In the latest edition of Marinas de España magazine they publish an interview with Quique Ruiz, CEO of Ports Software Solutions, about how data and technology are redefining the marina experience. Here is an excerpt from the article.
Port management is no longer limited to moorings and supplies. In recent years, the sector has taken firm steps towards digitalization, incorporating tools that automate processes, improve traceability and allow a more direct relationship with nautical users.
In this sense, the model of Pandora Global - Portview represents one of the most consolidated and innovative proposals in the market. On the one hand, Pandora Global, as a comprehensive management system for marinas and yacht clubs, digitizes daily administrative and operational processes. On the other hand, Portview, the mobile application aimed at nautical users, connects boaters with the port's services in a direct, simple and mobile way: from sending documentation to accessing the port via QR code, including guidance to the mooring.
But the real value of this digital ecosystem goes beyond operational efficiency, as it lies in its ability to generate, interpret and activate data. It is a model increasingly focused on business intelligence, where digital data becomes a tool for making decisions, personalizing services and anticipating user needs.
To find out how this model is being built, we spoke with Quique Ruiz, CEO of Ports Software Solutions, the group to which Pandora Global System and Portview App belong. With an extensive background in data analysis and technology companies, and as a regular sailor, he offers us a strategic (and also personal) vision of the transformation that the sector is undergoing.
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How does your expertise in data analytics connect to the port world?
For more than 20 years I have worked helping telecommunications, consumer and banking companies to understand their customers through data. When I got to know the world of ports, I saw a huge opportunity: they have a constant activity, multiple interactions with users, and yet much of that information is not exploited. That's when I saw the potential of applying this analytical approach to the nautical sector.
Where is Pandora Global ERP on that path to a data-driven model?
We are at a key point. Pandora already manages reservations, collections, access, contracts, and all this information has a strategic value. The next step is to cross-reference that data and translate it into actionable knowledge: what profile my user has, what services he uses, what I can anticipate. And all this is complemented by the Portview layer, which gives us visibility of end-user behavior in real time.
What role does Portview play in this transformation?
It is fundamental. Portview is the direct channel to the navigator. What used to be a one-off relationship - over the phone or at the counter - now becomes a continuous digital connection. Every user action (a reservation, an access, an inquiry) gives us information that we can use to improve service. This is customer intelligence. And that knowledge is what allows us to design a personalized, efficient and more connected nautical experience.
Are we talking only about efficiency or also about new management models?
Both. Efficiency is the starting point: fewer errors, less administrative burden, more agility. But the data-driven model also allows you to evolve towards more strategic management. You can identify patterns, adjust rates according to seasonality or behavior, plan investments according to the actual use of your resources. It's another way of managing.
How do you experience all this from your dual perspective, as a technology provider and as a sailor?
Very clearly. As a user, what I value most is not having to repeat processes, not having to queue, and being able to plan my departures. But I also pay attention to details: whether the port recognizes me as a regular customer or anticipates useful information.
A few weeks ago I was sailing in southern Spain and Portugal and, without identifying myself as a professional in the sector, I was able to experience different models of reception and port entry. In some cases, the management was still paper-based, probably because the digital system did not fully meet the needs of the reception staff. In others, I experienced that feeling so common among those of us who sail: the uncertainty of not knowing where to go in a port I did not know, despite the indications of the staff, who are always helpful.
That is precisely the gap we want to fill: to offer a seamless, complete and frictionless experience for both the end user and the port manager. A 360º experience that does not depend on improvisation, but on tools that connect people, systems and information in a simple and useful way. I recently read that ports are ceasing to be just mooring spaces to become points of tourist experience. I couldn't agree more. That is, in large part, our mission with Pandora and Portview: to connect ports and marinas with nautical users, and these with the services they need at each port of call.
What challenges do you see in the short and medium term?
The main challenge is cultural: to understand that digitization is not just about having an IT system, but about changing the way of working. We must trust in data, integrate it into decision making and bet on solutions that connect the operational with the strategic. The sector has already come a long way, but the best is yet to come.
At a time when marinas are seeking to professionalize their management and respond to new user demands, data is consolidating as a key resource. Models such as Pandora and Portview demonstrate that digitalization is not only a tool for efficiency, but also an opportunity to transform and innovate and to offer a nautical experience that is fit for the future.