Version 1.35: Release Notes

Welcome to Helm CONNECT 1.35. Click the links below to learn all about this release:

• The Platform
• Helm CONNECT Maintenance
• Helm CONNECT Compliance
• Helm CONNECT Logistics
• Helm CONNECT Personnel
• Helm CONNECT Analytics
• Helm CONNECT Reports
• Helm CONNECT Permissions
• Helm CONNECT API
• Updates

The Platform

Our "platform" is our base product and includes the features and functionality shared by all our customers. Changes to our platform affect everyone, regardless of the product lines or modules you subscribe to. We made the following platform changes in this release. 

Find Tags by Name

You can now search for tags on the Setup > Operations > Tags tab using the new "Find a tag" filter. Previously, if you had a long list of tags, you had to sort by name and scroll to find the one you wanted.

Create Custom Fields with Similar Keys

We fixed an issue that prevented you from creating a new custom field if another custom field already had a key that differed only in capitalization (for example, "IsDraft" and "isDraft").

This one came straight from Helm Conference 2025, where many Helm CONNECT administrators and super users told us they needed an easier way for users to report issues and share ideas with them. Well, we were happy to deliver! The new Submit Feedback option on the Help menu lets users capture feedback in the moment. An email is then automatically sent to any designated recipients, so they can address issues or pass along relevant feedback to the Helm team. Learn more about setting up and using this feature here.

Helm CONNECT Maintenance

We made the following changes to Helm CONNECT Maintenance in this release.

Reduce Duplicate Templates with Component Groups

You can now reduce the number of duplicate maintenance templates you need to create by organizing your components into component groups and assigning those groups to templates. Previously, each template could only be linked to a single component, which meant creating duplicate templates for components that required identical maintenance. With component groups, you create a group once, add the relevant components to it, and assign it to a template. The template then applies to every component in the group automatically. You can create and manage your groups on the new Setup > Maintenance > Component Groups tab. 

Alphabetical Sorting in the Part Category List

We now sort items in all Part Category lists alphabetically, making it easier to find the category you're looking for. You'll see this change everywhere the Part Category list appears in Helm CONNECT, including these tabs:

• Onboard > Inventory > Parts
• Onboard > Inventory > Part History
• Onboard > Requisitions > History
• Inventory > Inventory > Parts
• Inventory > Inventory > Part History
• Setup > Parts > Parts
• Setup > Parts > Parts (Beta)

Quickly Find Parts Without a Storage Location

We added a new No Storage Location checkbox to the Inventory > Inventory > Parts tab so you can quickly find parts that haven't yet been assigned a storage location.

Visual Improvements to the Advanced Search (Beta) Filters

We made the filter panel on the Maintenance > Overview > Advanced Search (Beta) tab cleaner and more compact by reducing the spacing between filter rows and adding soft outlines to checkboxes for a tidier appearance.

Deleted Items No Longer Appear in Advanced Search (Beta) Filters

We removed deleted and archived people, vendors, activity types, and task and corrective action types from the filters on the Maintenance > Overview > Advanced Search (Beta) tab. This reduces clutter and prevents you from filtering by items that are no longer active.

If one of your saved searches includes a deleted or unavailable item, a notification appears to let you know those items were excluded from the search. You can update or re-save the search to remove them.

You can now configure default values for the Assign To and Show In fields on tasks so they're automatically filled in when someone creates a new task. You can also configure a default value for the Assign To field on attached asset tasks. You can't set a default value for the Show In field for attached asset tasks because they always appear in the Attached Space.

You can set defaults at two levels:

• Global defaults: Apply to all tasks or attached asset tasks regardless of type.

• Type-specific defaults: Apply only to tasks or attached asset tasks of a specific type. Type-specific defaults take priority over global defaults, so if the global defaults have already filled in and you then select a different task type, the type-specific defaults for that type will override them.

Learn more about setting up and using this feature here. 

Configure Tasks to Require Approval Before They Can Be Closed

You can now configure task types to require approval before a task can be closed. When someone completes a task that requires approval, it moves to an Awaiting Approval status instead of closing right away. An approver can then review the work and either approve the task, which closes it, or decline it, which sends it back to the assignee for corrections with a Declined & Reopened status.

