Norcontrol IT has recently concluded the installation of a complete Port Operations System for the Tees & Hartlepool Port Authority. The system has been designed to be one the world’s most robust vessel traffic management applications, and is capable of handling high volumes of traffic. Unlike most vessel traffic database applications, which merely record visits, vessel data, and related events and details, this next generation VTS Database (VDB) functions as the cornerstone of the ports' operational business systems. The application takes the first booking for a vessel, generates a unique reference number for each visit, and with that number facilitates the management of a vessel's visit from arrival to departure.