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Full custom development of an AI-enhanced operational platform for the Malta Dockers Union — powered by RosterAI, with Zoho Invoice integration and Dakar payroll connectivity.
SKIOS proposes the full custom development of the Malta Dockers Union Workforce Management & Rostering Platform — a bespoke web application that will serve as the MDU's central operational hub. The platform manages the complete lifecycle of workforce rostering: from order intake and crew assignment through shift execution, payroll export, and client billing.
It will enforce the MDU's union fairness rules (license number sequencing), handle complex crew composition requirements across both Freeport (scheduled) and Marsa (reactive) operations, and provide a self-service portal for over 600 dockworkers. The platform is powered by RosterAI — SKIOS's proprietary intelligent rostering engine — which optimises roster generation, predicts availability patterns, detects operational anomalies, and provides real-time smart insights to administrators.
The platform integrates with Zoho Invoice for automated job-based billing and with the Dakar payroll system for seamless pay-run exports, eliminating manual data re-entry and reducing the risk of financial errors.
By building a fully custom platform, the MDU gains complete IP ownership, the flexibility to evolve the system as union rules change, and a user experience designed specifically for dockworkers and port administrators. There is no vendor lock-in.
Our team brings deep expertise in building mission-critical systems where reliability, data integrity, and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. We operate as an extension of our clients' teams — providing the technical depth of a specialist consultancy with the responsiveness and accountability of an in-house engineering function.
Custom-built applications using modern frameworks and cloud-native architectures. We specialise in systems that handle complex business logic, high-volume data processing, and multi-role user interfaces.
Connecting disparate systems through robust API layers, data pipelines, and event-driven architectures. Extensive experience integrating with ERP, payroll, billing, and government systems.
Practical AI solutions embedded within enterprise applications — from predictive analytics and anomaly detection to intelligent automation and optimisation algorithms. We focus on measurable operational impact, not AI for its own sake.
Security-first development practices embedded throughout the software lifecycle. All solutions designed with GDPR compliance, role-based access control, and comprehensive audit logging as standard.
Government Voucher Platform (Astimulus) — Purpose-built platform facilitating distribution of over €100 million in government vouchers across European public entities. Handles complex eligibility rules, multi-party reconciliation, and real-time fraud detection.
Financial Services Integration — Enterprise integration projects for Bank of Valletta, connecting core banking systems with digital channels through secure API gateways.
Regulatory & Public Sector Systems — Solutions for Malta Business Registry, Transport Malta, Housing Authority, and VisitMalta — all requiring strict data governance, audit trails, and multi-stakeholder access control.
Healthcare & Pharmacy Systems — Operational management platforms for Browns Pharmacy, handling inventory, scheduling, and compliance reporting across a multi-site network.
Rostering managed through Excel and Microsoft Forms, leading to data entry errors, version conflicts, and inability to enforce fairness rules systematically.
600+ dockworkers have limited visibility into roster assignments, waitlist positions, and replacement opportunities. Communication relies on informal WhatsApp groups.
License number sequencing for equitable work distribution is difficult to enforce manually, especially with availability constraints and multi-skill workers.
Freeport follows a 14-day advance cycle; Marsa is reactive and vessel-driven. Current tooling cannot accommodate both effectively.
Shift data is manually transcribed into Zoho Invoice and Dakar payroll files, creating delays, reconciliation overhead, and financial error risk.
The existing approach cannot scale for seasonal fluctuations, additional clients, or future regulatory requirements without significant manual overhead.
Responsive, mobile-first web app with modern frontend framework and robust server-side backend, hosted on EU-based cloud infrastructure for data residency compliance.
Purpose-built scheduling engine with two modes: Freeport (14-day advance with crew templates and recurring patterns) and Marsa (reactive, same-day crew assembly triggered by vessel arrivals). Both enforce fairness and crew composition rules.
Implementation of license number sequencing considering rotation position, worker availability, required skills/certifications, and waitlist priority. All assignment decisions logged with full rationale for audit.
