IDEA Data Solutions – Yacht Maintenance and Management Software

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  • Newsletter June / July 2020

    Newsletter June / July 2020

    Newsletter June / July 2020

    MONACO YACHT SHOW cancelled – Luckily we have a solution!

    Currently planned for September or October we have decided to hold the 1st IDEA Academy, Key note speakers, dedicated training sessions, meet the programmer and various other things are on the Agenda, but much more important for us: What are you interested in?

    Give us your feedback and help us to customize the IDEA Academy to your needs, whether you are a captain, engineer, management company or super yacht builder. There are opportunities for everyone!

    Participate here to make sure you get an invite!

     

    IDEA Yacht 2020.2

     

    We are proud to announce the release of version 2020.2 of our IDEA Yacht software.

    This release focuses primarily on usability improvements as our development team took your feedback from over 140 tickets, to improve IDEA Yachts usability and comfort. We thank you for this feedback and try to take as much of it on board as possible. Some of the highlights are as follows:

    • Improved import functionality: new checks were integrated that allow more detailed error messages to warn of wrong date or number formats prior to the import.
    • Optimization of the user interface to make it more compatible with low screen resolutions.
    • If password requirements are changed users are informed at the next login if their password does not match the new requirements.
    • Crew certificates can now be set to “never expire”.
    • Users can now upload their signature in the documents tab of their user profile. This signature will automatically be printed if a purchase order was approved by this crew member.
    • The maintenance page now has a switch to always include any overdue task matching the filter.
    • Reminders can now be limited to a user defined group based on the crew state, e.g. reminders can be limited to users with the status “Onboard”

    The update will be available on 13. July 2020.

     

    Leave & Rest Tracker

     

    How do you keep track of the working hours of your crew? Are you using Excel files? This can be a thing of the past with the revamped IDEA Leave & Rest Tracker. Your crew data is already entered in IDEA, so with this solution you don’t have to use several software suits making you more efficient and saving time.

    Recently we released our completely overhauled “Leave & Rest Tracker”. During development it was our goal to greatly improve the usability of the module while expanding the detailed controlling options.

    The recording of work and rest hours were greatly simplified by adding a new calendar control. This streamlines recording the data and reduces time for each crew member.

    Depending on the contract conditions, which can be defined for each crew member individually, a new controlling function provides the captain or the management company with a tool to monitor compliance to conventional work regulations like MLC.

    Please feel free to directly check the new functionality: IDEA YACHT

    Stay safe and all the best & STAY TUNED!
    Your IDEA Team

  • Newsletter May 2020

    Newsletter May 2020

    Newsletter May 2020

    COVID-19 Special Offer

    Improved Database Service at 20% Discount
     
    During the current global pandemic a lot of people are stuck at home or on the yacht; this could be the perfect time to ramp-up your maintenance management?
     
    For you as a professional crew member, a well-populated database with on point maintenance schedules is crucial.
     
    Normally you could expect an IDEA engineer onboard to provide a worry-free database with pre-populated, detailed, as-built yacht information. Currently COVID-19 is preventing us from coming on board to perform these cross-checks.
     
    To fill this gap and to share the workload, we are currently offering a 20% discount on our vessel database population service. The only assistance we ask from you is completing an excel sheet with your components and uploading the related documents.
     
    And we will carry out the remainder of the work!
     
    You will get a fully populated vessel database and maintenance schedule without any required onboard visits from us. Ensuring your yacht is maintained and everyone’s kept safe in the process.
    TLDR:

    • 20% discount on our Maintenance Packages
    • Only the determined component information will be required
    • Uploading the related documents
    • Result: Full populated vessel database and maintenance schedule by IDEA

    Please have a look at our new homepage to read more about our services.

    Smart, modern and condensed knowledge – IDEA Data Solutions releases its new website!

    The new website has been designed to provide the ultimate user-friendly experience with improved navigation and functionality while allowing customers to see the full product portfolio IDEA can offer.
     
    Created with the user experience in mind, the new website includes many features to help the user navigate quickly and easily through the homepage.
    These new features include:

    • Look-Ahead Navigation to reduce the number of user-clicks to navigate the site
    • Request for Quotes and Demonstrations even more easily thanks to new functions, making the process faster and streamlined
    • Product Filters which allow users to easily narrow down the product portfolio

    On top of that, the new homepage structure allows IDEA to place their full product portfolio on the site, which enables the user to easily navigate through each product line. Every product is fully described and tailor-made to customer needs, to fully generate a great customer experience and provide a great platform of information.

