No Custom Work at Alphatron Marine

Alphatron Marine, headquartered in Rotterdam and with more than 20 offices worldwide, has been owned by its partner JRC since 2016. JRC is a global leader in maritime electronics, specializing in the design and manufacture of products that meet industry standards. With a history spanning more than 100 years, JRC has a strong reputation for developing maritime products of the highest quality.

Alphatron Marine is a world-renowned supplier of integrated bridge solutions, represents leading industry brands, and manufactures unique complementary products for the JRC portfolio. With the full support of Centers of Excellence in Tokyo, Rotterdam, Singapore, and Houston, the combined synergies deliver quality and innovation to shipowners, operators, and shipyards, redefining the future of ocean, offshore, and river navigation.

A partner who understands our industry and speaks our language
“After exploring our options, we decided to move forward with Dynamics NAV. It aligns well with our business model (multiple locations with a high degree of autonomy) and offers the features we were looking for. We were looking for a partner who understands our industry and speaks our language.”.
“So, a partner who, for example, understands the specific characteristics of a service process in the maritime sector. That’s how we came across Alistar and their ”maritime” module. Alistar has demonstrated that it understands our sector. This led us to decide to continue with Dynamics NAV."

“During the Dynamics NAV 2017 implementation process, several adjustments were made for us in the Alistar module, resulting in a system that fits our needs perfectly without the need for customization, and allowing Alistar to further develop its module. And even more importantly for the project: the Alistar team has demonstrated that it possesses the experience and personal skills needed to successfully complete a project of this nature.”

In the spring of 2022, we will be meeting with the new IT Manager, Robert Westdijk.
What IT challenges is Alphatron Marine facing, and how is the collaboration with Alistar's consultants going?

“Alphatron Marine is ready to serve customers anywhere in the world and knows exactly what service is needed. That requires a well-functioning ERP system.”

International Cooperation
For Robert Westdijk, improving international collaboration is a key priority: “Various locations had their own versions of NAV, but they weren’t well integrated with one another. We’re now getting the Netherlands up and running first, and then other countries will be connected. In preparation, we ran pilot projects in Spain, Singapore, and Malaysia, where Logic Vision helped us arrange for local personnel who could ensure everything ran smoothly.”

Better collaboration should ensure that business processes are well-coordinated worldwide: “If service for a ship is normally arranged in the Netherlands and that ship departs from Rotterdam for Singapore, then colleagues in Singapore can immediately take over the service. The goal is for you, as a customer, to receive the same level of service anywhere in the world—for the Alphatron Marine vehicle to be ready and to know exactly what needs to be done for that particular ship. That requires a well-functioning ERP system.”

Collaboration with Alistar Consultants
“We work very closely with the consultants at Alistar, and they’re often in the office. We’ve had a long-standing partnership, and our collaboration is excellent. They’re professionals who take their responsibilities seriously. What I really appreciate is that they always ask probing questions to get to the heart of issues, and they’re not afraid to hold up a mirror to us and show how our processes can be improved. You don’t always have to deviate from the standard—that’s especially important in the beginning. The consultants ensure continuity in our operations; even when people leave, our knowledge base remains secure.”

Benefits of Microsoft Dynamics
“For us, the main reason for choosing Microsoft Dynamics was that we already work with Microsoft’s software solutions, and the Dynamics platform has a modular structure that makes it easy to customize. That flexibility is the most important factor for us.”.
The advantage of working with a business solution that is also tailored to our industry is that for
”the software is familiar to our users and aligns well with our standard processes."

Outlook for the Future
“Looking ahead, we expect to continue working with this platform for a long time to come, to transition to Business Central, and to have a long future together. Alistar is a really great company to work with; they bring a wealth of experience, and they’re just really good people.”