Modern yachts are highly complex systems that need constant maintenance to stay operational. The number of tasks that have to be done by all members of a crew increases constantly with the size of the vessel and state of the art technology, more and more regulations have to be respected to stay compliant. An increasing number of stakeholders is interested in the status of the ship and the services that can be offered. All must be managed by a relatively small crew on board each vessel.

This is where purpose build software, so-called Planned Maintenance Systems (PMS) can help tremendously. Below you can find the top 10 reasons to order a PMS system for your vessel.

1. Quickly find information about the vessel

A well build PMS database holds a multitude of viable information about the vessel, which is easily accessible by all crew members. The software can be used to find detailed information about equipment, inventory, certificates and many more items. Everything you need to know can be saved in a single application and is accessible for the whole crew with a quick search.

2. Never forget maintenance

A PMS system is specifically developed to support a user in conducting maintenance and never forget vital tasks that keep the machinery running. A good maintenance system reminds the user about upcoming maintenance tasks automatically while using the software. This ensures that no maintenance task is forgotten on a busy day. Maintenance tasks can be assigned to the right persons to make certain that a task is properly executed.

3. Keep a service history

Without a PMS software maintenance information is often kept in several different files that are maintained by the different departments and crew members. This makes it hard to track all maintenance tasks and their execution and even harder to prove to authorities. PMS software automatically records the results of maintenance tasks when it is executed. This creates a service history for all items installed on board that later helps in audit reporting and analysis.

4. Increase equipment reliability

Regular maintenance according to the manufacturer’s schedule increases the reliability of equipment and reduces unexpected breakdowns significantly. This results in less money spent on service visits and spare parts. Inventory stock levels are reduced and less money is bound in spare parts.

5. Stay on top of your inventory

Every boat is carrying a lot of inventory parts ranging machinery spare parts to cutlery and kitchen equipment. Over time the inventory builds up and in the long run the crew is losing track of what is on board and where it is stored. Modern PMS systems help the crew to keep track of all inventory items by providing an intelligent spare parts management that is integrated with purchasing and maintenance. If maintained correctly the crew is always capable of providing detailed information about their inventory to the owner and the management company.

6. Never lose information and knowledge when crew changes

Yachting is a very dynamic industry and therefore change is a big part of it. This is true for technology and personnel. Crew changes are normality and pose a threat to the operability of the vessel. Each crew member leaving takes knowledge with him/her that is lost to the vessel. PMS system is designed to preserve information about the vessel and avoid knowledge drain in case of change.

7. Time and cost savings

PMS systems are not cheap. They require a large amount of money and work to implement the software in the daily routines and build a usable database. But it is worth the investment and return can quickly be seen on all levels of vessel management. There is less time spend on maintenance although more maintenance is done. In consequence, the reliability of equipment is increased while unexpected breakdowns are minimized. Fewer repairs have to be done, saving spare parts and service contracts.

Information is stored in one place and can easily be accessed by all crew members (think of forms, manuals, reports, work lists etc.). Stock levels are reduced which results in less money bound in unnecessary spare parts. PMS software helps crew and management to run a vessel more efficiently.

8. Simplified audit preparation

All of the functions mentioned above result in a simplified internal and external audit preparation and execution. Because all information is collected and saved within the PMS it can easily be extracted using reporting functions or viewed in real-time on the monitor.

9. Better services for guests

When your vessel is on charter it is most important that all guests are completely satisfied with the vessel and all services provided. PMS systems ensure that all equipment (machinery, A/V etc.) is in good shape and operational at all times. Furthermore, you can check the availability of luxury items (food, wine, soap) is available in sufficient quantities ahead of the guest’s arrival. For regular guests, you can even save details about their habits to provide a better service.

10. The increased market value of the vessel

PMS systems provide a lot of functions that help the crew, the owner and the management company to keep the boat in a pristine condition. With all maintenance being available in the PMS system you prove to stakeholders the overall condition of the boat. A PMS software is equivalent to a service record of a car. Provable maintenance records increase the reselling value of a vessel.