Finnlines Brings Digitalization to Ship Kitchens – NSnappy Self-Monitoring Service Ensures Smooth Operations on New Ships

Finnlines, operating between Finland, Åland, and Sweden, has made significant investments in digital solutions on its new ships, Finncanopus and Finnsirius, to ensure the best possible customer experience and efficient, safe operations. As part of this development, Finnlines has selected the digital NSnappy self-monitoring service for its onboard restaurants.

Passengers aboard Finnlines ships can immerse themselves in a wide variety of culinary delights, with options ranging from buffet and à la carte restaurants to grills, bistros, cafés, and bars. “At the heart of all our restaurant operations is a high-quality offering, with an emphasis on local food and products from small suppliers,” says Finncanopus’s head chef, Dan Grönvall.

Sustainability has been a key factor in the design of the new ships, and smart, ecological solutions were prioritized when selecting partners, with a focus on reducing energy consumption and waste on board. The digital NSnappy self-monitoring service adopted in the restaurants optimizes daily operations in Finnlines’ kitchens and automates some routine self-monitoring tasks. According to Grönvall, quality assurance and overall management are made easier when all self-monitoring data from the restaurants is available in real-time and consolidated in one digital system.

Digitalization Eases Daily Life at Sea

Grönvall has played a key role in designing the culinary concepts and restaurant environments for the new ships. Before the introduction of NSnappy, self-monitoring in Finnlines’ kitchens was handled manually on paper, which he describes as laborious and time-consuming.

“When we began exploring new solutions, NSnappy stood out as a modern tool that fits particularly well with our new ships, where we’ve incorporated a lot of digitalization,” Grönvall explains.

NSnappy was initially trialed on the Finnswan, which previously operated the same route. After positive experiences, its use was extended to Finncanopus and Finnsirius as well.

“Digitalization makes life easier for our kitchens. NSnappy is well-suited to our modern operational environment. It’s a contemporary solution that meets all our self-monitoring needs,” Grönvall says.

Ease and Efficiency in Ensuring Food Safety

NSnappy has brought numerous tangible benefits to Finnlines’ kitchens in terms of ensuring food safety.

“Each workstation is responsible for its own self-monitoring, and with NSnappy, this is much easier and more efficient than traditional paper lists. For example, automatic monitoring of cold storage is a huge relief – if there’s an issue with the refrigeration units, we receive an immediate notification,” Grönvall explains. He also emphasizes that, despite potential connectivity challenges in a maritime environment, NSnappy has been reliable and trouble-free.

Ensuring food safety and self-monitoring are core processes in the kitchen, and taking care of them is a guarantee of quality. Grönvall highly recommends the NSnappy self-monitoring service to other restaurants:

“I recommend digital self-monitoring to anyone looking to improve kitchen operations and get rid of paper forms. NSnappy has met our expectations and helped us focus on what matters most – creating unforgettable onboard experiences for our customers.”

Tuomo Röppänen, Export Director at Nokeval, praises Finnlines for its courage in modernizing traditional kitchen self-monitoring:

“I’ve had the great pleasure of working with Finnlines. It was refreshing to see from the very beginning how important food safety, hygiene, and modern digital solutions were to them. The unique operating environment of ships differs from traditional kitchens, but Finnlines’ hospitality and commitment made it easy for us to design the project smoothly from start to finish. NSnappy is well-suited for both land and sea operations.”

• New ships: Finnsirius began operations in September 2023, and Finncanopus in February 2024
• The ships operate on the Naantali-Långnäs-Kapellskär route
• Sustainability was considered throughout the design process of the new ships, from technical construction to the selection of individual suppliers – smart and ecological solutions are utilized on the ships, such as reducing energy consumption and waste production on board
• Read more: https://www.finnlines.com/passengers/newships/