Washington State Ferries selects Helm CONNECT crew dispatch system

Photo: Washington State Ferries

VIctoria, B.C.-headquartered Helm Operations reports that it has been awarded a major contract by Washington State Ferries (WSF) to replace its legacy crew dispatching system with Helm CONNECT – a modern, web-based solution purpose-built for maritime operations.

The largest ferry system in the United States, Washington State Ferries operates 21 vessels on 10 routes and from 20 terminals. Helm CONNECT’s dispatching platform will transform WSF’s operations by improving the efficiency, consistency, and accessibility of processes and information to support the effective management of agency operations, as well as service delivery to the public.

The new system will optimize complicated processes such as watch/shift scheduling and dispatching, position and vacation bidding, training, and qualifications. Additional benefits include improvements to the transparency of the information, application data security, payroll auditing, and verification that agency policy and U.S. Coast Guard regulations are followed.

“This is more than a software upgrade — it’s a mission-critical overhaul,” said Nolan Barclay, CEO of Helm Operations. “WSF plays an essential role in the daily lives of thousands of Washingtonians. We’re honored to bring our expertise to such a vital public service and help modernize one of the most iconic ferry systems in the world.”

This initiative marks a major step forward in maritime technology adoption across government fleets and signals a renewed focus by WSF leadership on reliability, operational resilience, and employee experience.

“We are thrilled to partner with Helm CONNECT in the development of WSF’s Dispatch Replacement Project,” said Beth Stowell, senior director of fleet operations for Washington State Ferries. “This modern platform will replace our aging Automated Operation Scheduling System (AOSS), which no longer meets the processing and reporting needs of Washington State Ferries.”