Mobile-first portal for 600+ workers: personal dashboard, availability management, replacement requests, push/email notifications, and historical shift log.
Real-time roster overview with drag-and-drop, crew manifest generation, utilisation reports, exception tracking, configurable exports (PDF/Excel), and role-based access control.
Automated invoice line creation per completed shift via Zoho Invoice API. Support for multiple billing rates, draft review workflows, reconciliation dashboard, and error handling with retry logic.
Per-worker breakdown of regular hours, overtime, and premiums. Validation checks for anomalies, export in required format (CSV/XML), and full audit trail linking payroll lines to shift records.
Transactional email for shift confirmations and alerts, in-app notification centre with read/unread tracking, configurable templates, and daily digest option to reduce notification fatigue.
Every screen is designed using the Maritime Operational Excellence design system — built for precision, durability, and high-contrast utility. Below is a preview of the key interfaces across admin desktop and worker mobile experiences.
No-Line Rule — No 1px borders. Boundaries defined through background colour shifts only.
Status Beacons — 4px vertical strips replace status dots. Teal for active, orange for urgent.
Tonal Layering — Hierarchy through stacked surface tiers, not structural lines.
Industrial Radii — 0.25rem default, 0.125rem small. No rounded Material corners.
Intelligent Curator — AI-Forward Workforce Intelligence · skios.com.mt/products/roster-ai
RosterAI brings enterprise-grade AI capabilities purpose-built for workforce management: real-time smart insights, conflict detection, AI-suggested shift swaps, auto-fill scheduling, and an operational pulse dashboard that gives administrators instant visibility into staffing health, optimisation potential, and pending actions — all designed around the "Intelligent Curator" philosophy of being authoritative, calm, and hyper-efficient.
Real-time operational pulse showing staffing health, AI optimisation potential, and pending requests. Live Smart Insights feed surfaces critical alerts (conflict detection), AI-suggested shift swaps with one-click approval, and efficiency gain notifications. Auto-Optimize mode can rebalance the entire roster with a single command.
AI-powered Auto-Fill Schedule that generates optimal crew assignments considering fairness rules, skill requirements, availability, and historical patterns. Detects conflicts (overtime violations, shift overlaps) in real-time. Budget tracking and capacity monitoring with AI-suggested fixes when overruns are detected.
ML models trained on operational data to forecast workforce demand, predict no-show probability, and identify seasonal patterns. Continuous anomaly monitoring flags unusual patterns: replacement request spikes, shift-type avoidance, billing discrepancies, or fairness distribution drift. Each alert includes context and recommended actions.
AI-validated shift swap centre with policy compliance checking. When a worker requests a swap, RosterAI evaluates labour law compliance, overtime implications, and skill coverage — recommending the best replacement with a "100% Policy Compliance" confidence badge. Manager Insights panel shows coverage impact and auto-pilot recommendations.
Centralised employee skills matrix with AI-powered gap analysis. The system identifies certification expiry risks, skill coverage gaps across shifts, and recommends training priorities. Integrated with the rostering engine to ensure only qualified workers are assigned to roles requiring specific certifications.
Query the system in plain English: "show me all available Cappa-certified drivers for next Tuesday afternoon" or "which workers have exceeded 40 hours this week?" Smart notification prioritisation learns which channels and timing each worker responds to fastest, optimising communication delivery rates.
