From Shelfware to Software: How White Sea Made Its SMS a Living Tool for the Crew

The Customer:

White Sea Shipping,a specialized Finnish operator of ice-class multipurpose vessels and tankers on demanding Baltic Sea and Arctic routes.

The Challenge:

Their comprehensive SMS was technically compliant but existed as a massive, hard-tonavigate library of PDF files. This "document overload" made it difficult for the crew to find the exact procedure they needed during real-world operations. They also lacked a formal system for managing and distributing critical external documents (Flag, Class, P&I).

The Solution:

White Sea Shipping implemented PRIME Marine's Document Management Systemto transform their SMS from a static library into a dynamic, integrated, and easily searchable knowledge hub.

KEY RESULTS:

90% Faster Access

to critical safe work procedures during maintenance planning

100% Centralization

of all internal and external (Class, Flag) controlled documents

Seamless, one-click linking

from PMS work orders directly to the relevant procedures

Enhanced crew confidence

and competence during non-routine operations

The Challenge:When the SMS is Too Big to be Useful

White Sea Shipping operates in some of the world's most challenging conditions, where adherence to correct procedure is not just about compliance—it's about survival. They had a world-class SMS, but it was a victim of its own thoroughness.

"Our SMS was over 5,000 pages. It was all there, but how does a Chief Officer, in the middle of preparing for a complex cargo operation, find the specific three pages he needs?" asks Ms. Sofia Koskinen, Fleet Training & Safety Officer at White Sea. "He would have to open a huge PDF and search for keywords, which is slow and unreliable. Furthermore, we were constantly emailing out new circulars from our Flag State or new rules from our Class society. We had no way to be sure that the vessel had the absolute latest version of these critical external documents."

The core problems were usability and scope:

Information Overload: The sheer size of the SMS made it a difficult reference tool for the crew during day-to-day work.
A Disconnect from Reality:A maintenance job in the PMS and the safety procedure for that job in the SMS were two separate, unconnected items.
External Document Chaos: There was no formal system to control and distribute the constant flow of mandatory external regulations.

“A safety system is only effective if it's used. If your documents are too hard to find, the crew will rely on memory, and that's when mistakes happen. We needed to make our SMS as easy to use as a search engine.”

- Ms. Sofia Koskinen,

Fleet Training & Safety Officer, White Sea Shipping

The Solution: An Integrated and Intelligent Knowledge Hub

White Sea chose PRIME Marine's Document Management System to make their SMS a living, breathing part of their daily operations. The focus was on accessibility and integration.

1. Contextual Linking to PMS: This was the biggest win for the onboard team. When a Technical Superintendent creates a work order in the PMS (e.g., "Overhaul Purifier No. 1"), they can now directly link it to the specific Safe Work Procedure in the Document Management module. When the Second Engineer opens that job on his screen, he sees a direct, one-click link to the exact procedure he needs to follow. No searching required.
2. Powerful Search: The entire library of internal and external documents became fully searchable with an intelligent, Google-like search bar, allowing the crew to find information instantly
3. A Module for External Documents: White Sea created a dedicated section in the system for all external regulations. The HSEQ department now uploads the latest circular from their Flag State, tags it as mandatory reading, and can track which vessels have acknowledged it—all within the same platform as their internal SMS.

“This was revolutionary for us,” says Mr. Papadopoulos.
“The system created a permanent, digital link between the problem and the solution. The loop was closed.”

The Results: Empowered Crew and Enhanced Situational Awareness

By focusing on usability and integration, White Sea transformed how their crew interacts with the SMS.

1. Instant, Contextual Access to Procedures.

The direct linking from the PMS to the Document Management module resulted in90% faster access to critical safety information during maintenance planning . This saved time, reduced frustration, and ensured the correct procedure was consulted for every critical job.

2. A Single Source of Truth for ALL Regulations

For the first time, the Master of a vessel had a single, 100% reliable place to find both the company's internal procedures and the latest external regulations from Class and Flag. This eliminated ambiguity and ensured the vessel was always operating on the most current information.

3. Increased Crew Confidence and Competence

By making information easy to find, the system empowered the crew. They became more confident in their ability to handle non-routine tasks, knowing they could instantly pull up the approved company procedure. This led to a measurable improvement in the quality of pre-task risk assessments and toolbox talks.

“Our SMS is no longer a static library that we only look at for audits. It is a dynamic, daily tool that helps our crew do their job safely and effectively. PRIME Marine connected our procedures to the work itself, and that has made all the difference.”