Page 60: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2002)

E-Commerce

Marine Software: Aiming to Lower Costs

Founded by a group of marine engi- neers in 1991, Marine Software, Ltd. was established with the goal of provid- ing the industry with simple, easy-to-use software. By virtue of the founder's experience, it was sure that the company had a clear insight as to the needs of the industry and intricacies of systems for onboard use. The company today counts 330 vessels as customers, with others joining the installed base at a steady rate. Existing clients include the U.K.

Ministry of Defence, Seabulk Interna- tional, Global Marine Systems, Reed- erei Nord, Dobson Fleet Management,

Bluewater Marine Management &

Midocean (IOM) Ltd.

All systems produced by the company are manufactured in modules, a tactic that allows customers to purchase only what they need. For example, if the operator requires only Planned Mainte- nance, then this could be supplied as a stand-alone system. If needs changed requiring stock control, purchasing or project management, Marine Software can easily add these and additional mod- ules, linking them to existing modules with no disruption to the system.

Marine Software recently launched

Marine Planned Maintenance Lite for

Windows and Marine Storekeeper Lite for Windows, systems that only exhibit the core functionality for basic planned maintenance and stock control. While the 'Lite' systems are perfectly adequate for basic functionality they can, if the customer later requires, be upgraded to the full systems with a simple program change, without the need for restructur- ing or importing their databases.

For ship operators, sourcing a planned maintenance package is only the first part of the task of implementation. The more formidable hurdle is setting up the system for individual ships — a process that can be the most time consuming and expensive part of the project.

A Helping Hand Down Under

Incat — a leading supplier of fast fer- ries — needed to supply a standardized planned maintenance package on deliv- ery of each vessel, as Marine Software had already supplied planned mainte- nance systems directly to the ship oper- ators, Sea Containers and Condor Fer- ries, for many of their existing vessels.

These systems, due to their simplicity and ease of use, had proved very suit- able to the operating environment found on board fast ferries, limited manpower, fast turnaround times, high operational work load and frequent changes of crew.

Sea Containers therefore contracted

Marine Software to supply planned maintenance systems to four fast pas- senger ferries operating in New York il r. m

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Reederei Nord (above), and the U.K. Ministry of Defence (next page), have made opera- tions more efficient with Marine Software Ltd 60

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