As our international marine fuels business continued to grow, we recognised the need for a tailored system that could keep pace with our ambitions. Working closely with a development team, we undertook a deep and complex journey—analysing our operations, designing custom algorithms, and integrating essential third-party software to create a solution that truly fits the way we work
BRIDGE is the result: a market-leading business control system that empowers our fuel traders, accounts team, and managers to operate with precision and confidence. From credit control to vessel sanction checks, every critical function has been rigorously tested and refined to meet the demands of our global operations
Why “BRIDGE”? On a ship, the bridge is where control, clarity, and foresight converge. It’s where the crew navigates with full command—whether in calm waters or stormy seas. That’s exactly what BRIDGE offers us: complete control of our business, and the ability to “view to the horizon” as we chart our course forward.
CRM
With a growing list of clients, we needed to keep on top of new contacts and existing customers to ensure that they can make the most of every opportunity. With regular tasks, email integration and much more we have built a rugged system that will ensure good customer relations for many years to come.
Vessel Management
A key component of BRIDGE is the ability to manage vessels. Vessel management involves knowing the many technical attributes of a vessel all the way up to its current financial status. BRIDGE brings together all this key information which allows Credit Control to make intelligent decisions regarding the secure trading with any particular vessel.
Sanctions Listing
BRIDGE allows industry experts to maintain a list of sanctioned countries. This list is used throughout the system to ensure that no deals can take place in ports where sanctions are imposed. BRIDGE also feeds the custom-built algorithm that manages vessel tracking.
AIS Vessel Tracking
Using the marine Automatic Identification System tracking service, (AIS), BRIDGE checks the movements of all vessels on the system every time a user adds one to an enquiry. BRIDGE analyses the last 6 months of port calls for a vessel, stores the results, and then checks against the sanctions database. The trader is instantly notified of any port calls that might raise concerns in respect of trading with that vessel.
Credit Control
BRIDGE holds several levels of automated credit control. Through a combination of accounts API integration, customer settings and an intelligent market condition tool, traders get an instant review of the customer's credit worthiness based on their current balance and a multi-level credit scoring system.
Unit Conversions
To save traders having to manually calculate costs, pricing and margins, BRIDGE uses live FX rate and unit conversions to allow users to view and set margins based on a single unit and currency: USD$ per Metric Tonne. These values are also saved so that analysis can always report in the one unified rate, which make the analysis module simple and clear to comprehend.
Global Reach
BRIDGE has the capability to operate all over the world. We have ensured that the system allows for multi-region and multi-time-zone use, ensuring all data is synced to English and the GMT Time-zone. The multi-office approach to the development has allowed our client to operate the system from its current international offices secure in the knowledge that other offices can be quickly added at any time.
Working Together
BRIDGE allows traders to share enquiries with each other. This feature allows traders to combine their skills and local knowledge of ports to achieve the best outcome for their customers. All sales analysis automatically takes these splits into account when reporting on trader performance.
Accounts API Integration
Using the API for XERO, our accounts system, BRIDGE continuously reports on all customer's balances. This automates a traditionally laborious task of credit control. BRIDGE also produces purchase orders, delivery documentation and invoices. These invoices and supporting documentation are attached to an email and sent to the customer moments after their creation.
The supplier module in BRIDGE allows traders to send out their enquiries to all suppliers in a port with the click of a button. This generates and emails a secure link to all of the contacts in the specified suppliers. When the supplier receives the link they can use any device to view the enquiry and submit their quote. When a supplier submits their pricing, the trader is informed of the submission and can use the price analysis screen to help decide which pricing to propose to the customer. This intuitive dashboard shows a full breakdown of costs, automated currency conversions and credit costs calculations. The supplier quotation module has allowed traders to work more enquiries each day by allowing the system to take the strain of gathering quotes and comparing costs.
Automated Conversions
BRIDGE uses a custom-built algorithm to save traders having to manually calculate costs, pricing and margins. More importantly, BRIDGE uses live FX rates and unit conversions to allow traders to view and set margins based on a single fuel density and currency: USD$ per Metric Tonne. The same custom-built algorithm also alerts Credit Control to any potential financial risks associated with every trade. These values are auto saved which make the analysis module simple and clear to comprehend.
Given the financial pitfalls of trading with vessels that have visited sanctioned countries, BRIDGE uses the marine Automatic Identification System tracking service (AIS), coupled with a system-maintained sanctions database, to ensure that traders are instantly shown any sanction violations for the vessel they wish to trade with. The act of sanction checking, especially on a new vessel to the fleet, has been reduced from several hours down to a few seconds. This process provided by BRIDGE is a crucial tool when working on time-limited trades.
International marine fuel trading is a dynamic and volatile marketplace, so it is critical for fuel traders to immediately react to changing economic conditions. BRIDGE maintains a system wide set of trading parameters, referred to as a “Market Phase,” which dictates all company trading. Crucially, the current Market Phase can be “re-set” within seconds which ensures potentially risky trades are not entered into.
Taking into account the automated sanction checking, credit control integration, the use of live FX rates, the standard USD$ per Metric Tonne reporting as well as the auto-production of purchase orders, delivery documents and invoices we believe that BRIDGE has reduced manual administration tasks by more than 50%.
We wanted to bring a lot of the power of what we have developed in house to our customers and suppliers, as well as adding the ability to conduct a lot of the crucial elements of a trade whilst on the move to better cater for the dynamic and fluid global market we operate in. So, we partnered with Bridge Markets who have developed a ‘one stop shop’ bunker and ETS system both for desktop and mobile app, to deliver this for us.
Bridge Markets developed the integration of Propeller’s powerful operating system with their Bunker Bridge platform and App so that Propeller have the best of both worlds. Our traders can operate efficiently whether at their desks or on the move and the two systems seamlessly integrate to allow all functions and processes to operate smoothly. The app also has a very familiar feeling chat function for ease of communications; but in a secure, efficient and streamlined way. This allows the users to simply connect, chat and fix whilst all the usual checks and processes are maintained for full negotiation and deal integrity. Once finalised nominations are placed on the app and all documents and confirmations generated and transmitted efficiently. We believe this takes the service of Propeller to the next level.
Learn More
2023 Propeller Fuels Ltd, All Rights Reserved.