    We are very proud to finally launch our new website – Please let us know what you think!

    Integrating IDEA Yacht in the yacht’s ecosystem

    With the “Logs & Rounds” module IDEA Yacht offers a function to record readings from all kind of machinery onboard. Most of the times key machine readings are recorded manually by crew members on a daily basis during specific rounds. What a lot of people do not know is that IDEA offers the possibility to connect the “Logs & Rounds” module directly to the ship’s alarm and monitoring system to import readings automatically in a defined interval.
    Over the years IDEA connected dozens of different AMS systems to our software using a variety of different methods and protocols:

    – Modbus TCP
    – Modbus RTU (RS-232/422/485)
    – RS-232/422 (NMEA 0183 or other)
    – CSV file via shared folder (LAN) or FTP download

    The latest addition to supported frameworks is the OPC UA framework which is one of the essential frameworks for the Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0.
    If you are interested in the integration of your AMS system with IDEA please get in touch with our team. We can provide you with additional information and check if an integration is possible.

    Stay safe and all the best

    STAY TUNED!

    Your IDEA Team

  • COVID-19 Special Offer: Improved Database Service at 20% Discount

    COVID-19 Special Offer: Improved Database Service at 20% Discount

    COVID-19 Special Offer: Improved Database Service at 20% Discount

    During the current global pandemic lot of people are stuck at home or on the yacht; this could be the perfect time to ramp-up your maintenance management?

    For you as a professional crew member, a well-populated database with on point maintenance schedules is crucial.

    Normally you could expect an IDEA engineer onboard to provide a worry-free database with pre-populated, detailed, as-built yacht information. Currently COVID-19 is preventing us from coming on board to perform these cross-checks.

    To fill this gap and to share the workload, we are currently offering a 20% discount on our vessel database population service. The only assistance we ask from you is completing an excel sheet with your components and uploading the related documents.

    And we will carry out the remainder of the work!

    You will get a fully populated vessel database and maintenance schedule without any required onboard visits from us. Ensuring your yacht is maintained and everyone’s kept safe in the process.

    TLDR:

    • 20% discount on our Maintenance Packages
    • Filling out the excel sheet, only the type of the component would be required
    • Uploading the related documents
    • Result: Full populated vessel database and maintenance schedule by IDEA

    Get in contact with us NOW!

    Your IDEA Team

  • HOW TO: Using the “Logs & Rounds” module to check safety Equipment

    HOW TO: Using the “Logs & Rounds” module to check safety Equipment

    Checking all safety equipment onboard larger vessels can be very time consuming because of the sheer amount of items that need to be checked on a regular basis. Think of life vests, breathing devices or fire extinguishers that are stored all over the vessel.

    In IDEA Yacht there are several ways to keep track of all the checks on board. In the following, we would like to describe one option to execute these checks with IDEA using fire extinguishers as an example. Unfortunately, this will need some preparation.

    1. Add all items to the vessel database

    At first, you will have to add all fire extinguishers as a component to the vessel database and mark them to be shown in the log module. This can be done either by entering each fire extinguisher separately or by using the import functionality of IDEA (recommended).

    In the import sheet you can quickly input all necessary information by copying and pasting information. When entering the component name, you should ensure to use a descriptive name to easily identify the component e.g. “Fire Extinguisher BD Wheelhouse (Powder)”. You can further group all fire extinguishers in groups and subfolders for a better overview for example grouping them by deck and extinguishing agent. Once all fire extinguishers are in the vessel database, they have to be made available to the “Logs & Rounds” module by activating the switch shown below.

    When the switch is activated the component will be added to the logbook.

    2. Create and schedule a round

    Go to “Rounds” in the “Logs & Rounds” module and open the tab “Manage”. There you can create a new round by clicking on the button “Add Round”. In the dialogue that opens you can define all the necessary details like interval etc.:

    In the tab “Revisions” you can add all entry points from the logbook that you want to be checked in this round. Once you have entered all information you can activate and save the round. Once activated, the round will be visible in the tab “Rounds” for execution.

    3. Execute a round

    When a round is due you can start the round and mark the items that are checked. For each item, you can leave a note. Once the round is finished and saved, each item that was checked automatically receives a maintenance history entry including the date of the check, the result and the comments from the rounds.

    By using the rounds functions for the maintenance of components like fire extinguishers you can save a lot of time for the checks as you only have to do one round instead of opening each component individually and execute a maintenance task.

