Notifications

Configuring Vessel Rules and Notifications in Podium

Podium provides powerful automation tools that allow users to monitor vessel activity, receive real-time notifications, and manage operational risk. Through the Vessel Rules feature, users can create custom conditions, define alert triggers, specify recipients, and test notification flows for individual vessels or entire fleets.

This article explains how to create and manage vessel rules, how to configure notifications, and how each rule type works—including Thresholds, Geo Zones, Communicator Messages, Late/Missing Reports, Position and Weather Alerts.

Creating Vessel Rules

Accessing Vessel Rules

All vessel rule management occurs within the Configure tab of your Podium account.

1. Go to Configure
2. Select Vessel Rules

From here, you can create new rules, edit existing ones, or delete rules you no longer need.

Creating a New Vessel Rule

To create a new rule:

1. Click Add New Rule
2. In the General section, enter a unique, descriptive rule name.
3. Click Add Condition to begin defining when this rule will trigger.

You can add as many conditions as needed, but all conditions must be met for the rule to send an alert.

Condition Types

When adding a condition, you will be presented with six types:

• Threshold - Evaluate a metric against a preselected threshold
• Geo Zones - Evaluate the vessels positions against selected geo zone(s).
• Adverse Weather (S5 Standards) - Evaluate weather along the vessels route
• Adverse Weather Custom - Evaluate weather along the vessels route
• Late/Missing Report - Evaluate the frequency of vessel reports against expected timeframes.
• Position Report - Check for position reports received from vessel communicators.
• Communicator Messages - Check for messages received from vessel communicators, excluding Position Reports and SSAS Alerts.

Rule Conditions

Condition Types Explained.

Communicator Messages

Podium integrates with various terminal types (e.g., DSAS, MAT) and can generate notifications based on terminal messages such as:

• Power-up notifications
• Battery test reports (must be enabled in the Tracking & SSAS tab)

After selecting Communicator Messages:

1. Choose the terminal type.
2. Select the message type you want to trigger alerts for.

Geo Zone Alerts

Selecting Geo Zones allows you to receive real-time entry/exit alerts when a vessel crosses into or out of predefined geographic zones.

1. Choose Geo Zones as the condition.
2. A dropdown will display all available zones.
3. Select the zone(s) that should trigger the alert.

Late/Missing Report Alerts

Podium can notify you when expected vessel reports are overdue.

After selecting Late/Missing Report:

1. A dropdown will display reporting metrics available for your terminal types.
2. The default trigger uses your account’s standard reporting window.

Configuring the Reporting Interval

Administrators can adjust the reporting interval:

• Go to User Menu → Organisation Settings
• Navigate to Late/Missing Reports > DSAS
• Set a custom reporting interval

Threshold Notifications

Threshold rules trigger when a selected operational metric exceeds, meets, or falls below a defined value.

Examples:

• Speed alerts
• Fuel consumption thresholds (for vessels submitting noon reports)

To configure:

1. Select Threshold.
2. Choose the metric (e.g., speed, RPM, fuel consumption).
3. Select the operator:
4. • <, >, =, <=, >=
4. Enter the threshold value (units depend on the metric—knots, MT, etc.).

Weather Warnings and Alerts

Podium supports two types of weather-based conditions:

1. Adverse Weather S5 Standards (predefined severity levels)
2. Adverse Weather Custom (user-defined thresholds)

You can configure both warning levels and alert levels and adjust environmental parameters to suit operational needs.

Notification Configuration

After defining conditions, you must set up:

• Recipients
• Vessel selection
• Notification subject
• Email content
• Test notifications

Recipients

You may add as many notification recipients as needed.

1. Click Add Recipient
2. Enter:
3. • Recipient Name
   • Notification Type (EMAIL or SMS)
   • Contact details

Formatting Requirements:

• Emails must be valid addresses
• Phone numbers must include +country code

Click SAVE when done.

Select Vessels

Define which vessels the rule applies to.

1. Click CHOOSE VESSELS
2. Select vessels using the checkboxes
3. Click CONFIRM

You may add or remove vessels at any time.

Notification Subject

You can customise the subject line using four toggle options:

• Vessel Name
• Vessel IMO
• Rule Name
• Event ID

Click the blue buttons to add items to the subject, or delete them manually in the text box.

