The Internet has changed the yacht management game. Managing paperwork has become easier – and more environmentally friendly – than the days when paperwork was actually done on paper. From money management to archiving important documents, these various online management tools can keep help the captain’s head above water rather than above his desk.
CheckMate
Looking for a handy data collection and reporting solution? Check! Well, Checkmate…from WhiteBox Enterprise may be what you need. Now available to the yachting industry, Checkmate simplifies the process of completing scheduled checklists or logs, even for ISM vessels, into one step, even eliminating the need for a computer.
The system allows users to save this info on an iPhone or iPod Touch until the device is in range of a wireless or phone connection and the records can be sent to Checkmate’s automated database. The data is then backed up, verified and processed before reports are generated to be emailed or streamed to a designated location. The live information allows for custom data configuration – users can cross reference data, analyze trends and assess performance. In testing, Checkmate has demonstrated a 60 percent cost saving, the company claims.
Installation can be as simple as buying an iPod and requesting a list of the required checklists and logs from the company. Checkmate can be used as a standalone function, or it can be integrated into an existing management system.
Royale Oceanic’s D-ISM
Yacht management company Royale Oceanic’s Documentation-Information System Management, known as D-ISM, provides a simple and safe way to manage a yacht’s documentation from anywhere it goes.
By creating a portfolio, captains, owners and yacht managers can upload all documents and records needed to a shore-based server. D-ISM reduces user-error via automation and programming.
D-ISM provides real-time updates, ensuring that everyone is on the same page, no matter where they are in the world. Documents are accessible through Royale Oceanic’s interface and automatic downloads run through a protected Internet link, although D-ISM is also capable of working when out of Internet range. It also offers immediate information recovery if the ship’s computer malfunctions. www.royaleoceanic.com
VYM
Sunseeker Superyacht Management is going virtual. Available soon, Virtual Yacht Management, or VYM, will provide an array of operational information to authorized users such as the captain, owners and yacht’s manager. Features include real-time account and financial information, charter and crew information, classification and flag state information, inventories, management services, mini-ISM – including completed checklists and reviews, reports and worklists, Sunseeker Management contracts, yacht details and contracts and the yacht’s position. www.sunseekersym.com
YACCOUNT
YACCOUNT, which is part of an initiative by Waterman Exclusive Yacht Services, claims to offer the world’s first and only fully featured online yacht accounting solution designed for larger yachts. Department heads, captains and owners, admin and account departments can use the account management software to track funds and receive notification emails for pending credit card payment dates and creditors’ invoices. The system also sends emails and text message alerts detailing expenses needing attention. If certain items require approval, it’s possible to specify approval levels, which will route expenses for approval, with an audit trail, to the proper user.
Users can log in online and view updated account info at any time. The service can also be customized for a yacht’s particular methods of buying and paying for goods and can churn out an account statement for charter guests before they leave the yacht.
YACCOUNT helps avert mistakes that are so easily made on Excel spreadsheets. Anyone interested can sign up for a no-obligation, 30-day free trial. demo@yaccount.com, www.watermanyachts.com
YCO Live
As the burden of yacht paperwork increases and becomes more complex, YCO streamlines the process with a completely online system. YCO LIVE enables captains, managers and owners to access up-to-date information and from anywhere in the world, anytime. The service is complimentary for all yachts under YCO management.
Users can access YCO LIVE via a secure username/password login. Each user is assigned a security profile that dictates the areas of data to which the user is permitted access. The operational data that can be stored securely online includes: accounts; ship’s certificates; safety and security documentation; crew contacts; crew licenses and certificates; refit and shipyard schedules; maintenance alerts; insurance details, including renewal alerts; yacht calendar; charter details, including enquiries and bookings and more. y.co