  • Newsletter March 2020

    Newsletter March 2020

    Newsletter March 2020

    Newsletter March 2020

    Are you aware what’s really on board of your yacht? Findings from more than 15 years in the industry:

    The weeks before the extensive voyage of a vessel usually is a very busy time for all parties involved in the planning process. All departments need to check their equipment and see to it that it is in pristine condition prior to departure.

    In the last 15 years, our project engineers visited hundreds of yachts to check databases and help the crews correcting errors within the database. On nearly all vessels we encountered false stock levels mainly caused by human errors. Apart from spare parts for regular maintenance, the crew should always be prepared to cope with unexpected breakdowns.
    Because of the multitude of things that must be considered before a long voyage, there is the chance that things are overlooked or even forgotten. Therefore, it is recommended to utilize tools to support the planning activities like checklists, snag lists, maintenance software or suitable chart software.

    Another important task for all departments is to check the equipment maintenance tasks scheduled for the voyage. Based on these tasks you can estimate the necessary amount of spare parts and consumables needed to successfully complete the voyage. Apart from spare parts for regular maintenance, the crew should always be prepared to cope with unexpected breakdowns. An extra charge of common spare parts for at least critical equipment should be on board all the time.

    Apart from the engineering department, all other departments need to check their equipment and inventory and verify that they are up to mastering the challenges ahead. Think about sea charts, lifesaving equipment, galley equipment, meal planning, enough consumables for cleaning, interior inventory. There are many aspects that crews must pay attention to.

    A typical starting point for these planning activities is to take inventory throughout the ship to verify all recorded stock levels of inventory items. Besides that, the crew members, must oversee the whole voyage and plan replenishment dates (food, consumables, spares etc.), harbour stays, entry permissions and many more points that must be taken into consideration for a long voyage.

    There are many solutions on the market, especially in the software, that are capable to support crews in preparation of their journey.

    If you are interested in more information on available tools (not only IDEA Yacht) please get in touch with us to discuss options: Info@idea-data.com

    IDEA is rewarding loyal customers!
    Get more out of your licenses!

    In the recent past we observed that more and more of our clients started using their mobile devices to work with IDEA. That is why we decided some time ago to make two major changes:

    1. We developed a new engineering app for Android and IOS (still waiting for acceptance by Apple) that focuses on maintenance and rounds. It has a completely new interface design which makes it easier to execute maintenance tasks and rounds. We also put emphasis on optimizing the performance of the app, which resulted in a very responsive app with reduced loading times compared to our old app.
    In the coming months, more and more functions will be added to our new mobile app.
    The new app can be downloaded from the Android Appstore (IOS link to follow soon):

    2. We had a look at our licensing model under the aspect of the increasing use of mobile devices with our software and concluded that our current licensing model for mobile devices does not fit today’s requirement anymore. That is why we will change this model with our next release:

    Preview of our upcoming Q1 2020 release

    At the end of Q1 we will release our first major IDEA Yacht version for 2020 with quite a few new functions that will improve both the usability and the security of our software.

    The first major change is the introduction of a versatile department and position management system. In the past clients had to get in touch with our support team to ask for the creation of a new position or renaming of a department. With version 2020.1 we introduce a new function that allow a user to create and edit departments, positions, roles and workflows in IDEA.

    The second major change is an overhaul of our “Leave & Rest” module. The design and the usability did not reflect our current design and did not meet our own requirements. That is why we redesigned the complete input screen including the dialogues and developed a new controlling page that enable persons in charge to quickly check work and rest hours of all crew members.

    With version 2020.1 we will increase security standards for IDEA, too. As an administrator you will be able to define minimum password length and complexity and decide whether you want a dropdown field to choose a user name on the login screen or if you want to activate the user name entry like you are used to on for example Google to login.

    STAY TUNED!

    Your IDEA Team

  • Newsletter February 2020

    Newsletter February 2020

    Newsletter February 2020

    Data consistency – underrated or truly important?New IDEA Yacht release

    Imagine, after spending many hours of adding maintenance tasks to your system, you realize your hour-based tasks never show up. Simply because you forgot to link the correct hour-counter to the task. Mistakes like that can lead to serious equipment failures endangering your vessel and can also result in non-compliance to flag state and class regulations.
     
