The Maritime Skills Academy

A leading cruise, commercial and superyacht maritime crew services provider.

case image

AT A GLANCE

Our client, The Maritime Skills Academy, needed a modern, mobile-responsive online platform to replace their outdated website, which lacked online payment options. Our team developed a high-performance platform with customisable search tools and integrated payment options, enhancing operational efficiency and user satisfaction. Computools assisted in this digital transformation, resulting in increased bookings, higher revenues, and reduced administrative costs for the client.

THE CLIENT

The Maritime Skills Academy is a prominent provider of maritime crew services to the cruise, commercial, and superyacht industries. Operating as a small business with a world-class training centre, the academy annually welcomes delegates from around the globe. Offering over 500 specialist courses, the academy is committed to meeting the stringent safety standards of the Coastguard Agency, MNTB, and international regulations.

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

The main problem addressed in this case was the Academy’s outdated website, which lacked online payment options, resulting in poor performance, inferior user experience, and business losses.

SOLUTION SUMMARY

We agreed on redesigning and developing a mobile-responsive online platform with customisable search tools and integrated payment options. The solution addressed the immediate challenges and automated key business processes, significantly enhancing operational efficiency, and user satisfaction.

IMPACT

Through the implementation of advanced automation, manual tasks related to bookings, payment administration, and schedule management were significantly reduced. Optimising course scheduling and calendar management throughout the year facilitated improved operational efficiency. The ability to manage group numbers and evenly distribute participation was enhanced, substantially impacting the client’s business.

The outcomes of these developments led to a remarkable year-on-year increase in class bookings. Additionally, there was a notable reduction in unused class spaces, demonstrating a more efficient allocation of resources. The overall impact was a substantial reduction in booking processing and related administrative tasks, including chasers, reminders, and rescheduling efforts.

WHY COMPUTOOLS

Computools was chosen for its expertise in user experience design and mobile-first website development, making it the ideal partner to address The Maritime Skills Academy’s challenges. The team’s proficiency in WordPress, JavaScript, MySQL and PHP and commitment to a behaviour-driven development approach ensured a tailored solution aligned with the client’s needs.

STORY IN DEPTH

Background

An outdated website was the only aspect lacking in the client’s business model. When The Maritime Skills Academy sought to upgrade its outdated website, it carefully chose Computools from among various options.

Approach to solution

The decision was based on Computools’ expertise in the required technologies, successful track record, and effective communication. The collaboration resulted in a high-performance website with improved user experience, exceeding the client’s expectations.

Computools role

Our team created the new mobile-responsive online platform with user-oriented features and multiple integrated payment options. Using a behaviour-driven development approach, the team created a detailed system requirements specification based on the user stories and the business process map.

Key decisions and outcomes

We identified inefficiencies in the client’s existing website architecture and proposed a comprehensive redesign to streamline the user experience. By customising the search algorithm, we enabled users to search for courses by keyword or filter by category, improving navigation and accessibility.

Design

The design tasks included developing an intuitive user interface with a convenient course search, optimising mobile design, creating a unified design system for consistency, prototyping user flows, and adapting the design to the Maritime Skills Academy’s brand.

USER PERSONA → SITE MAP → WIREFRAMES → USER INTERFACE

USER PERSONA

Crafted detailed profiles representing typical Maritime Skills Academy users.

the maritime skills academy site map

SITE MAP

Visual representation outlining the website's hierarchical structure and navigation.

WIREFRAMES

Blueprints illustrating the skeletal framework of key interface elements and layout.

USER INTERFACE

Final design showcasing visually appealing, user-friendly interactions and elements.

DIGITAL PLATFORM & TECHNOLOGY

PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY

Scrum project management methodology with two-week sprints ensured continuous delivery and fast-paced development. Through close cooperation with the client, the Computools team suggested innovative solutions and received new requirements. The team finalised every sprint by testing and demonstrating newly implemented features.

Scrum

PROJECT TIMELINE

maritime skills academy project timeline

WHAT OUR CLIENT SAID

We are thrilled with the new website developed by Computools. It has transformed how we interact with our clients and significantly improved our business operations.

CONTACT US

Our experts are here to help you achieve outstanding results. Email us at info@computools.com to start your transformation journey today.

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