You can enable this on a per-task-type basis on the Setup > Maintenance > Task Types tab. Approvers get an email notification when a task needs their review, and assignees get an email notification when their task is declined.

More about this feature:

• We added a new tenant-level permission for this feature. See Helm CONNECT Permissions.

• We made changes to the Tasks data source for this feature. See Helm CONNECT Reports.

• We made changes to the Helm CONNECT API for this feature. See Helm CONNECT API.

Learn more about setting up and using this feature here.

Search for Parts Across Assets from a Requisition

You can now search for a part across all assets in your division directly from a requisition. We added a new Search Parts button to the header of individual requisitions on the Maintenance > Requisitions > Requisitions tab and the Onboard > Requisitions > Requisitions tab. Clicking it opens the Search Parts drawer, which shows which other assets have the part, along with their total and minimum quantities, so you can decide whether to transfer a part from another asset instead of ordering a new one. You can also filter results to include or exclude assets that are below their minimum quantity. This feature is not available on mobile devices.

Make and Model No Longer Required for Components

The Make and Model fields are no longer required when you create or edit a component. You'll see this change wherever you work with components in Helm CONNECT.

Helm CONNECT Compliance

We made the following changes to Helm CONNECT Compliance in this release.

When you set up your document folders on the Setup > Compliance > Document Folders tab, you can now nest them up to 10 levels deep. Previously, you were limited to only 3 levels. We also improved the drag-and-drop experience on this tab, with clearer visual feedback when you're rearranging folders, including a red border when you try to drop a folder into an invalid position.

We also made several improvements on the Library (Beta) tabs under Compliance > Documents and Onboard > Documents, and on the My Helm > Documents > Documents tab, to help you work with deeper folder structures:

• Folder icons now visually distinguish between root-level and nested folders.

• A new CHANGE VIEW button lets you switch between Comfortable, Cozy, and Compact spacing to control how much indentation nested folders use.

• Folders with subfolders now show expand and collapse icons so you can show or hide nested content.

• Long folder names are truncated with an ellipsis so they don't overflow the sidebar.

• You can resize the folder sidebar by dragging its right edge. Your preferred width is saved between sessions.

• Folder selection checkboxes are right-aligned for a cleaner look at deeper nesting levels.

We made the hyperlinks in your documents clickable so you can open linked content directly. You’ll see this change on the Library and Library (Beta) tabs under My Helm > Documents, Onboard > Documents, and Compliance > Documents.

You can now configure default values for the Assign To and Show In fields on corrective actions so they're automatically filled in when someone creates a new corrective action.

You can set defaults at two levels:

• Global defaults: Apply to all corrective actions regardless of type.

• Type-specific defaults: Apply only to corrective actions of a specific type. Type-specific defaults take priority over global defaults, so if the global defaults have already filled in and you then select a different corrective action type, the type-specific defaults for that type will override them.

Learn more about setting up and using this feature here.

Helm CONNECT Logistics

We made the following changes to Helm CONNECT Logistics in this release.

You can now pause a voyage and resume it later, making it easier to manage situations where work is temporarily interrupted, or you need to switch between customers or jobs.

We added two new event types, Pause Voyage and Resume Voyage, on the Setup > Events > Event Types tab. We also added a Paused option to the Status list on the Logistics > Dispatch > Voyages tab. After you configure these event types, you can pause a voyage by changing its status to Paused, and resume it by changing it back to Active. You can also pause and resume voyages by logging these event types directly on the Onboard > Logs > Logbook tab.

Learn more about setting up and using this feature here.

Log Pressure and Temperature Readings

You can now log pressure and temperature readings for liquid cargo and fluids on both primary and attached assets. This makes it easier to record and report these measurements and helps you generate standardized reports.

We added four new event types on the Setup > Events > Event Types tab:

• Pressure Reading (for primary assets)

• Attached Asset Pressure Reading (for attached assets)

• Temperature Reading (for primary assets)

• Attached Asset Temperature Reading (for attached assets)

We also added four corresponding activity types on the Setup > Events > Activity Types tab. After you configure these event types or activity types, you can log pressure and temperature readings from the Onboard > Logs > Logbook tab the same way you log any other event or activity.

Learn more about setting up and using this feature here.