Email Content

Users can tailor email body content using selectable data fields:

• Vessel Name / IMO
• Date & Time
• Conditions Met
• Notification Type
• Vessel at Sea/Port
• Position (Lat/Lon)
• Heading, Shaft RPM
• Speed over ground / through water
• Instructed Speed
• Position image

Click the blue buttons to include parameters or remove them manually.

Test Notifications

Users may send a Test Notification at any time.

• Sends to all configured recipients
• Does not require conditions to be met
• Used to validate email/SMS delivery

Saving and Managing Rules

Click Save when the rule is fully configured.

All saved rules can be viewed, edited, or deleted through the Vessel Rules section.

Late/Missing Report Notifications

Before Creating a Late/Position Notification

To ensure a late/missing position notification triggers correctly, you must first configure the reporting window. The notification will trigger when the time since the last report exceeds the reporting window you configured.

Configuring the Reporting Interval Window

By default, the trigger time uses the standard reporting window set on your account.

Administrators may adjust this setting:

1. Open the User Menu (top-right profile icon).
2. Go to Organisation Settings → Late/Missing Reports → Sources.
3. Select a custom interval via Actions by the specific source if needed.

The “Late/Missing When No Data For” column defines how long a data source is allowed to go without triggering a report before it is considered late or missing. This ensures alert timing matches your operational requirements.

Accessing Vessel Rules

To add or manage rules:

1. Navigate to the Configure tab.
2. Select Vessel Rules.

Here, you can add new rules, edit existing ones, or delete rules that are no longer needed.

Creating a New Rule

1. Click Add New Rule in the top right corner.
2. A new window will open where you can:
3. • Define a rule name
   • Add one or more conditions
   • Configure notification settings

General Information

Enter a descriptive and unique name for the rule. This name will appear in notifications and in your rule list.

Adding Conditions

Select Add Condition to define when the rule should trigger.
You may add multiple conditions; all conditions must be met for an alert to be sent.

Podium offers seven condition types:

• Threshold
• Geo Zones
• Adverse Weather S5 Standards
• Adverse Weather Custom
• Late/Missing Report
• Position Report
• Communicator Messages

For this guide, we focus on the Late/Missing Report condition.

Late/Missing Report Condition

Podium can trigger real-time alerts when a vessel report is overdue.

After selecting Late/Missing Report:

• A dropdown will appear showing available 'Sources'.
• These options depend on your terminal types and reporting methods.
• You must select the specific source whose late or missing reports you want to be notified about.

By selecting a source, you are telling Podium which reporting source should be monitored for late or missing position data.

Configuring Notification Recipients

Add as many recipients as required:

1. Click Add Recipient.
2. Enter:
3. • Recipient Name
   • Notification Type (Email or SMS)
   • Contact information

Formatting Rules

• Email must be validly formatted.
• SMS numbers must include +country code.

Click SAVE once completed.

Selecting Vessels

Define which vessels the rule applies to:

1. Click CHOOSE VESSELS.
2. A list of all vessels in your account will appear.
3. Use the checkboxes to select vessels.
4. Click CONFIRM.

You may assign the rule to one or multiple vessels and edit selections at any time.

Customising Notification Subjects

You may include up to four elements in the subject line:

• Vessel Name
• Vessel IMO
• Rule Name
• Event ID

Click the blue buttons to add these elements.
To remove any, delete the placeholder text from the subject field.

Configuring Email Content

You can customise the body of notification emails by choosing which data fields to include.

Available options include:

• Vessel Name
• Vessel IMO
• Date & Time
• Conditions Met
• Notification Type
• Vessel Details
• Whether the vessel is at sea or in port
• Position (Lat/Lon)
• Heading
• Shaft RPM
• Speed Over Ground
• Speed Through Water
• Instructed Speed
• Position Image

Click the corresponding blue buttons to add or remove fields.

Sending Test Notifications

A Test Notification can be sent at any time:

• It sends to all configured recipients.
• It does not require any conditions to be met.
• It is ideal for confirming delivery and verifying contact details.

Click Test Notification to send the message.

Saving and Managing Rules

When all configuration steps are complete, click Save.

Your new rule will now appear in the Vessel Rules section, where you can:

• Edit the rule
• Update recipients
• Change vessels
• Remove the rule

DSAS Battery Report Notifications

Understanding Communicator Messages

Communicator Messages in Podium are notifications generated by vessel terminals integrated into the platform. For DSAS equipment, Podium can receive various message types including Battery Test Reports, Battery Voltage alerts, Power status notifications, and SSAS Alert confirmations.

