Agent Portal Guide

Agency dashboard

The agency dashboard at /agency gives you an at-a-glance view of:

• Active port calls with vessel names, current status, and ETA/ATD
• Pending service orders awaiting vendor acceptance
• Upcoming arrivals in the next 7 days
• Vendor performance alerts and SLA breaches
• Recent activity log

Use the Quick Actions panel to create a new port call or invite a vendor without navigating away from the dashboard.

Managing your fleet

Navigate to Agency → Vessels to view and manage all vessels your agency handles.

Inviting vessel operators

Vessel operators can join PortTask via an invitation from your agency. This gives them their own login to track their vessel's port calls and assigned agents.

1. Navigate to Agency → Vessels and click Invite Vessel Operator.
2. Enter the vessel name, IMO number, operator's name, and contact email.
3. Add optional notes (e.g., type of charter, preferred communication).
4. Click Send Invitation. The operator receives an email with a link to create their account.
5. Once accepted, the vessel is automatically linked to your agency and the agent-vessel relationship is established.

Port call management

Port Calls are the central workspace for all activities. See the Port Calls documentation for a full lifecycle reference. Key agent actions:

• Create a port call from the Operations view or via a Playbook.
• Update ATA/ATD timestamps — these are automatically recorded in the SOF timeline.
• Attach documents (Notice of Readiness, Bill of Lading, customs forms) directly to the port call record.
• View the Statement of Facts draft as it builds in real-time from vendor status updates.

Vendor network

Your vendor network is the directory of service providers your agency works with. Vendors are organization-scoped — they are private to your agency.

• Tag each vendor with Service Types (Bunkering, Towage, Provisions, Pilotage, etc.) and Port Coverage so the system only suggests them for relevant orders.
• Vendors receive a free Vendor Portal login where they accept orders and provide live status updates.
• PortTask tracks on-time performance and SLA adherence for each vendor automatically.

See the full Vendor documentation for more detail.

Dispatching service orders

Service Orders replace email dispatches. When you create one, the vendor is notified instantly in their portal and by email.

See the full Service Orders documentation for workflow details, RFQ management, and SLA settings.

Playbooks & automation

Playbooks let you define a standard set of service orders for a recurring port call type (e.g., container ship call at Rotterdam). When you create a new port call, apply the playbook to pre-populate all service orders with one click.

1. Navigate to Agency → Playbooks and click New Playbook.
2. Add service order templates — service type, default vendor, priority, and notes.
3. When creating a port call, select a playbook from the dropdown. All template orders are created instantly.

Analytics & reporting

Team & user management

Organization Admins can invite team members and assign roles from Agency → Settings → Users & Roles.

• Admin: Full access including billing, settings, and user management.
• Agent: Can create and manage port calls and service orders. Cannot change billing or organization settings.
• Read-only: Can view all records but cannot create or modify anything.

Integration support

If your agency needs to connect PortTask to existing internal systems, contact your account manager for integration support.