Designing an unified digital solution for a global maritime shipping leader

Synthesizing complex workflows across various siloed business units into a holistic digital experience.

The shipping dashboard on a tablet over a world map

Project details and story

Industry
Shipping, Maritime Solutions

Context

Shipping is an integral force driving continued globalization. With a history spanning hundreds of years, it's also one of the most complex industries. As demand for international trade rises and workflows become more complex, shipping companies are increasingly seeking new ways to improve operational efficiency and introduce greater automation.

Our client, a leading global shipping company, sought to improve visibility into cross-unit operations and improve collaboration between its many siloed departments. We worked with our client to understand the various needs of each business unit and craft a holistic digital dashboard which unifies complex workflows into one simple interface.

Challenges

Our client, a world leader in international shipping, struggled with increasingly complex workflows across different business units. They knew they had collaboration and operational efficiency problems, and recognized the need for a digital solution.

Approach

We followed our proven design thinking methodology to determine the most significant pain points across the various siloed departments and performed a series of iterative tests to determine the best ways to address each issue. We designed multiple prototypes that were tested by the actual teams that will use the final platform.

Solution

Container bookings and shipment status in the dashboard

Highlights

  • New quotation and booking tools to improve client onboarding and better maintain existing relationships
  • Automated Documentation and Logistics workflows
  • Improved collaboration across various business units
  • Analytics and other data-driven insights to better inform strategic decision

Impact

Our SaaS-based solution enabled a world-class global shipping company to simplify complex requirements, establish more intuitive workflows, improve collaboration, and increase operational efficiency and transparency across the organization.

Designing the future of Shipping was both very challenging and rewarding. With the support of the business & leadership team, we delivered intuitive & intelligent design solutions for complex problems.

Kate Wang

Principal, Windmill Smart Solutions