RosterAI is designed to augment human decision-making, not replace it. Every AI recommendation includes an explanation of its reasoning. Admins always retain full override authority. The system improves over time as it learns from the MDU's operational data. Learn more at skios.com.mt/products/roster-ai
| Layer | Technology | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend | React / Next.js | Component-based architecture, server-side rendering, mobile-first performance |
| Backend API | .NET / Node.js | Strongly-typed, high-performance, excellent for complex business logic |
| Database | PostgreSQL | Robust relational DB for complex queries, audit logging, transactional integrity |
| AI/ML | Python / scikit-learn | Industry-standard ML stack for predictive models and anomaly detection |
| Authentication | OAuth 2.0 / OIDC | Industry-standard auth with MFA support, scalable to 600+ users |
| Email Service | ZeptoMail / SendGrid | High-volume transactional email with delivery tracking |
| Hosting | Azure / AWS (EU) | EU data residency, managed services, auto-scaling, high availability |
| CI/CD | GitHub Actions | Automated build, test, and deployment pipelines |
| Monitoring | App Insights / Sentry | Real-time error tracking, performance monitoring, alerting |
Agile delivery adapted for enterprise engagements: a Discovery phase followed by iterative two-week sprints, each producing a demonstrable increment of working software.
How often does the fairness cycle reset? Daily? Weekly? Per job type? Different cycle for Freeport vs. Marsa?
Are seniority and license number sequencing the same thing, or can seniority override the license number order?
What are the exact crew templates per job type? Is the list fixed or does it change per vessel/client?
If the system cannot fill an entire crew, should it block the assignment or allow partial with a flag?
If a worker holds multiple certifications, how should they be prioritised across pools?
What are the actual hour thresholds for Freeport and Marsa replacement rules?
Must replacements follow the license sequence, or is it first-available from the waitlist?
What happens when a worker doesn't show and no replacement was requested? Automated escalation?
What format does Dakar expect (CSV, XML, API)? One-way export or bidirectional sync?
Who defines billing rates? Per-vessel, per-shift-type, per-client? How often do they change?
Time-based (after 8 hours), day-based (weekends/holidays), or both?
Does MDU already have a Zoho Invoice account? Existing templates or numbering conventions?
What APIs does Transport Malta expose? In scope or future? Should architecture accommodate it?
The 300 monthly Freeport orders — current format and desired intake method?
Source for Marsa vessel arrivals: AIS feed, port authority API, or manual entry?
Smartphone usage percentage? Mobile-first mandatory or shared terminal access at port?
Distinct roles (Roster Manager, Finance, HR, Super Admin) or all equal? Per-role permissions?
Do clients like Freeport need portal access for order submission and crew manifest viewing?
250k/month (~400/worker) seems high. What generates this? Can notifications be consolidated?
Integrate with WhatsApp or replace entirely with in-app notifications?
English, Maltese, or both? Does the portal need to be bilingual?
How much historical data to migrate? Is clean data available?
Beyond Excel and Forms, any other systems in use?
Working Time Directive, mandatory rest periods — hard-coded system constraints needed?
Specific reports for regulators or union governance board?
Cloud provider preference (AWS, Azure)? On-premises? Data residency beyond EU?
Target date or external deadline driving the timeline?
Phased go-live acceptable, or must all modules launch simultaneously?
Fixed-Scope Project — The €133,000 investment covers all design, development, testing, deployment, and initial training as described in this proposal.
Full IP Ownership — The MDU will own the complete source code, documentation, and all intellectual property upon project completion. No vendor lock-in.
Zoho Invoice Licensing — Integration assumes standard Zoho Invoice API. Licensing/subscription costs are the MDU's responsibility and not included.
Blended Rate — The €900/day rate covers senior development, UX/UI design, AI engineering, QA, and project management. It does not represent a single resource.
AI Model Training — AI features use the MDU's operational data for model training. Prediction accuracy improves over time as the system accumulates historical patterns.
Data Migration — The 3-day allocation assumes reasonably clean source data. Significant cleansing or transformation may require a change request.
Infrastructure Costs — Cloud hosting, databases, SSL, domain, and email service subscriptions are operational expenses borne by the MDU, not included in the project cost.
Third-Party Fees — Costs for third-party access fees (e.g., Transport Malta API, SMS gateway) are not included and will be quoted separately if added.
VAT — All costs are exclusive of VAT, applied at the applicable rate.
Change Management — Material scope changes managed through a formal change request process with written approval from both parties.