View All Planned Voyages in the Upcoming Voyages Widget

The Upcoming Voyages widget on the Onboard > Logs > Logbook tab now displays all planned voyages, regardless of their planned start date. Previously, voyages would disappear from the widget once their planned start date passed, even if they hadn't started yet.

Voyages with a planned start date in the past are highlighted in red to indicate they're overdue. This makes it easier for captains to track voyages that haven't started as scheduled.

You'll now see a warning flag on any job activity that's out of sequence on the Onboard > Logs > Logbook tab. A conflict occurs when an activity's end time is earlier than the start time of another activity in the same job. The flag stays visible until the times are corrected, so crew can catch and fix issues before they affect records, calculations, or reporting.

For customers using our electronic record books, we added page numbers and the Helm CONNECT version number to each page of the printed reports. This makes it easier to navigate longer reports and confirms which version of Helm CONNECT was used to generate them, which is especially useful for inspections, audits, and regulatory submissions.

You can now create orders and legs to organize work that requires multiple voyages to complete. Each order can be divided into one or more legs, and each leg can be linked to one or more voyages. Once the feature is enabled for your organization, a new Orders tab appears under Logistics > Dispatch, where you can create and manage your orders.

You can also include additional details for each leg, such as dates and times for Pickup Start, Pickup End, Delivery Start, and Delivery End.

Learn more about setting up and using this feature here.

You can now configure your event and activity types to include an Asset field, allowing your crew to select one or more associated assets when logging entries. For example, someone on a harbor boat could log a standing by activity and indicate the other harbor boat they're working with, or someone on a tugboat could log a safety briefing event and record all the barges included in the briefing.

To configure the new Asset field, go to the Setup > Events > Event Types tab or Activity Types tab, open an event or activity type, click Configure, and select your preferred settings. By default, the field is hidden and not required.

We added an Unassigned option to the Resource filter on the Logistics > Dispatch > Trips tab, making it easy to see where you have jobs that haven't been assigned an asset yet.

The Unassigned option works in both include and exclude modes:

• Include: Shows trips with at least one unassigned job so you can quickly identify scheduling gaps.

• Exclude: Hides trips with unassigned jobs so you can focus on fully resourced trips.

We addressed an issue where notes added to related transactions, such as manual or reversal transactions, weren't displaying correctly on the Logistics > Billing tabs. Notes from all related transactions are now shown consistently across the Overview tab, the Transactions tab, and the transaction details page, and note counts are accurate in all views.

Helm CONNECT Personnel

We made the following changes to Helm CONNECT Personnel in this release.

Improvements to the New Crew Certifications Module

We made a few updates to the Crew Certifications tab in the new Crew Certifications module:

• Track changes with the new CHANGE LOG button: We added a new CHANGE LOG button to the Crew Certifications edit window, to the right of the ATTACH and ADD NOTE buttons. When you click it, a side panel opens with the change history for that certification. It shows when the certification was created or modified, updates to the reference number and status, Active and Inactive changes, and other field-level edits. You can filter the history by date range and use the EXPAND ALL and COLLAPSE ALL controls to expand or collapse the details.

• Certification details now open in a read-only view: To help prevent accidental edits when you intend to renew a certification, certification details now open in a read-only view by default. To update an existing certification, click the new EDIT button to unlock the fields. The RENEW button continues to create a new certification renewal and remains separate from editing the current record. We also improved the placement of the SAVE and CANCEL buttons for both edits and renewals so they're easier to find.

We addressed an issue in the Record of Rest report that was incorrectly adding working hours.

Helm CONNECT Analytics

We made the following changes to Helm CONNECT Analytics in this release.

See Everything, Fix Anything with Analytics

Version 1.35 is our biggest analytics update yet. We added three new dashboards: the Incident Reporting Dashboard to help you spot safety trends across your fleet, the Logistics - Billing Dashboard to identify where invoices are getting delayed so you can get paid faster, and the Logistics - Terminal Utilization Dashboard to help you right-size your fleet and identify redeployment opportunities. We also made dozens of improvements across the analytics suite, including faster load times, smarter filtering, and cleaner visualizations. For all the details, read the full Helm Analytics 1.35 - See Everything, Fix Anything post.

