MARSX by Marcare
Modernization of a legacy 2000s shipfaring management system
The Problem
A shipfaring management system built in the 2000s was showing its age-difficult to maintain, poor user experience, and incompatible with modern workflows and devices.
The Process
Contract engagement (~3 months). Dissected the old application, replicated functionality in modern technology, translated to scalable architecture, designed revised workflow patterns.
The Outcome
Active contract, nearing completion. Modern PWA with offline-first architecture replacing legacy 2000s system.
Design Decisions
| Decision | Why | Engineering Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| PWA with offline-first | Ships need functionality without reliable connectivity | Sync complexity for conflict resolution |
| Dexie DB for local storage | IndexedDB wrapper with better DX and sync support | Additional abstraction layer |
| Gradual migration | Minimize disruption to active operations | Longer timeline, parallel systems |
STAR Summary
| Situation | A shipfaring management system built in the 2000s was showing its age-difficult to maintain, poor mobile experience, incompatible with modern workflows. Ships need systems that work offline with unreliable connectivity at sea. |
| Task | As Co-Developer and Technical Lead, modernize the system. Dissect old application, replicate functionality in modern tech, translate to scalable architecture, design revised workflows. ~3 month contract. Fully AI-built. |
| Action | Designed offline-first PWA using Dexie DB (IndexedDB wrapper) for local storage with sync. Built on Supabase backend. Planned gradual migration-parallel operation, feature parity, careful data migration, staged cutover. |
| Result | Contract nearing completion. Modern PWA replacing legacy 2000s system. Works offline at sea, syncs when connected. Mobile-friendly. Foundation for future enhancements. |
Offline-First Architecture
| Layer | Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Local Storage | Dexie DB | Structured data, reactive queries, sync primitives |
| Offline Support | Service Workers | Full functionality without connectivity |
| Backend | Supabase | PostgreSQL, real-time subscriptions, auth |
| Storage | Supabase Storage | Document and file management |
Why Offline-First: Ships can’t depend on constant connectivity. The app works at sea, syncs when connected.
Migration Strategy
| Phase | Action | Risk Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parallel operation | New system runs alongside legacy |
| 2 | Feature parity | Match existing functionality first |
| 3 | Data migration | Careful transfer with validation |
| 4 | Cutover | Staged transition by user groups |
Constraint: You can’t replace a running ship management system overnight-gradual migration minimizes operational disruption.
Gallery
Platform administration dashboard with organization and fleet oversight