From vulnerable to robust. How MarLog geared up for further growth
Since 2020, MarLog has more than doubled its turnover, from NOK 14.9 million to NOK 35.7 million. The growth has simultaneously placed new demands on structure, documentation and quality. With Business Online, the company has ensured quality and control during a growth phase with far higher demands.
MarLog is a maritime logistics and services company based in Dusavik, Stavanger, established in 1997. The company provides logistics and service solutions to ships and offshore operations, and in recent years has turned its development around significantly after navigating the oil crisis. Since 2020, revenue has more than doubled, from 14.9 to 35.7 million kroner, with a profit each year. In 2024, the company was acquired by SR Group.
MarLog had always made its living by being practical problem solvers in demanding offshore operations, but a lot of the operational knowledge resided in the heads of a few key individuals. This made the company vulnerable, both in its daily operations and to the company's value in the event of a sale. As growth placed new demands on structure, documentation, and quality, it was no longer sufficient for knowledge to be person-dependent. MarLog needed to get the knowledge out of people's heads and into a system, so that new employees could quickly take over tasks and deliver the same quality, regardless of the assignment.
MarLog consolidated projects, documentation, procedures and quality in one platform with Business Online, used as a quality system, project management system and journal system. The core is the Quality Control Plans (QCPs), which provide a concrete recipe for what needs to be done in each project, ensuring that quality is embedded within the projects rather than being an afterthought. The company works in accordance with ISO 9001.
When the SR Group invested in 2024, the system was put to the test with stricter requirements from the group, and MarLog chose to keep Business Online over the group's own systems. Today, they also use AI in Business Online to gain faster insight into projects and operational activity. With the structure in place, MarLog has gone from vulnerable personnel dependency to becoming a robust company, well-equipped for further growth towards new markets.
The growth made the vulnerability clear
Based in Dusavik, Stavanger, MarLog has been providing maritime logistics and service solutions for ships and offshore operations for almost 30 years. When Nikolai Bakker joined as General Manager in 2024, MarLog had once again risen from the oil crisis. Quite quickly, he identified a new risk: too much of the operation depended on what a few individuals knew, remembered, and could recall at short notice.
Any one of us could be hit by a bus tomorrow, and if we don't have a way to capture the information in people's heads, then from a risk perspective, it's very, very serious., Mr Bakker.
The vulnerability did not only apply to operations. It could also directly impact the company's value.
It's quite possible that the business may be sold one day. In that case, we absolutely must not be in a situation where those who are going to buy or consolidate are worried that "OK, if those three people disappear, what happens then?". This is certainly related to the value of the business.
The oil crisis became a "cure by horse"
MarLog AS was established in 1997 by three founders and grew steadily over the years. Then came 2014 – and the oil crisis.
In a year and a half, we went from generating revenue of 75.5 million per year to generating 14 million. The company was very close to going bankrupt., Mr Bakker.
The then-owners had to make significant staff reductions and rebuild the company virtually from scratch. Restructuring, new contracts and a clear focus on core competencies became the way forward.
It was a real cure for the common cold. But I think it was for the best. After this, clear goals and strategies were set for the business, and when we look at it today, it has worked very well., he says.
From “all in people's heads” to a system that keeps track of everything operational
Before Bakker came in, MarLog had a CRM system that kept track of customers. But much of the operational knowledge was still dependent on individuals.
For better or worse, you are very reliant on the people who have that expertise. As long as they are good at sharing, that’s great. But you become less independent, and it becomes less efficient to onboard new people., Mr Bakker.
A couple of years later, it became clear that the company needed more than a system that covered customer overviews. They needed a platform that brought together projects, documentation, procedures, and quality in one place.
We use Business Online as our quality system, project management system, and journal system. Consolidating all information and all integrations into one place has meant a lot to us., he says.
This is often where growing pains begin in smaller companies: when growth makes operations more reliant on memory, manual processes, and individuals. MarLog wanted to move away from that.
QCP moved quality into the projects
For Bakker is one part of the project management system that stands out.
The big win with Business Online is that we get tightly integrated with project management. That's the whole deal for us.
The concrete measure is the QCPs: quality control plans that make it clear what needs to be done, and in what order.
If we have a new recruit or an employee who hasn't done this specific task before, it's quite simple to set up a new project in Business Online and get a QCP, a recipe for what you need to do., Mr Bakker.
Previously, it was not uncommon for the person on duty to take a good stack of paper home to maintain control throughout the weekend.
And that's essentially what Business Online is for us today, except it's no longer on paper, he says.
Once the information has been gathered and structured, it also becomes easier to navigate and use in day-to-day activities.
AI in Business Online gives me a completely different insight into projects and operational activity than I would normally have if I weren't in the office. We use it to understand our information and the business a little better than we did before., he says.
MarLog also works according to ISO 9001 and is aiming for certification this year. For them, the point is that quality should not exist alongside projects, but within them.
The acquisition was the test of whether the system held up
In 2024, SR Group acquired a stake in MarLog. That year, the company also increased its staffing and invested for further growth. The demands came at the same time as the activity increased.
Now we are in much larger systems, and there are other expectations of us. If we don't manage to deliver the quality of information that goes into the group, we'll hear about it, to put it that way., states Bakker.
Perhaps the clearest evidence came when MarLog chose to adopt Business Online instead of becoming part of SR Group's already established systems.
In our system, we've actually opted out of some of the group systems to use Business Online instead., he says.
For MarLog, the acquisition was a moment of truth: the system held up when they had to deliver on stricter requirements.
Building for what comes next
MarLog is already looking towards the next step: Denmark, new markets and more activity.
We want to grow, perhaps by consolidating with others. But we want to do more and bigger things., Mr Bakker.
Looking ahead, he is clear on what the system must withstand:
It shouldn't just work for us today, it needs to work for us when we're twice as big as we are now.
With Business Online, MarLog has become less vulnerable and better equipped for the next phase, new owners and new markets.
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