Helm CONNECT Reports

We made the following changes to our reports in this release. These changes may also affect report data linked to systems outside Helm CONNECT, such as Power BI. Please contact your account manager if you have questions.

We added a new data source that shows the day-by-day quantity of cargo or fluid onboard.

We added a new data source that shows cargo and fluid logs, including all movement of cargo and fluid related to each asset.

We added a Component Groups column and a Component Groups filter.

We added a Component Groups column and the following filters:

• Component Group

• Maintenance Templates

• Component Groups

We added the following columns:

• Component Groups

• Component Status

We also added the following filters:

• Component Groups

• Active Components

We added a new QuoteStatus field.

We added a No Storage Location filter.

We added a Component Groups column and a Component Groups filter.

Helm CONNECT Permissions

In this release, we made the following changes to the permissions on the Setup > Users > Roles tab.

We moved the Can Omit Forms permission from Maintenance > Settings > Can Omit Forms to Compliance > Forms > Can Omit Forms. If you previously had this permission, you'll still have it in its new location. No action is required on your part.

We added a new permission that turns on the Submit Feedback feature. This permission will not be turned on at the tenant level by default. However, you can ask your account manager to turn it on.

We added a new permission that turns on the Quote Orders feature. This permission will not be turned on at the tenant level by default. However, you can ask your account manager to turn it on.

We added a new permission that turns on orders related to voyages. This permission will not be turned on at the tenant level by default. However, you can ask your account manager to turn it on.

We added a new permission that allows users to approve tasks in Advanced Search and Advanced Search (Beta). This permission will be turned on automatically for any tenant that previously had one or more of the following permissions:

• Maintenance > Overview > Advanced Search > Settings

• Maintenance > Overview > Advanced Search > Settings > Tasks

• Maintenance > Overview > Advanced Search > Settings > Can Edit Tasks

We added a new permission that allows users to approve tasks everywhere tasks appear outside of Advanced Search and Advanced Search (Beta). This permission will be turned on automatically for any tenant that previously had one or more of the following permissions:

• Maintenance > Settings

• Maintenance > Settings > Add New Task

• Maintenance > Settings > Can Finish Tasks

• Maintenance > Settings > Can Delete Tasks

We added a new permission that allows users to edit component fields in the Component Groups setup tab. This permission will be turned on automatically for any tenant or role that previously had the Management > Assets > Assets > Components permission.

We added a new group of permissions that provide access to the Live Diagrams feature in the Logbook module:

• Onboard > Logbook > Live Diagrams: Turns on live diagrams for fleet tracking.

• Onboard > Logbook > Live Diagrams > Read: Provides read access to live diagrams.

• Onboard > Logbook > Live Diagrams > Edit: Provides edit access to live diagrams.

These permissions will not be turned on at the tenant level by default. However, you can ask your account manager to turn them on.

We added a new permission that turns on the Cargo/Fluid Balance data source in reports. This permission will not be turned on at the tenant level by default. However, you can ask your account manager to turn it on.

We added a new permission that turns on the Cargo/Fluid Records data source in reports. This permission will not be turned on at the tenant level by default. However, you can ask your account manager to turn it on.

We added a new group of permissions that provide access to the Location Diagrams feature:

• Setup > Locations > Location Diagrams: Turns on location diagrams.

• Setup > Locations > Location Diagrams > Read: Provides read access to location diagrams.

• Setup > Locations > Location Diagrams > Edit: Provides edit access to location diagrams.

These permissions will not be turned on at the tenant level by default. However, you can ask your account manager to turn them on.

We added a new permission that turns on the Component Groups setup tab. This permission will be turned on automatically for any tenant that previously had the Management > Assets > Assets > Components permission, and for any role that previously had the Setup > Parts > Component Types permission.

Helm CONNECT API

We made the following changes to our API in this release. For more details, please refer to our API documentation.

We added a new endpoint that allows you to retrieve exchange rates based on currency type and date range.

We added support for setting the following field via this endpoint:

"AssignedAsset"

We added a new filterable ComponentGroups field to the response. This field lists all component groups that a component belongs to and returns the following:

"ComponentGroups": [ { "Id": <Guid>, "Name": <String> },... ]

We updated the default sort order for these endpoints. Results are now sorted by created date with the newest items first.

