed to “external consultants”

“In-house” integration of our departments and customer service offered by developers.

BENEFIT has been known for offering one of the best integration levels available in the market. The same rule applies not only to modules but to the Company’s structure: starting from the top. The Benefit management team has a varied a managerial experience in the shipping industry and knows the importance of internal integration well.

All company’s departments are operating under a “holistic” and “realistic” approach at every stage of a project (analysis, development, training, implementation) whereas the commercial department is comprised of developers, not just sales personnel, with a deep knowledge and understanding of shipping industry requirements.