Cloud TOS vs on-premises: compare workflow and total cost

Ports, stevedores, bulk and breakbulk terminals, and finished vehicle logistics teams need a connected view of work from preparation to the final operational report. A terminal operating system, or TOS, can cover very different responsibilities depending on the cargo and site. If you are looking for a lower-cost alternative, compare the workflow and total cost before choosing between cloud and on-premises hosting.

Start with the cargo and the work

Write a short brief naming the sites, teams, cargo identifiers, configured operations and reports in scope. Include the people who prepare the work, record it in the field and review the result. Use requirements from your own operation rather than assuming every terminal needs the same system.

• Ports and stevedores: consignments, vessel calls, assigned teams, tally evidence, incidents and voyage reporting.
• Bulk and breakbulk terminals: the quantities, units, lots, locations and reconciliation evidence your process requires; identify any weighing or equipment interfaces separately.
• Finished vehicle logistics: VIN identity, condition inspections, yard records and physical handover evidence.
• Across all three: access permissions, customer reporting, existing systems and the responsibilities that remain outside the proposed software.

Define end-to-end before comparing systems

The Stevedoring App connects consignments, configured operations and team assignments with field recordings, incidents, progress and operational reports. For relevant vehicle workflows, it also connects inspections and condition evidence. That is the operational loop to demonstrate from start to finish, rather than evaluating disconnected screens.

A broader TOS may also control automated equipment, reconcile stockpile quantities, calculate terminal tariffs or exchange customs and EDI messages. Specify those requirements explicitly. They are not established merely by a configured field, a CSV export or a terminal-software label. Virtual Yard remains beta; direct ERP, weighbridge and equipment-control interfaces need a separate capability and integration assessment.

Build a like-for-like total-cost worksheet

Choose the same comparison period, sites, users, teams and expected activity for each option. Record the currency, tax treatment, quote date, inclusions and exclusions. Calculate total cost as one-time implementation costs plus recurring software and operating costs over that period, plus agreed change and exit costs. Keep optional items separate and do not count a supplier-included service twice.

• Software: base subscription or licence, additional users, teams, usage bands, custom charges, support and renewal terms.
• Implementation: configuration, data preparation, migration, training and the internal staff time needed to review the result.
• Interfaces: initial development or setup, testing, third-party fees and ongoing maintenance for each required connection.
• Site equipment: suitable phones or scanners, replacement devices, charging arrangements and connectivity under either hosting model.
• Hosting and operations: who pays for servers or hosting, backups, security updates, monitoring and recovery work, and what the supplier actually includes.
• Change and continuity: upgrades, retraining, parallel running and a separately stated allowance for uncertain work.
• Exit: data export format, assistance, retention arrangements and the effort to move to another system.

Use a normal operating scenario and a busier one. A per-seat, per-team or per-recorded-unit charge does not behave like a flat licence. Ask how the applicable volume bands work instead of applying an assumed rate. Keep projected operational benefits separate from quoted costs until the pilot supplies comparable evidence.

Compare cloud and on-premises responsibilities

With a cloud subscription, establish which hosting, maintenance and support responsibilities the supplier accepts. Cloud does not remove the need for field devices, connectivity, access administration or training. With an on-premises proposal, identify who operates the servers, backups, security updates and recovery process, and include that work in the comparison. Confirm both arrangements in writing rather than assuming one is always cheaper or safer.

This hosting comparison is a buying framework, not a claim that The Stevedoring App offers an on-premises edition. Its public offer is a software subscription. Offline field capture is also a separate question: assigned mobile work is downloaded, saved locally and sent when the operator presses Update now while connected. It does not mean every web feature works offline.

Use current pricing to assess the lower-cost alternative

Start with the linked current software pricing page. The Stevedoring App's configured plan determines the base subscription, included seats, additional seats, teams and recorded-unit charges; any applicable custom charges and checkout terms also matter. The base price alone is not the complete monthly bill, and this guide does not supply a fixed quotation.

Compare that scoped subscription and any agreed implementation work with a current, equivalent proposal for the alternative. A lower-cost result is meaningful only when required functionality, operating responsibilities and the comparison period match. Historical vendor examples are not current quotes; no savings percentage or feature-for-feature replacement is promised here.

Demonstrate the full process before expanding

1. Prepare an anonymised consignment or assignment representing your cargo and identifiers.
2. Configure the work and show the assigned team's intended device workflow.
3. Introduce a missing record, discrepancy or incomplete evidence requirement.
4. For downloaded mobile work, demonstrate the operator's Update now handoff and inspect what the office receives.
5. Review progress, the relevant operational report and the permissions of each recipient.
6. Record unsupported requirements, who owns each remaining system handoff and the corresponding cost.
7. Agree observable acceptance checks and a stop or expansion decision before planning a wider rollout.

For a bulk terminal, bring the required quantity and reconciliation report as well as the workflow. For a stevedore, bring the call and consignment reporting requirements. For a vehicle operation, bring a blank inspection and handover example. These inputs let the demonstration and commercial discussion address your actual operation without promising an untested go-live date.