Canadian software company Helm Operations(Victoria, BC) and Western Australian marine consultant Tiller Technical (Perth, WA) have signed a new partnership agreement to help vessel operators digitalize their operations. As part of the partnership, Tiller Technical will use its industry expertise and local knowledge to help companies implement and use Helm CONNECT – Helm’s industry-leading harbor services and fleet management software – to modernize, digitalize, and streamline their operations.

Since launching in 2016, Helm CONNECT has become the world’s fastest growing maritime software platform, now used by more than 220 companies and 4000 vessels worldwide to help manage fleet operations, including vessel maintenance, regulatory compliance, personnel management, and vessel scheduling and billing.

With Helm CONNECT already in use by many of Australia’s largest vessel operators, the partnership between Tiller Technical and Helm Operations will focus primarily on helping small and medium-sized operators take advantage of software to streamline their operations. This service is much needed as Australian operators, like their counterparts around the world, look to move to paperless systems.

“While Australia’s largest operators often have full teams dedicated to implementing new systems and improving operations, many smaller operators have traditionally lacked the resources to implement new technology to the same level,” says Tiller Technical Director, Drew Pirrit. “After working closely with Helm for two years now, we’ve found that Helm CONNECT makes it possible for smaller operators to quickly and effectively implement software systems for maintenance, compliance, and complete harbor operations, bridging the gap to many larger operators.”

As an active marine engineer with over 15 years of engineering and technical management experience, Drew has worked extensively with mining and offshore support fleets in the Pilbara region, helping companies set up, manage, and support new operations by focusing on fleet reliability and supply chain management. Built in part on that experience, Perth-based Tiller Technical has made its name in Australia as an engineering and operations support company offering safety system and maintenance plans for commercial vessels in line with Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) requirements. That experience was also a major draw for Helm as it looks to expand its operations to better support operators in Australia and New Zealand.

“Over the past two years, Tiller has been an essential partner for us in helping optimize the maintenance and compliance features of Helm CONNECT, especially from the point of implementation and crew adoption,” says Nolan Barclay, CEO of Helm Operations. “Working with Tiller, we’ve seen that it’s often the small and medium operators who can benefit the most from implementing electronic systems but making software systems work well for both management and crew is a challenge that often requires on-site training and support to achieve. This partnership will make it possible for us to better support operators in Australia and New Zealand and give them the close support they need to be successful moving to newer, more modern systems.”

This partnership agreement is just the start, says Drew, as Tiller looks to bring more technology to the industry in the year to come. “We see Helm CONNECT as a key platform for companies looking to optimize operations. It’s effective and powerful on its own but, through integrations with other new technology, it can also open doors for optimizing entire operations. From integrating with telematics and onboard equipment to improve reliability, to digitalizing the entire harbor towage process from agent and order through billing, there is a tremendous opportunity to really drive innovation throughout the maritime sector here in Australia, as well as in New Zealand, and we’re excited to bring that to the table.”