We added the following fields to the response:

A top-level ComponentGroups field:

"ComponentGroups": [ { "Id": <Guid>, "Name": <String> },... ]

A Component object:

"Component": { "Id": <Guid>, "Status": <String>, "IsActive": <Boolean>, "AssetComponentId": <Guid>, "EstimatedDailyUsages": [ { "ReadingType": <String>, "ReadingTypeId": <Guid>, "Value": <Decimal> },... ], "ComponentGroups": [ { "Id": <Guid>, "Name": <String> },... ] }

Updates

7.1.35.344

We addressed the following issues on the Personnel > Schedule > Schedule tab:

• The Crew sub-tab could sometimes fail to load, displaying an error.

• The Required to Operate / All toggle for certification warnings was not displaying when no warnings were present.

• Duplicate time off status types would display in the schedule.

Affected versions: 1.35

Affected products: Helm CONNECT Personnel (Crew Scheduling Module)

7.1.35.343

We fixed an issue that would sometimes prevent certain forms from opening.

Affected versions: 1.21 and later

Affected products: Helm CONNECT Compliance

7.1.35.342

In this update, you'll see two new options when creating or editing an activity type on the Setup > Events > Activity Types tab:

• Times Log as Actual: When selected, the Actual checkbox will always be selected for new activities of that type, regardless of the time entered.

• Show in To Do until End Date: When selected, activities of that type will continue to display in the To Do list even after actual times are recorded, as long as the end date is still in the future.

Affected versions: 1.35

Affected products: Helm CONNECT Logistics

7.1.35.341

In this update, we addressed the following issues for our Helm CONNECT Personnel customers:

Crew Certifications Module

We improved all tabs under Management > Certifications so that your column order, visibility, and sort order (where applicable) are now saved between sessions.

We also addressed the following issues on the Management > Certifications > Crew Certifications tab:

• The "Clear Filters" button on the filter dialog did not clear the selected division.

• An error could occur when too many filters were applied. Users now receive a warning before reaching the filter limit.

Timesheets and Crew Scheduling Modules

We addressed the following issues:

• Some crew members were not displaying.

• On the My Helm > Schedule > Request Time Off tab, all earning codes were displaying in the Type list in the Time Off window instead of only the ones configured to display in Days Off.

• On the My Helm > Schedule > Schedule tab, travel time duration was not displaying in the correct units.

• We removed access to a prototype feature.

Affected versions: 1.35

Affected products: Helm CONNECT Personnel (Crew Certifications, Timesheets, and Crew Scheduling Modules)

7.1.35.340

For customers with the Reports > Advanced Reporting permission enabled, we fixed an issue that could cause extra rows to appear in reports built with the Maintenance Templates data source.

Affected versions: 1.35

Affected products: Helm CONNECT Maintenance

7.1.35.339

We fixed an issue that prevented due dates from displaying on maintenance checklists created on the Maintenance > Overview > Advanced Search (Beta) tab.

Affected versions: 1.35

Affected products: Helm CONNECT Maintenance

7.1.35.338

We made performance improvements to the Crew Certifications module, which should result in noticeably better load times. You'll see the improvements in the following places:

• Management > Certifications > Crew Certifications tab

• Management > Certifications > Certification Types tab

• Management > People > Certifications tab

• Management > People > [person's name] > Certifications sub-tab

Affected versions: Version 1.35

Affected products: Crew Certifications Module

7.1.35.337

As part of ongoing maintenance, this update included some backend improvements.

Affected versions: All

Affected products: All

7.1.35.336

As part of ongoing maintenance, this update included some backend improvements.

Affected versions: All

Affected products: All

7.1.35.333

We fixed an issue that could sometimes cause trips to have the incorrect billing status.

Affected versions: 1.34 and later

Affected products: Helm CONNECT Logistics

7.1.35.332

We addressed an issue that prevented the new Search Parts button on the Maintenance > Requisitions > Requisitions and Onboard > Requisitions > Requisitions tabs from working properly.

Affected version: 1.35

Affected products: Helm CONNECT Maintenance

7.1.35.331

As part of ongoing maintenance, this update included some backend improvements.

Affected versions: All

Affected products: All

7.1.35.330

As part of ongoing maintenance, this update included some backend improvements.

Affected versions: All

Affected products: All