Battery Test Reports are particularly important as they provide regular updates on DSAS battery health, enabling shore-side personnel to monitor backup power systems and schedule maintenance proactively.

Prerequisites

Before configuring Battery Report notifications, ensure:

• The vessel's DSAS equipment is integrated with Podium
• Battery Test Reports are enabled in the vessel's SSAS & Tracking tab
• You have permissions to create and manage Vessel Rules
• You have accurate contact information for notification recipients

Enabling Battery Test Reports

This configuration only needs to be completed once for each DSAS unit. After it has been set, Podium will generate and trigger the monthly battery test reports for that unit if the notification rule is created.

1. On the Fleet Page, select the vessel
2. Go to Full Details
3. Open the Tracking & SSAS tab
4. Click on the 3 dots by the communicator
5. Select Battery Test Reports
6. Choose Enable and then Update

If Battery Test Reports are already enabled, skip this step and proceed directly to Creating the Notification Rule

Creating the Notification Rule

Access Vessel Rules

1. Log into Podium and navigate to the Configure tab
2. Select the Vessel Rules tab
3. Click the blue Add New Rule button

Configure General Information

In the General section, enter a descriptive rule name such as "DSAS Battery Test Report" or "MV [Vessel Name] - DSAS Battery Report". The name should be unique and clearly identify the notification purpose.

Add Communicator Messages Condition

1. Click Add Condition
2. Select Communicator Messages from the condition options
3. In the Communicator type dropdown, select DSAS
4. Check the box next to Battery Test Report
5. Optionally select additional message types:
6. • Battery Voltage < 11V (for critical voltage alerts)
   • Battery OK (for status confirmations)
   • Mains Power Lost (for power failure notifications)
6. Click UPDATE CONDITION

Note: Battery Test Reports must be enabled for each vessel in the SSAS & Tracking tab within Podium.

Configure Recipients

1. Click Add Recipient
2. Enter the recipient's name
3. Select notification type: EMAIL or SMS
4. Enter contact information:
5. • For EMAIL: Complete email address
   • For SMS: Phone number with country code (e.g., +447700123456)
5. Click SAVE
6. Repeat to add multiple recipients

Recommended Recipients:

• Technical Superintendent
• Fleet Manager
• Chief Engineer (if shore-to-ship email configured)
• 24/7 Operations Center

Select Vessels

1. Click CHOOSE VESSELS
2. Check the boxes next to vessels with DSAS equipment
3. Click CONFIRM

Only select vessels that have DSAS terminals installed and Battery Test Reports enabled.

Customize Notification Subject

The subject line can include:

• Vessel Name
• Vessel IMO
• Rule Name
• Event ID

Click the blue buttons to add parameters, or edit the subject box directly. A recommended format: "Podium Vessel Rules: [{VesselName}], [{RuleName}]"

Configure Email Content

The email content can include vessel information, notification details, position data, and operational status. Add parameters by clicking the blue buttons below the content box.

Recommended content for Battery Reports:

• Vessel Name and IMO
• Date and Time
• Rule Name
• Conditions Met
• Vessel location and status

You can add custom text and instructions, such as directing recipients to review full battery data in Podium's SSAS & Tracking section.

Test the Notification

Before saving, verify notifications are working correctly:

1. Click Test Notification
2. Check that all recipients receive the test via their configured methods
3. Verify email content displays correctly
4. Confirm SMS messages are readable
5. If issues arise, correct contact information and retest

Save the Rule

Review all settings and click Save. The rule will appear in the Vessel Rules list and will begin generating notifications when DSAS Battery Test Reports are received.

Positional Report Notifications

Understanding Positional Report Notifications

Podium offers two types of positional report notifications:

Real-Time Notifications: Send position updates immediately as they are received from the vessel's terminal. Ideal for monitoring critical vessels or time-sensitive operations.

Periodic Summaries: Send scheduled notifications at set times containing all positional information received since the last summary. Useful for routine monitoring without constant alerts.