    IDEA is offering a new service (Database Consistency Checks) to our existing clients, in order to make sure that you are getting the best out of your IDEA Yacht system. Based on our experience, IDEA will analyse your existing database in terms of components, documents and maintenance schedules (e.g. is the correct maintenance schedule for the documented main engines existing) and will issue a detailed report of potential missing information. Based on this report IDEA can suggest customized services to fill the gaps.

    • Clean up database
    • Add missing maintenance tasks
    • Add missing components
    • Link missing documentation
    • User training

    In the case that this topic has attract your interest, please feel free to contact us. It would be a pleasure to assist you.

    Why seek counsel when building the equipment database?

    Yachts of any size are highly complex systems. The bigger the yacht the more complex the systems onboard become, and the amount of equipment and spare part information increases with the size of the yacht. In order to have a reliable maintenance system that reflects the latest flag and registry regulations, all information including maintenance tasks must be integrated into the database of the ship. This task is complex and very time-consuming. Often crews are required to fulfil this duty during a busy charter or refit time alongside their normal daily duties. This often results in incomplete databases that can lead to equipment failure and in extreme cases to severe accidents.

    Depending on the situation it can be worth investing in consultancy to build the database. Although such a contract does not come cheap, however, the outcome of outsourcing the task might be more beneficial than you might expect.
    Service providers often have a long history in the yachting industry and therefore are familiar with most of the equipment on board a superyacht. They can easily identify systems onboard and are familiar with common components used in the yachting industry. They often can revert to a large archive of previous projects and information to add missing information like manuals, maintenance or recommended spare parts.

    This knowledge combined with their experience and dedication to the tasks guarantees a database delivery in a much shorter time and to a much higher standard compared to a database build by the crew. This can also allow the crew to concentrate on their daily tasks and ensure that guests onboard are well cared for or the refit goes as planned.
    In short, outsourcing of the database build-up has other advantages:
     

    • Delivery of complete database according to specifications
    • The complete maintenance schedule for all equipment according to contract
    • A short time of delivery as the service provider is 100% dedicated to the task
    • High-quality database
    • Highlighting of missing information (equipment data, manuals, spares etc.)

    If you are interested in a database or maintenance schedule build-up or if you have any questions you can always get in touch with our professional services department: info@idea-data.com

    Your IDEA Team

  • Newsletter January 2020

    Newsletter January 2020

    Newsletter January 2020

    We wish you all a happy and prosperous Year 2020. We hope you had a relaxing Christmas season and a great start in this year.

    New IDEA Yacht release

    To move on as ambitious as last year we started this year with a new release of IDEA Yacht.
    IDEA YACHT 2019.4 comes again with a variety of improvements and new features. Most of the changes within the release are based on the feedback we received in 2019. Here is a quick overview of some of the new features and improvements:

    • Crew & Guest Database: We added a certificate management function to quickly review certificate status for all crew members.
    • Maintenance: One-time tasks can now be named and postponed.
    • Routes: This feature was extended to allow future planning of routes with the option to choose the crew manually or automatically. Based on this functionality you can now create crew reports for past, present and future routes.
    • Search: We upgraded the search frontend and extended the search function.

    The update is available from today onwards and can be tested in our online demo.

    Boot 2020 –  Show season kick off

    The Boot, the biggest indoor water sports exhibition, takes place from 18th – 26th January for the 51st time in Düsseldorf, Germany.
    Visitors have the opportunity to experience all aspects of modern water sports and can even try a lot of the presented activities at the venue, e.g. diving, sailing, kayaking or stand-up paddling. The exposition of tenders, shadow boats and yachts up to 30m in 17 halls on 230.000 sqm became an undeniable highlight and a must see of these unique exhibitions.
    You can find IDEA Data Solutions in hall 7a, booth G23. We are looking forward to meeting you at the show!

    Your IDEA Team

  • Newsletter December 2019

    Newsletter December 2019

    Newsletter December 2019

    The year 2019 is coming to an end…

    And it feels like it has passed far too quickly. Let’s take the opportunity to remember some of the ups and downs in 2019.

    Record-breaking shows and filled order books

    Most boat shows announced record-breaking figures for their events. Starting with the Boot in January to the MYS and FLIBS, all shows noted more visitors, more exhibitors and more vessels on display than in the years before. In combination with full order books for all major shipyards, this confirms the positive development of the yachting industry and gives hope for the successful year 2020.

    Exciting new yacht designs

    In 2019 there was no shortage of new spectacular yacht design by shipyards and design studios alike. Think about the Amels 60 Limited Edition or Project L by Thierry Gaugain, just to name two. A few more impressions can be found here.

