Drowning in Paperwork: bureaucracy is sinking the Maritime Industry

Let’s stop drowning in documents — let’s invest in technology and people.

I won’t reveal anything groundbreaking here, since many experts have already raised this topic, and most people already understand what I’m about to write. But do they really? If so, why does hardly anyone take real action? The problem runs deeper.

A tidal wave of regulations has buried the maritime industry — countless inspections, audits, and checklists now dominate life on board. On top of that comes an endless stream of documents, declarations, and reports (so-called pre-arrival documents) required from vessels by port and country administrations. For crew, this is a relentless administrative burden that consumes many hours every single day.

Excel is no longer enough

On many ships, crews still collect and store key data in parallel across different systems, or even in Excel spreadsheets — a method that is now outdated. This is extremely time-consuming and creates significant room for human error — it practically invites mistakes. Unnecessary duplication of the same data in multiple places leads to chaos, delays, and misunderstandings between the key players in this business.

The “religion of checklists” versus true seamanship

We have created a “paper culture” and a “religion of checklists,” while the basic principles of true seamanship often remain only on paper. This situation has many reasons, and seafarers have pointed them out for years. Shore offices lack a full picture of onboard realities, crews face reduced manning, authorities question work and rest hour records, and sailors also struggle with inadequate pay, lack of job security, and an ever-growing list of administrative duties. All of this — among other factors — only deepens the problem. The consequences are dramatic. Seafarers’ morale is sinking, interest in the profession is shrinking, and resignations and career changes are becoming increasingly common.

Why describing the problem isn’t enough

Years of working at sea have taught me one thing: describing problems is not enough — action is needed. Crossing items off a completed “to-do” list is far better than endlessly creating new ones.

Port administration — ever-growing requirements

Over the past two decades, I have witnessed a particularly sharp increase in administrative obligations — especially those connected to port entry.Once again, port administrations place the burden squarely on the shoulders of masters. In this dense jungle of forms, lists, declarations, and reports, crews struggle to find their way — and yet they must complete everything quickly, flawlessly, and on time. The system leaves captains alone to deal with this problem. On most vessels, they still wade through this “jungle” using outdated methods: filling out documents manually or relying on self-made Excel spreadsheets — a kind of pseudo-automation. That approach stopped being effective long ago.

I decided to act and tackle one of these problems. Just one of many — but it’s only the beginning.

Some numbers to put things in perspective

In 2024, BIMCO conducted a wide-ranging survey among hundreds of respondents — ships
themselves. The published results revealed that before every port entry, the master and officers spend on average more than 3 hours compiling declarations and other mandatory documents. A containership that calls at 6 ports a month spends around 20 hours just on paperwork. Crews could use this time for far more important and effective tasks: ensuring navigational safety, preparing the vessel for upcoming inspections or audits, monitoring technical condition, and — equally important — resting.

Lost hours mean lost SAFETY

I am convinced shipowners also see the problem: their highly qualified crews waste hundreds, even thousands, of hours every year on repetitive, low-value tasks, re-entering the same data in different places. But perhaps they are not fully aware of how badly this absurd administrative overload impacts the operational capacity of their ships.

I believe it’s high time to say this openly: time spent on redundant paperwork is time mindlessly and irreversibly stolen from what truly matters — first and foremost, SAFETY. Every ship loses hundreds of hours annually that could be devoted to what really counts.

How digitalization can save the maritime industry from bureaucracy?

This is one of those areas where change is not only necessary, but possible.
Centralizing and digitizing ship data is a step that can bring real relief. Systems designed with both shipboard crews and shore-based operational, technical, and crewing departments in mind can make a genuine difference and deliver significant improvements.

ShipDocs — modern maritime software for crews and shipowners 

For some time now, working with a reputable software house, I have been involved in developing an application called ShipDocs, designed specifically to address many of these challenges. From the very beginning, it has been built from the end-user’s perspective — the master and crew.

ShipDocs is a modern maritime software solution that helps reduce the paper burden onboard, lowering the risk of errors while improving efficiency and operational safety. As a reliable digital port clearance tool, it automatically generates pre-arrival documentation for ports worldwide, drawing on a comprehensive and constantly updated database of templates. At the same time, ShipDocs stands as a complete maritime fleet management software, offering shipowners and crews a practical way to streamline operations across every vessel and every office.

A Call to the Maritime Industry

• To shipowners — consider investing in technologies and systems that streamline formalities — the return will come in time saved, lower operational costs, and higher crew morale.
• To port administrations and state authorities — harmonize requirements, simplify forms, and promote digital interfaces so that compliance becomes as efficient as possible.
• To industry organizations — support standards, pilot initiatives, and crew training in the use of new digital tools.

See how ShipDocs works: ShipDocs Video

Read more about ShipDocs

Explore ShipDocs – innovative tool for shipowners and captains