Prerequisites

Before configuring positional report notifications:

• Your Podium account must have permissions to create and manage Vessel Rules
• Vessels must be transmitting position reports to Podium
• You need accurate contact information for notification recipients

Creating the Notification Rule

Access Vessel Rules

1. Log into Podium and navigate to the Configure tab
2. Select the Vessel Rules tab
3. Click the blue Add New Rule button at the top right

Configure General Information

In the General section, enter a descriptive rule name such as:

• "Positional Report - Real-Time"
• "Daily Position Summary"
• "MV [Vessel Name] - Position Reports"

The name should be unique and clearly identify the notification purpose.

Add Communicator Messages Condition

1. Click Add Condition
2. Select Position Report from the condition options
3. The description reads: "Check for messages received from vessel communicators"
4. Click SELECT

Configure Position Report Settings

After selecting Communicator Messages:

1. Select Communicator Type:
2. • Click the dropdown menu labeled "Communicator type"
   • Choose the appropriate terminal type:
   • • INM-C (Inmarsat-C terminals)
     • DSAS (DSAS terminals with position reporting)
     • Other available communicator types
2. Choose Email Format:
3. • Click the "Email Format" dropdown
   • Select your preferred format:
   • • Real-Time: Sends notifications immediately when position reports arrive
     • Periodic Summary: Sends scheduled summaries of position reports
   • The description notes: "This format will be used for all poll emails for this communicator"

Configure Recipients

1. Click Add Recipient
2. Enter the recipient's name (e.g., "Fleet Manager" or "Operations Team")
3. Select notification type:
4. • EMAIL for email notifications
   • SMS for text message alerts
4. Enter contact information:
5. • Email: Complete email address
   • SMS: Phone number with country code (+447700123456)
5. Click SAVE
6. Repeat to add multiple recipients

Recommended Recipients:

• Fleet Operations Manager
• Vessel traffic coordinator
• Chartering department
• Voyage management team

Select Vessels

1. Click CHOOSE VESSELS
2. Check boxes next to vessels for position report monitoring
3. Click CONFIRM

You can select individual vessels or multiple vessels depending on your monitoring needs.

Customize Notification Subject

The subject line can include:

• Vessel Name - Identifies which vessel
• Vessel IMO - Official vessel identification
• Rule Name - Notification type
• Event ID - Unique event identifier

Click the blue buttons to add parameters to the subject line. For positional reports, a clear subject might be:

"Podium Vessel Rules: [{VesselName}], [{RuleName}]"

This generates subjects like: "Podium Vessel Rules: MV Ocean Star, Positional Report - Real-Time"

Configure Email Content

Customize the notification email by adding relevant information:

Essential Position Information:

• Vessel Name
• Vessel IMO
• Date and Time
• Position Lat/Lon
• Heading
• Speed over ground
• Speed through water

Additional Operational Data:

• Vessel at Sea/Port status
• Shaft RPM
• Instructed Speed
• Vessel Details
• Position Image (map)

Engine Consumption (if available):

• Main Engine Cons Rate
• Aux Engine Cons Rate

Click the blue buttons below the email content box to add these parameters. The default content includes:

Rule Name: [{RuleName}]
Date: [{Date}]
Time: [{Time}]
Type: [{NotificationType}]
Conditions Met: [{ConditionsMet}]

You can add additional parameters and custom text as needed.

Test the Notification

Before activating the rule:

1. Click Test Notification
2. Verify all recipients receive the test
3. Check email formatting and content
4. Confirm SMS messages are readable
5. Ensure position data displays correctly

If issues arise, correct contact information and retest.

Save the Rule

Review all settings and click Save. The rule appears in the Vessel Rules list and begins monitoring position reports from selected vessels.

Managing Position Report Notifications

Editing Rules

To modify an existing positional report rule:

1. Click the rule name in Vessel Rules list
2. Update recipients, vessels, or content as needed
3. Send a test notification to verify changes
4. Click Save

Common Modifications

Switching Between Real-Time and Periodic:

• Edit the condition
• Change the Email Format dropdown from Real-Time to Periodic Summary (or vice versa)
• Save the rule

Adding More Vessels:

• Click CHOOSE VESSELS
• Select additional vessels
• Click CONFIRM and Save

Updating Recipients:

• Add new recipients as personnel change
• Edit existing recipients to update contact information
• Delete outdated recipients

Support

For further help or clarification, contact Polestar’s 24/7 Support Team:
📧 support@polestarglobal.com