Ship Management Software: 15 Features Owners Actually Use

Quick Spin

Turns maker and class rules into simple job plans with due dates and linked parts. When the job is done, you’ve got proof and history ready for surveys.

Owner value

• Fewer breakdowns and less off-hire.
• Clean proof for class/flag and charterers.
• Better planning of yard time and budgets.

Setting it up right

List your critical equipment first and link the correct spares and manuals to each job. Enable photos and sign-off, and schedule automatic exports so records don’t live only onboard.

Quick Spin

Shows real stock onboard and ties parts to maintenance jobs. Triggers reorders when you hit min/max so critical items are on hand.

Owner value

• Fewer rush orders and courier costs.
• Tighter control of consumables and shrinkage.
• Clean link from stores → maintenance → purchasing.

Setting it up right

Use barcodes or QR codes for quick counts where practical and lock item master data (units, alternates, OEM vs equivalent). Turn on auto-reorder or RFQ prompts when stock drops below the level.

Quick Spin

Pulls data from maintenance, purchasing, fuel and crew into clear dashboards. Managers and crews see trends and outliers at a glance.

Owner value

• Faster decisions with one source of truth.
• Spot cost variance before month end.
• Benchmark vessels to share best practices.

Setting it up right

Pick a short list of KPIs per role and lock the definitions so everyone measures the same way. Send a weekly snapshot to email or Teams to keep focus without extra logins.

Quick Spin

Plans rotations and tracks certificates and medicals so you don’t sail with gaps. Runs payroll rules so pay is right the first time.

Owner value

• Lower risk of PSC findings on documents.
• Fewer last-minute crew changes and flights.
• Accurate pay and fewer disputes.

Setting it up right

Turn on reminders for expiring certs and visas and standardize rank skill profiles by vessel type. Give crew a secure portal for documents and payslips to cut email back-and-forth.

Quick Spin

Keeps forms, checklists, audits and incidents in one place with controlled manuals. Every non-conformity gets a corrective action and proof of closure.

Owner value

• Cleaner PSC and TMSA/SIRE conversations.
• Incidents close out faster with clear owners.
• Less version chaos on critical procedures.

Setting it up right

Define a simple flow from report to CAPA task to verification, and limit who can publish manuals. Push short guidance cards to the ship for the highest-risk jobs.

Quick Spin

Builds the scope, collects yard quotes, and tracks changes during the dock. Links spend and tasks back to maintenance and finance for clean close-out.

Owner value

• Fewer surprises mid-dock from scope creep.
• Evidence for warranty claims and lessons learned.
• Clear view of spend by system and defect root cause.

Setting it up right

Split the scope into must-do and nice-to-have before you ask for quotes, and require a reason code for every change order. Export a photo log at hand-back with acceptance notes and warranty flags.

Quick Spin

Keeps all class, flag, insurer and charterer certificates with dates and attachments in one place. Warns shore and ship before a window closes so nothing lapses.

Owner value

• Fewer last minute extensions and scramble emails.
• Clean evidence for PSC and vetting inspectors.
• Better planning for off-hire and survey costs.

Setting it up right

Load every current certificate with a clear owner, due date and a scanned copy. Turn on weekly digest emails and a red flag when anything goes inside a 30 day window.

Quick Spin

Stores photos, readings and findings for structure and coating condition. Pushes repair jobs into PMS so issues do not get lost after the inspection.

Owner value

• Clear history for CAP, SIRE and class.
• Faster warranty and yard conversations with evidence.
• Better timing for hull cleaning or coating work.

Setting it up right

Use simple zone templates so crews capture the same views every time and tag each finding with a priority. Link repeated defects to root cause and set a review date.

Quick Spin

Standardizes noon and event entries so shore sees the same fields across the fleet. Calculates KPIs and builds a clean voyage history without chasing emails.

Owner value

• Fewer data errors and missing fields.
• Faster answers to charterers and terminals.
• Reliable base for fuel and performance analysis.

Setting it up right

Lock the form layout and units and give crews short notes for tricky fields. Send automatic exception alerts when entries are late or outside sensible limits.

Quick Spin

Normalizes fuel and speed against weather and draft to show true efficiency. Flags when hull or prop slip, or when settings are costing money.

Owner value

• Early warning before fuel burn drifts up.
• Evidence to schedule hull clean or prop polish.
• Shared best practices on trim and engine settings.

Setting it up right

Agree a simple baseline curve and review it after any hull or prop work. Send a short weekly note to masters with one improvement tip and a chart of last voyage performance.

Quick Spin

Collects the exact fields needed for reports and verifier checks and keeps audit trails tidy. Shows exposure for EU ETS and tracks measures that lift CII.

Owner value

• Less rework at year end with clean records.
• Fewer surprises on allowances and penalties.
• Clear line of sight from voyage choices to ratings.

Setting it up right

Map each reportable field to a single source and lock edits after submission. Give finance a simple dashboard that shows current year EUA use and likely CII grade by vessel.

Quick Spin

Lets ship or shore raise an RFQ, invite approved vendors and compare quotes side by side. Routes approvals and matches PO, delivery and invoice so spend is clean and auditable.

Owner value

• Lower prices through real competition and contract checks.
• Fewer invoice disputes and credit notes.
• Faster cycle time from requisition to PO.

Setting it up right

Keep a tight approved vendor list by category and port and add a short RFQ note for contract pricing rules. Set clear budget limits and make sure 3-way match is mandatory before payment.

Quick Spin

Crews raise a defect once and the system turns it into a tracked job with priority and due date. If it comes from an audit or incident it links to a corrective action so closure is verified.

Owner value

• No lost fixes between logbook, email and PMS.
• Clear responsibility and timestamps for every step.
• Better trend data to stop repeat failures.

Setting it up right

Keep the defect form short with photos and a simple priority scale. Map each source type to an owner on shore and have the system auto create a PMS job or CAPA task with a target date.

Quick Spin

Purchasing, drydock and travel costs flow into the right accounts automatically. Approvals and three way match keep spend tight and the month end close simpler.

Owner value

• Fewer manual journals and reclass work.
• Real time view of budget vs actual.
• Cleaner audits and faster closes.

Setting it up right

Agree cost center and GL codes up front and lock them to categories and vendors. Post small variances automatically but route exceptions to finance with a short reason code list.

Quick Spin

Crews log jobs, parts and forms offline and the app syncs when a link is available. Superintendents approve POs and tasks from the web without hunting emails.

Owner value

• Better data quality from photos and guided forms.
• Fewer delays waiting on shore approvals.
• Consistent records even with patchy connectivity.

Setting it up right

Give crews a short favorites list for common tasks and limit free text fields. Set the sync to run on a schedule and send a daily digest to shore so nothing sits unseen on the vessel.