Our earlier blog outlined the pressures that defined 2025 and the demands they set for 2026. In summary: labour constraints across transport and warehousing, rising compliance load, fast-shifting customer expectations and the need for accurate, connected data. These forces apply to organisations of every size, including nationally significant gateways. Recognising that these winds of change were coming, the Port of Dover – with Mastek and Oracle’s help – recently future-proofed its operations.
Originally established by Royal Charter in 1606, Dover Harbour Board – which is entrusted with the administration of The Port of Dover – is one of the most critical hubs for UK-EU freight, handling £144 billion of trade in goods and over three million freight and tourist vehicles each year.
The present Harbour is the eleventh to be built on the site in the last 2000 years and encloses some 95 hectares (950,000 m2). But rather than resting on its historic reputation, Dover chose to modernise, partnering with Mastek to implement Project ASPIRE: ‘Accelerate Smart Process Improvements and Replace the ERP software’. Its subsequent transformation serves as an inspiration and blueprint for operators preparing for 2026 and beyond.
Dover’s shipping lane to modernisation
Before its transformation, Dover lived with a set of constraints familiar to many in the industry, as outlined in Blog 1: From 2025 Lessons to 2026 Demands. Namely:
Congestion and border delays.
As Europe’s busiest ferry port, Dover had to manage frequent peaks in traffic flow. Congestion and border processing created volatility across operations and resource planning.EU Entry and Exit System changes.
New processes introduced by the EU brought additional complexity and a sharper need for accurate, timely information.Net Zero and sustainability expectations.
Dover had growing reporting obligations across emissions, energy usage and environmental performance. These requirements added to the volume of compliance work and placed pressure on data quality.Complex, manual billing and slow financial close.
Billing cycles relied heavily on spreadsheets and email. Manual steps slowed down revenue recognition, delayed insight and exposed systems to human error.Disparate systems and limited real time visibility.
Finance, HR, procurement and operational systems did not communicate easily. Leaders lacked a unified picture of performance, which made forecasting and planning more difficult.Particularly pressing, and a thread that runs through all of the above, was an ageing ERP software system that Chris Hughes, Business Transformation Director for the Port of Dover, described as “not fit for purpose”. It lacked the scalability and global capabilities needed for the Port's modernisation and digitalisation requirements. Data was scattered across multiple systems, with many processes still being handled manually. Staff were drowning in manual processes and getting basic reports became a daily struggle. The inefficiencies were all-too clear. If Dover was to meet its long-term plan to increase capacity by 20% and become the UK's most technology-enabled port, its systems needed an overhaul.
What Dover did next: transformation with Mastek and Oracle
Starting in June 2024, The Port of Dover undertook a significant modernisation journey in partnership with Mastek. The transformation centred on Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, SCM and HCM, delivered through Mastek’s Glide Program.
Throughout, the approach focused on standardisation, strong governance and a clear benefits case. With a project value circa £800k, Mastek deployed its suite of Value-Added applications including VBA, Making Tax Digital (MTD), Warehouse 360 and CIS Solutions. Work was delivered in phases, with an MVP that established core foundations before extending into more complex areas.
This led to measurable improvements, including:
- 1. An 85% reduction in time for issuing Inventory & Stock taking process.
- 2. 50% reduction in time spent compiling the monthly management and statutory accounts processing.
- 3. 100% automation of manual bank statement processes, including a previous 10 step manual bank statement process now fully automated with mobile approvals.
- 4. Self-service portals reducing administrative burden, including streamlined absence logging and approval processes.
Overall, Dover’s finance teams gained firmer control and faster access to accurate data and suppliers reported being able to engage more easily. In turn, Dover’s leadership gained clearer oversight of major investments, with consistent processes, improved reporting and enhanced data security and compliance. Better data and automated processes now feed into improved dwell time management, more accurate slot planning, cleaner automated invoicing and scalable compliance.
Chris Hughes, Business Transformation Director for the Port of Dover, praised Mastek’s partnership team for its ability “to build trust with us… they understood our requirements. They were able to demonstrate to us that they had the kind of deep technical knowledge that would generate value for us in a future ERP environment.”
Dover: now well-positioned for 2026 and beyond
With its new foundations firmly established, Dover has strengthened its resilience and agility. “In an era of growing trade complexity and supply chain disruptions, ports cannot afford to be weighed down by time-consuming manual operations,” said Guy Armstrong, Senior Vice President of Applications, Oracle UK and Ireland. “Port of Dover has standardised on a single integrated suite that enables it to embrace the latest AI innovations to increase productivity, expand insights, and improve workforce management as it facilitates travel and trade on behalf of the UK.”
Dover now has renewed confidence in its reporting and readiness for new rules in the UK and EU, with an improved ability to handle regulatory and compliance demands.
Automated workflows give better audit trails, higher labour productivity through reduced manual work for staff and suppliers, and better customer and partner experience. Dover now has the digital foundations needed to carry out its long-term plan of facilitating a 20% increase in the value of trade handled to £173bn, delivering economic development, creating new jobs, and supporting the skills of tomorrow.
Dover’s story offers clear guidance for other operators preparing for the pressures of 2026. Waiting for better conditions only delays the benefits of modernisation. Dover found that starting with billing, compliance and financial visibility – the areas that carry the highest manual workload and the greatest operational risk – saw improvements and value unlocked quickly. While picking the partners, in Mastek and Oracle, brought a combination of delivery capability and sector understanding that reduced risk and further accelerated results.
Our final blog in this series The Modernisation Roadmap: A Step-By-Step 6–12 Months Plan to Future-Proof Your Ports, Transport & Logistics Operations [link to blog 3] will provide a full practical roadmap that operators can follow. It will outline how to sequence improvements, where to focus and how to build a credible plan that mirrors the momentum Dover has created. If Mastek can streamline Europe's most complex port, then imagine what we can do for you.
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