10 criteria to choose your CMMS software 

Once you have decided to have a CMMS software for your ship, you still have to find the one that will best suit you. To choose the CMMS that suits you, there are a few criteria to know. 

1 - Analyse your needs 🔎

Before purchasing a CMMS software, it is necessary to know your needs: which software for the size of my boat? For how many boats? For how many users? Do I need support or training? Do I need a large enterprise software or an easy-to-use tool? Depending on your answers and needs, you will adopt a software that best fits your project.  

2 - Determine your goals 💪

Buying and installing CMMS software is not an end in itself, as a notebook or an excel file may be sufficient depending on your project. The most important thing is to determine, according to your company and your organisation, which solution will be the most suitable and will help you to achieve your planning, cost control and information transmission objectives within your company. If you want to have a reliable history and advanced functionalities, you will find a suitable CMMS software on the market. 

3 - A connected or offline solution 📶

Having a connection at sea can be very difficult if not impossible if you are far from the coast 😤 There are of course solutions that can offer staff access to the internet(link sea connection article) at a cost that not all shipping companies can afford. 

You must therefore decide whether you need software that works offline or requires an internet connection. Software that works offline will inevitably be more expensive because it usually requires installing hardware on board (on-board server) or installing the software directly on the on-board PCs, which does not facilitate updates. Service costs are often higher for synchronisation and support. This type of solution is well suited to large ships that spend a lot of time offshore. 

For SMEs in the maritime sector, the ships are mostly along the coast and have a mobile connection. Technical maintenance is also mostly done on land by dedicated teams. An online software will therefore be well adapted to this type of structure because:

•  no hardware to install, 
• very easy upgrades at no extra cost
• A controlled cost in both installation and support
• Data synchronised in real time between the ships and the company's headquarters.

At Smart Sailors, we have chosen to offer both solutions to our customers: an online software accessible from any computer connected to the internet and a mobile application that works online or offline.

4 - Managing your users 👥

User rights define who can do what within the software. After installing the software, define with your shipping company who will do what in the CMMS software. This can lead to a better division of roles on the ship and reduce the risk of errors and misunderstandings. In this way, each crew member can manage his or her module. You wouldn't want a member of staff to accidentally delete data you needed (but rest assured, with its history, Smart Sailors lets you keep track of everything, even deletions 👌). 

5 - The support 🧑💻

User support is an aspect of your CMMS software that needs to be taken into account. With SAAS (Software As A Service), when you buy software, it provides you with service throughout your use. You will always have questions that will not be answered if you buy a licence without personal follow-up. After using the CMMS for a while, your needs will increase and you will want to have new features, other services that better match your new needs. With SAAS, you will always have follow-up and help to make sure that the software best suits your needs. A good user support allows your company to continue to live with the CMMS. If you have any problems with your software, you will be sure to get a quick response (especially with Smart Sailors 😉 ). 

6 - Training 🗣

Having CMMS software is not everything, you need to know how to use it and integrate it well into your company's operations. You must ensure that your software is representative of your ship. Over time, and with changes in personnel, you can lose efficiency with your software, which is why training is a key point. So check if the company is responsive and ready to answer all your queries (on Smart Sailors, we have a chat and we answer within an hour 😎). 

7 - Mobile application 📱

You need to know if you are spending more time on your computer or on your phone on board, ask yourself if in the future you would like to have the software on your computer and/or your phone. With Smart Sailors, we have developed a mobile application (in addition to the software available on the computer) that allows you to manage your ship with just your phone. 

8 - Database volume 📦

You wouldn't want to get an alert that you've reached your storage limits would you? 😟 Ask yourself if the software has enough space to store your databases. Also, how much storage space would you need. Knowing the storage limits is an important point to know before getting software. With our CMMS tool, storage is almost unlimited. 

9 - Data security 🔒

It is important to ensure that your data is protected, as no one wants to lose all the information entered in the software. It is necessary to know beforehand if your future CMMS software guarantees 100% data security. Smart Sailors is reliable over time, with several servers that synchronize permanently, it is the guarantee of zero data loss 🤓

10 - Price / budget 💸

The budget is important to define before starting with a CMMS software, make sure that your future CMMS corresponds to your budget and that it is not too expensive compared to your needs. At Smart Sailors, we offer a subscription package at €250 per month, or €500 for all features. We also have a 100% free offer allowing you to use the CMMS tool at 60% of its functionalities. 

If you wish to make an appointment, click here: https: //help.smartsailors.net/fr/articles/5403125-comment-creer-un-compte-sur-smart-sailors