Visual Discovery for Maritime Logistics: Converting Legacy Tracking to Modern React

A maritime dispatcher stares at a flickering green-screen terminal, manually cross-referencing vessel IDs against a Java applet that hasn't been updated since 2004. This is the reality of a $14 trillion industry running on $3.6 trillion of global technical debt. When the goal is to modernize these systems, the traditional approach is to spend 18 months documenting requirements for a system that no one fully understands anymore.

Visual discovery maritime logistics is the breakthrough needed to bypass this documentation vacuum. By using visual reverse engineering, we can capture the tribal knowledge embedded in legacy UIs and transform it into high-fidelity React components in a fraction of the time.

TL;DR: Modernizing maritime logistics systems often fails due to a lack of documentation (67% of systems). Replay enables visual discovery maritime logistics by converting video recordings of legacy workflows into documented React code, reducing the average modernization timeline from 18 months to just a few weeks. Users save 70% on development time, moving from 40 hours per screen to just 4 hours.

The High Cost of Legacy "Blindness" in Logistics#

In maritime logistics, "good enough" software is a liability. Legacy tracking systems—often built on COBOL, PowerBuilder, or early .NET—contain decades of edge-case logic for port congestion, transshipment delays, and customs clearances. According to Replay's analysis, 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their timelines because the original business logic is "trapped" in the UI.

Industry experts recommend moving away from "Big Bang" rewrites. Instead, the focus should be on visual discovery: the process of identifying how users actually interact with legacy tracking grids and port maps to recreate those experiences in a modern stack.

Visual discovery maritime logistics is the process of using automated tools to observe, document, and extract UI patterns and functional workflows from legacy maritime software without needing access to the original source code.

The Replay Approach: Video-to-Code#

Traditional modernization requires manual "pixel-pushing" and reverse-engineering obfuscated databases. Replay changes this by using Visual Reverse Engineering.

Video-to-code is the process of recording a user performing a specific task—like updating a Bill of Lading or tracking a container—and using AI to generate the corresponding React components, TypeScript interfaces, and Design System tokens.

How it works for Maritime Systems:#

1. •Record: A subject matter expert (SME) records their screen while using the legacy tracking software.
2. •Analyze: Replay’s AI Automation Suite identifies patterns: data tables, status indicators, vessel maps, and filtering sidebars.
3. •Generate: The platform outputs clean, modular React code and a Tailwind-based design system.

Modernizing Legacy UI is no longer a manual chore of guessing font sizes and hex codes from a 20-year-old terminal.

Comparison: Manual Rewrite vs. Replay Visual Discovery#

Implementation: Converting a Legacy Vessel Tracking Grid#

Let’s look at a practical example. Suppose you have a legacy Java-based vessel tracking table. It has complex conditional formatting (e.g., vessels at "High Risk" of delay are highlighted in blinking red).

When you use Replay for visual discovery maritime logistics, the platform identifies these states. Instead of a developer spending hours writing CSS logic to match the legacy behavior, Replay generates a functional React component.

Legacy Logic Extraction#

In the legacy system, the logic might be buried in a stored procedure. Through visual discovery, we observe the outcome:

.

Here is how that translates into a modern React component generated via Replay:

typescript
import React from 'react';
import { Badge } from '@/components/ui/badge';
import { Table, TableBody, TableCell, TableHead, TableHeader, TableRow } from '@/components/ui/table';

interface Vessel {
  id: string;
  name: string;
  imo: string;
  status: 'In Transit' | 'Moored' | 'Delayed';
  daysOverdue: number;
  lastPort: string;
}

const VesselTrackingGrid: React.FC<{ data: Vessel[] }> = ({ data }) => {
  return (
    <div className="rounded-md border bg-white p-4 shadow-sm">
      <Table>
        <TableHeader>
          <TableRow>
            <TableHead>Vessel Name</TableHead>
            <TableHead>IMO Number</TableHead>
            <TableHead>Status</TableHead>
            <TableHead>Risk Level</TableHead>
          </TableRow>
        </TableHeader>
        <TableBody>
          {data.map((vessel) => (
            <TableRow key={vessel.id}>
              <TableCell className="font-medium">{vessel.name}</TableCell>
              <TableCell>{vessel.imo}</TableCell>
              <TableCell>
                <Badge variant={vessel.status === 'Delayed' ? 'destructive' : 'secondary'}>
                  {vessel.status}
                </Badge>
              </TableCell>
              <TableCell>
                {/* Visual Discovery identified this conditional styling rule */}
                {vessel.daysOverdue > 3 && vessel.status === 'In Transit' ? (
                  <span className="flex items-center text-red-600 animate-pulse">
                    High Risk Critical
                  </span>
                ) : (
                  <span className="text-gray-500">Standard</span>
                )}
              </TableCell>
            </TableRow>
          ))}
        </TableBody>
      </Table>
    </div>
  );
};

export default VesselTrackingGrid;

Scaling with a Maritime Design System#

One of the biggest hurdles in visual discovery maritime logistics is consistency. Maritime enterprises often have 50+ different internal tools for logistics, warehousing, and customs. Replay’s "Library" feature allows you to centralize the components discovered during the recording process.

