South Asia · Colombo

Ship Chandler Software for
Colombo

Ship chandlers serving the Port of Colombo use Tidal to turn RFQ emails into priced quotes in under 30 minutes, matched to their own catalogue and margin rules. Send us one real RFQ and we will quote it with you on a 30 minute call.

Built for ship chandlers and marine suppliers who quote vessels calling at Colombo
One AI-native ERP for RFQs, quotes, purchase orders, invoices and stock, matched to your own catalogue and margin rules
You approve every line before the quote goes out. Live in about a week, no IT team needed

See how it works Is Tidal right for you?

Get a live demo on one of your own RFQs

Leave your work email and company. We reply within one business day to set up 30 minutes, then quote a real RFQ from Colombo with you.

Looking for a ship chandler in Colombo, or selling to us? Read this first.

Is this for you?

Software for the chandlers who supply Colombo, not a chandler

Tidal is quoting software. Ship chandlers and marine suppliers use it to answer buyer RFQs faster. We do not supply vessels ourselves.

A good fit if you

Run a chandlery or marine supply business serving vessels at Colombo
Retype buyer RFQs into spreadsheets or your ERP before you can price them
Lose orders because a faster supplier answered first
Want consistent prices and margins on every quote, whoever prepares it

Not the right page if you

Need provisions or stores delivered to a vessel. Tidal does not supply ships, please contact a local chandler or your ship agent.
Want to sell products or services to Tidal. The demo form is for chandlers and suppliers looking at the software.
Are looking for a job. Please see the Agility careers page.

How it works

From buyer RFQ to priced quote, on your own catalogue

What changes for a Colombo chandler on the first day with Tidal.

1
RFQ arrives
By email, PDF, Excel or a portal export. Tidal reads every line, including vague descriptions and missing codes.
2
Lines matched
Each line is matched to your own catalogue and item codes, with unclear lines flagged for your team.
3
Priced your way
Your supplier prices, client tiers and margin rules are applied. You review and approve every line.
4
Quote goes out
Send the quote, turn it into a sales order, then check supplier invoices against it when they arrive.

See it working

A real quote, priced line by line

Quote Desk

Turns buyer RFQs into priced quotes and sales orders from your own catalogue and supplier prices.

See Quote Desk

Invoice Capture

Reads supplier invoices from a photo or PDF and checks them against the order before they reach your accounts.

See Invoice Capture

Meet us at IMPA Singapore

Stand SUZ 4, Suntec, 24 to 25 November 2026. Bring an RFQ and see it priced.

Plan your visit

Naval ship docked at the port of Colombo — Photo: thetravelguru (CC BY 2.0)

Colombo and its port

A transshipment hub for the Indian subcontinent, close to the main Asia to Europe shipping lane

Colombo sits close to the main shipping lane between Asia and Europe, which makes it a natural stop for ships moving cargo to and from India, Bangladesh and the Maldives. Most of the boxes handled here are transshipment, moved from large ships to feeders. The port grew after the British began a breakwater in 1875 and has since added deep water terminals, with more still being built.

For a ship supplier, Colombo means short calls and ships at anchor waiting for berths, bunkers or crew changes. Container lines, tankers and bulk carriers passing the island often take stores at the same time. RFQs tend to come in with tight deadlines and need quick, complete answers. A chandler who can quote fast and arrange launch delivery has a real edge over competitors in the port.

Time zone: SLST, UTC+5:30
Business languages: English, Sinhala and Tamil
Working week: Monday to Friday
transshipment hub: South Asia
east west trade lane: Indian Ocean

Business culture

English is widely used in business, alongside Sinhala and Tamil. Relationships and personal trust matter, and many buyers like to know who they are dealing with before placing regular orders. Phone and WhatsApp are common for quick checks, with email for formal quotes. Every full moon is a Poya holiday, and the Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April and Vesak in May close many offices.

Port and maritime heritage

Arab, Persian and Chinese traders used Colombo's anchorage long before Europeans arrived. The Portuguese built a fort in the early 1500s, the Dutch took it in 1656, and the British took over in 1796. Work on the South West Breakwater began in 1875, turning an open roadstead into a sheltered harbour, and by 1882 mail steamers had moved here from Galle.

Local market

Container transshipment dominates, with large mainline ships and the feeders that serve Indian and regional ports. Tankers, bulk carriers and ships stopping off Colombo for bunkers or crew changes add to the demand. Buyers expect fast quotes, launch delivery to the anchorage, and suppliers who can work around short port stays. Clear, itemised prices make it easier for managers abroad to approve orders.

Working with us from Colombo

Working with us from Colombo is easy on timing, because Sri Lanka and India share the same clock. You get a remote 30 minute demo on one of your own RFQs, Tidal is set up on your catalogue and margin rules with no IT team needed, and you are usually live in about a week. Questions are answered during your own working hours.

FAQ

Common questions from Colombo ship chandlers

How does Tidal handle high volume RFQs at the Port of Colombo?

Transshipment traffic at Colombo means chandlers field RFQs with hundreds of line items from vessels on tight feeder and mainline schedules. Tidal extracts every line from the incoming email, matches it to your own catalogue at 90%+ accuracy, and prices it to your margin rules automatically, producing in under 30 minutes a quote that would take a team days to build by hand.

Does Tidal integrate with the systems Colombo chandlers use?

Yes. Tidal integrates with ShipNet and Bassnet via API or CSV export, and also runs fully standalone from your existing Outlook or Gmail inbox and product catalogue with no ERP connection required. The one week go live timeline applies to standalone and integrated setups alike.

Is Tidal available to Colombo chandlers without a local office?

Yes. Tidal is remote, web delivered software for ship chandlers and suppliers serving Colombo, no local presence and nothing to install on site. Connect your inbox and catalogue and Tidal processes RFQs for your Colombo operation from day one.

Ship Chandler Software forColombo