Transforming Operations with Elite Dynamics, Port of Newport Choose EliteMarinas 

Background

The Port of Newport, founded in 1910, is one of the largest fishing ports on the U.S. West Coast and a vital economic driver for Oregon. It manages a complex mix of operations: commercial fishing, an international terminal, a 522-slip marina, and 300 RV spaces. These recreational assets are a significant source of revenue, helping to reinvest in the port’s core infrastructure. With only 31 full-time staff, efficiency and smart investment in technology are essential.

The Challenge

For years, the Port relied on a patchwork of legacy financial and reservation systems. While they provided some functionality, none were designed to handle the Port’s unique blend of high-volume, transient traffic across both marina and RV operations.

Key pain points included:

• Cumbersome interface & slow performance: Transactions that should take seconds were taking minutes to complete. Staff often walked customers through online bookings over the phone.
• Poor fit for operations: The systems were designed for lower-turnover businesses, not the 4,000+ new customers the Port welcomed each year.
• Integration gaps: Finance, operations, and reservations ran separately, leading to manual reconciliations, audit headaches, and wasted staff time.
• Customer frustration: Online bookings were declining year-on-year, bucking national trends and telephone calls were increasing as customers opted to call-in to book a reservation. Customers found the portal difficult to navigate and abandoned the online system to call the office.
• Staff turnover: The cumbersome tools contributed to 100% turnover in customer service staff at South Beach over consecutive years.
• Hidden costs: From extra staffing to paper waste from printing errors, inefficiencies were costing the Port time and money.

The Solution

After evaluating alternatives, the Port chose EliteMarinas, by Elite Dynamics, built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to manage their marina operations. The decision was driven by:

• Seamless integration with existing Microsoft tools (Outlook, Teams, Power BI, Business Central).
• Modern customer experience: Real-time online bookings with site maps, mobile app, and automated communications.
• Operational efficiency: Time savings estimated at 132 hours per month.
• Financial oversight: Accurate deposit tracking, automated deferrals and revenue recognition, streamlined reconciliations, and advanced reporting dashboards.
• Scalability: A system designed for both high-volume transient RV bookings and long-term marina operations.
• Dedicated support: Access to EliteAcademy training, structured onboarding, and ongoing account management.

Results & Expected Impact

The Port of Newport have estimated annual savings of $140,000 to $180,000 through reduced manual processes, fewer errors, and improved staff productivity. The Port also expects a full return on investment within 12–18 months.

Beyond the numbers, the greatest impact will be cultural: uniting commercial, recreational, and international operations under one system. “I’m looking forward to seeing the Port truly operate as one Port, not separate divisions,” Mark Brown, Finance Director, Port of Newport

Testimonial 

“Our previous systems simply weren’t designed for the scale and turnover of our operations. Staff were frustrated, customers were frustrated, and we were spending huge amounts of time patching problems instead of serving people.

With Elite Dynamics, we have found a solution provider that understands our business model and with EliteMarinas, we have found a solution that efficiently support each departments business processes. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Business Central, it will save us an estimated $140,000  to $180,000 a year in staff time and efficiencies and gives us the tools to deliver the kind of customer experience our community expects. For me, the real win is that it will bring all sides of the Port together – commercial, recreational, and international – into one cohesive system.” Mark Brown, Finance Director, Port of Newport