    Yacht losses

    Sadly the yachting world had to see the loss of a few well-known yachts in 2019. In May the 40m sailing yacht “My Song” was lost at sea when she slipped from a cargo ship during the transport between Mallorca and Genua.
    Three superyachts were struck down by fires. First Lady D was destroyed in August in Phuket, Thailand and then last month Lohengrin and Reflection were destroyed at the Universal Marine Center in ft. Lauderdale, Florida while undergoing refit and repair work.

    And what about IDEA?

    As a company we had a successful year and gathered a lot of information from our clients which will help us in 2020. At the end of 2018 we changed our approach to business and returned to customer based development. We intensified the communication with key clients and encouraged prospects and customers to give us honest feedback about our products. We took this feedback and transformed it into improvements and new functions for our software and release the results at the end of each quarter (If you are missing some improvements you mentioned, you can be sure that it is in our backlogs waiting for implementation. We cannot implement everything at once 😊) Some highlights from 2019:

    • New purchase system and stock history
    • Trending for logbook
    • New crew certificate section
    • New permission manager
    • Many more smaller improvements
    • A full overview can be found in the news section on our homepage.

    How to find a suitable management system?

    Searching and finding the right management system for your vessel on top of your daily tasks is not often that easy. It is time consuming and you want to be sure that you choose a product that fits your needs before you invest into a software solution. This is why we put together a small guide to assist you in the selection process. 

    How to choose the right Asset Management System

    New service 2020

    In the last months, we received several requests from vessels seeking help in cleaning up their databases. Over time and with changing crew members databases tend to get messy and are hard to navigate. This often results in a flawed maintenance plan, too. Because of this, we decided to offer a new service to our clients to review their database and do compliance checks. Does the database have a logical structure? Are all necessary maintenance tasks still in the database? Do the maintenance tasks and the component categories still reflect current ISM / flag / registry regulation?
    If you are interested in such a check-up please contact our sales team:
    sales@idea-data.com.

    Holiday greetings

    Christmas approaches and 2019 is coming to an end, we would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support, loyalty and trust in us, our products and our company, and we look forward to our continued working relationship into 2020 and beyond.

    Your IDEA TEAM

  • Choosing the right Asset Management System

    Choosing the right Asset Management System

    Choosing the right Asset Management System

    – 5 steps to an effective selection process

    Modern Asset Management Systems (AMS) are valuable tools to manage technical and administrative aspects of a superyacht. All functions are developed to standardize workflows and improve processes in daily business.

    Whether you are searching for your first AMS or if you are thinking about upgrading your current AMS, your system is a crucial tool that can influence every stakeholder within the organization around a modern superyacht.

    Please read all about the process in our new feature

  • Newsletter November 2019

    Newsletter November 2019

    Newsletter November 2019

    Exiting times came to an end – Show season is over

    It is always a pleasure to attend the outstanding trade shows of the Yachting Industry.
    Of course, this time of the year is always a hectic one and times come with a packed calendar and nearly unmanageable meeting lists but besides that, it is always a great chance to see all these amazing people who make the industry as wonderful as it is.

    The METS, as one of the most important and thrilling exhibitions in the trade show calendar, provided a suitable setting for presenting the novelties and to introduce the changes of IDEA YACHT.

    Talking to many of the key players from the industry helped us to collect valuable new impressions to drive changes and developments way further.
    With this in mind, we want to take that opportunity to thank all our clients, business partners and close friends who made the season of 2019 as successful and unforgettable as it became!

    Why you should invest in a PMS software

    Maintenance on a ship is essential to comply with regulations and guarantee to save operation.
    In the maritime industry, you find lots of analogue and digital maintenance plans ranging from rough sketches on paper to digital Excel or Word documents on some computers onboard. Often the maintenance is done by the crew without errors. Normally problems arise when an audit is due or the crew changes. Where is everything recorded? Where are the schedules? This is the situation in which a PMS software can support the crew in getting the job done. In our latest article, we listed 10 reasons why it is a good idea to invest in a PMS system.

    Click to read more…

    P.S.: in our December newsletter we will present some advice on how to find and implement the right PMS system.

    We need you!

    not only the show season is coming to an end, but also the year 2019, we would like to take that occasion to review our last chances and additions to IDEA YACHT and figure out how we are able to improve and to strive for new innovative ideas.
    If you have a minute, please take part of the following survey and answer a few short questions:

    IDEA YACHT Survey

    Your IDEA TEAM