By recording multiple workflows, Replay builds a unified Component Library. If three different legacy apps use a "Container Search" bar, Replay recognizes the pattern and creates a single, reusable React component.

Building the "Flows"#

Maritime logistics is about movement. Replay doesn't just capture static screens; it captures "Flows."

Flows are documented sequences of user interactions—such as the 12-step process to re-route a container ship due to weather—converted into a state machine or a series of React routes.

typescript
// Example of a Flow state generated by Replay's AI Automation Suite
export type ShipmentWorkflowState = 
  | 'DRAFT_CREATED'
  | 'MANIFEST_UPLOADED'
  | 'CUSTOMS_PENDING'
  | 'CLEARED_FOR_LOADING'
  | 'ON_VESSEL'
  | 'DISCHARGED';

interface WorkflowStep {
  label: string;
  isCompleted: boolean;
  timestamp?: string;
}

const ShipmentStepper: React.FC<{ steps: WorkflowStep[] }> = ({ steps }) => {
  return (
    <nav aria-label="Progress">
      <ol role="list" className="space-y-4 md:flex md:space-x-8 md:space-y-0">
        {steps.map((step) => (
          <li key={step.label} className="md:flex-1">
            <div className={`group flex flex-col border-l-4 py-2 pl-4 md:border-l-0 md:border-t-4 md:pb-0 md:pl-0 md:pt-4 ${
              step.isCompleted ? 'border-blue-600' : 'border-gray-200'
            }`}>
              <span className="text-sm font-medium text-blue-600 uppercase">{step.label}</span>
              <span className="text-base font-semibold">{step.isCompleted ? 'Complete' : 'Pending'}</span>
            </div>
          </li>
        ))}
      </ol>
    </nav>
  );
};

Scaling Design Systems is critical for maritime giants who need to ensure that a port operator in Singapore and a logistics manager in Rotterdam are using the same interface standards.

Security in Regulated Environments#

The maritime industry is a pillar of global infrastructure. Security isn't optional. When performing visual discovery maritime logistics, data privacy is paramount. Many legacy systems contain sensitive PII (Personally Identifiable Information) or proprietary trade routes.

Replay is built for these regulated environments:

• •SOC2 & HIPAA-ready: Ensuring data handling meets the highest standards.
• •On-Premise Deployment: For government-linked maritime agencies or defense-related logistics, Replay can run entirely within your private cloud.
• •AI with Guardrails: Replay’s AI Automation Suite can be configured to redact sensitive information during the visual discovery process.

The Future: AI-Driven Blueprints#

The final stage of the Replay ecosystem is the Blueprint. Think of a Blueprint as the "architectural DNA" of your legacy system. Once visual discovery maritime logistics has mapped out your legacy tracking software, the Blueprint serves as a living document that developers can use to iterate.

Instead of a static PDF that becomes obsolete the moment it's saved, a Replay Blueprint is linked to the actual React code. If the business logic for "Demurrage Calculations" changes, you update the Blueprint, and the AI helps refactor the components.

According to Replay's analysis, teams using Blueprints see a 90% reduction in regression bugs during the first year of post-modernization.

Frequently Asked Questions#

What is visual discovery maritime logistics?#

It is the use of visual reverse engineering to record and analyze legacy maritime software interfaces. This process automatically extracts UI components and business logic to accelerate the creation of modern React-based tracking and logistics dashboards.

How does Replay handle complex legacy data tables?#

Replay uses AI to identify patterns in how data is displayed. It recognizes headers, rows, conditional formatting, and interactive elements (like sorting or filtering). It then generates a modern React component using high-performance libraries like TanStack Table or custom Tailwind structures that mirror the legacy functionality but with modern code standards.

Can Replay work with terminal emulators or "green screens"?#

Yes. Because Replay focuses on Visual Reverse Engineering, it doesn't matter if the underlying tech is a 1980s mainframe or a 1990s Java applet. If it appears on the screen, Replay can record the workflow and convert the visual patterns into modern code.

Is the code generated by Replay maintainable?#

Absolutely. Unlike "low-code" platforms that lock you into a proprietary engine, Replay generates standard TypeScript and React code. This code is documented, follows industry best practices, and is designed to be owned and maintained by your internal engineering team.

How much time can we save on a typical modernization project?#

On average, enterprise teams save 70% of their development time. A project that would typically take 18 months using manual documentation and coding can often be completed in weeks or a few months using Replay’s automated suite.

Conclusion#

The maritime industry cannot afford to be held back by technical debt. The complexity of global trade requires agile, modern interfaces that provide real-time visibility. By leveraging visual discovery maritime logistics, organizations can finally bridge the gap between their reliable legacy logic and the modern web.

Stop guessing what your legacy code does. Start seeing it. With Replay, you can turn your video recordings into a production-ready React design system and reclaim your roadmap.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay