Features

Not every form belongs in a browser. Navatom supports four distinct form types — Web (built in the visual form builder), DOCX (Microsoft Word templates), XLSX (Excel spreadsheet templates), and PDF (read-only reference documents). Each type has its own creation, editing, and distribution workflow.

Web forms use the drag-and-drop builder with 18 field types. Word and Excel templates are edited directly in the browser via OnlyOffice integration. PDF forms distribute static documents for reference. Choose the right format for every use case — from daily checklists to complex inspection reports.

Design custom forms visually with a drag-and-drop builder powered by dnd-kit. Arrange fields in a flexible row-and-cell grid layout — drag fields between rows, reorder cells within rows, and resize columns to create exactly the form structure you need. Session persistence saves your work automatically.

The builder supports all 18 field types with live preview. Configure field properties — labels, placeholders, required/optional, default values, validation rules — without touching code. Virtualized rendering keeps the builder responsive even for forms with hundreds of fields.

Build forms with 18 specialized field types designed for maritime operations. Input fields include TextBox, Number, TextArea, DatePicker, TimePicker, and Rating/Slider for numeric scales. Selection fields cover CheckBox, Select, MultiSelect, CheckboxGroup, and RadioGroup for structured choices.

The Question field type captures Yes/No/NA responses — the bread and butter of maritime checklists. Table fields handle structured data entry with rows and columns. Layout fields — Paragraph, Header, and Space — let you add instructions, section dividers, and visual structure to your forms. Rich Text Editor fields capture formatted text with inline styling.

Edit Word and Excel form templates directly in the browser with OnlyOffice integration. The document editor opens DOCX and XLSX files with full formatting support — tables, styles, formulas, headers, and footers render exactly as they would in Microsoft Office.

JWT-secured editing sessions ensure only authorized users can modify templates. Force-save support means changes are preserved immediately, and theme-aware rendering matches your Navatom color scheme. No desktop software or file downloads required — template creation happens entirely in the browser.

Form definitions follow a controlled six-stage lifecycle: In Development, In Review, Completed, Released, Revised, and Deprecated. Only Released definitions can be assigned to vessels and filled by crew. Each transition enforces validation and records who approved or rejected the change.

The lifecycle prevents unfinished or unapproved forms from reaching the fleet. Development versions let your team iterate on form design without affecting live assignments. Revision creates a new development copy while keeping the current released version active until the revision is approved.

Every form assignment can use one of four approval flow variants — Full (Ship + Office), Ship-only, Office-only, or No Approval. The approval flow is configured per assignment, not globally, so the same form template can require different approval levels depending on the vessel, rank, or operational context.

Each flow supports three execution methods — All of (every approver must approve), Any of (one approval suffices), and Not Required (auto-approved). Approvers are configured at the assignment level with specific ship ranks and office users, giving you granular control over who reviews every form submission.

Form requests — the actual filled-out forms — follow a seven-stage lifecycle: Draft, Waiting for Ship Approval, Ship Rejected, Waiting for Office Approval, Office Rejected, Office Approved, and Discarded. The lifecycle adapts to the configured approval flow, skipping stages that do not apply.

Crew members fill forms and submit them for approval. Ship officers review and approve or reject. Office staff provide final sign-off when required. Rejected forms return to the submitter with feedback. The lifecycle ensures every form submission follows the exact approval chain configured for its assignment.

Crew members fill forms on the vessel, while office staff review, approve, and manage form submissions from shore. The system handles the complete handoff between ship and office — submissions flow from vessel to shore for review, and approvals or rejections flow back to the crew.

Both ship and office users see the same form with the same fields, but their roles in the workflow differ. Ship crews create drafts and submit for approval. Office reviewers see pending submissions across the fleet and can approve, reject, or request changes. The dual-context architecture ensures forms work identically online and offline.

Every form definition maintains a complete version history with version numbers, development versions, and revision tracking. When you revise a released form, the system creates a new development copy with an incremented version number while the current version remains active.

The version history records every change to the form structure — fields added, removed, or modified. Development history tracks iterations during the design phase. Revision reasons are captured when a new version is created, providing a complete audit trail of why the form evolved over time.

Assign forms to specific vessels and crew ranks with granular control. Each FormAssignment specifies which ships receive the form and which OnBoardRanks (29 available ranks) are responsible for filling it. Per-assignment approver configuration determines who reviews submissions for each vessel.

Assignments support both one-time and recurring distribution. A single form definition can have multiple assignments with different ships, ranks, and approval configurations — so the same safety checklist can require captain approval on one vessel type and chief officer approval on another.

Schedule form submissions with four frequency options — Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Yearly — or as single one-time events. Each schedule defines a submission window with start and end dates, ensuring crew complete forms within the required timeframe.

Scheduled forms automatically create calendar events visible to assigned crew and office staff. Recurring schedules generate future events based on the configured frequency. Calendar integration ensures form deadlines appear alongside maintenance tasks, audits, and other vessel operations in the unified planning view.

Forms can be attached directly to PMS maintenance tasks and Risk Assessments through the AttachedObjectType system. When a maintenance job requires a structured form — inspection checklist, test record, safety assessment — the form links directly to the PMS work order.

Risk Assessment integration lets you attach forms to risk evaluations, capturing structured data as part of the assessment process. The IsPmsTreeItem interface ensures forms appear in the PMS equipment tree context. Linked forms inherit the parent task's vessel and scheduling context.

Organize forms with a flexible labeling system using GenericLabel with the Form label type. Create hierarchical label structures with sub-labels for multi-level categorization — Safety, Compliance, Operational, Environmental, or any taxonomy that matches your organization.

Labels support color coding for visual identification across grids and dashboards. Filter forms by label to quickly find the right template. The hierarchical structure lets you drill from broad categories to specific form groups without a rigid folder system.

Add comments at every stage of the form lifecycle — during definition development, review, and request processing. Comments support add, edit, and delete operations with full user attribution and timestamps. Notes capture additional context that does not belong in form fields.

File attachments support evidence uploads on both form definitions and requests. Attach reference documents, images, supporting materials, and verification evidence directly to the form record. Every attachment is tracked in the event log with upload date, user, and file metadata.

Generate professional PDF outputs for form definitions and completed form requests. Print form structures for offline reference, export completed submissions for archival, and include company headers with configurable landscape or portrait orientation.

Print history records with full version details for audit purposes. The export system preserves form layout, field responses, approval signatures, and timestamps in a clean, professional format suitable for regulatory submissions, management reviews, and external audits.

Monitor your form program with three dedicated dashboard widgets: Awaiting My Approval (grouped by vessel), Completed Forms, and My Drafts. Each widget provides at-a-glance visibility into the most critical form management activities.

The Awaiting My Approval widget shows pending submissions grouped by vessel, so approvers can prioritize by ship. Completed Forms tracks submission history. My Drafts ensures in-progress forms are not forgotten. Drill down from any widget to the underlying form data.