Maintainance tracking software

[Boaterbob]

What is the least complex (simplest) software program to track maintenance on a boat? How about the needs of a 40 ft. trawler rather than a larger, more complex boat. Appreciate name of software program you know and like at the level.

[coopec43]

The 7 Best Free and Open Source CMMS Software - GoodFirms

www.goodfirms.co › Blog

CMMS (Computer Maintenance Management Software) is a system that enables organizations to track the status of the equipment maintenance tasks, and track

[Discovery 15797]

There are several apps available to track maintenance and other such things on boats. Unfortunately, most of the apps available try to be the answer to everyone and tend to be overly complex and include unimportant entries because someone thought it might be a good idea.

The good news is that most of these apps are simply databases. You can easily create your own maintenance app using a simple database app such as MobiDb, and for to-do lists I use Microsoft's To-Do app that can also sync with your calendar if you need reminders of scheduling.

The key things for me for an app were simplicity, customization, sync between multiple devices, supports off-line (not connected to Internet) input, permanent storage in the cloud.

I wrote a blog post about this...I need to write a follow up soon.

[Reefmagnet]

If you want to go cheap and simple but effective nevertheless with a bit of thought in the setting up, use a spreadsheet. If you can save it to cloud storage it will be with you everywhere you have internet and any device with the cloud folder set to offline storage. Totally eliminates that all to common writing stuff down on the boat in great detail and forgetting to bring the list home that seems to plague maintenence projects.

[Fendell]

On commercial vessels you have to have a PMS (planned Maintenance system) on board as per ISM (International safety management code). I've worked with everything from $200K systems all the way down to a spreadsheet set up with rules in place to change colour and alert when a maintenance item becomes due.

Big thing is take a walk around the vessel and inventory every piece of equipment, then consult the manuals of each item and write your PMS jobs accordingly, then you can adjusting maintenance intervals as time goes on to suit your vessel and your needs. I'm a big believer in keeping notes, not a novel just dot point style notes of maintenance.

My advice, Spreadsheets are free...

[tkeithlu]

Spreadsheet or a sheet of quad-ruled graph paper. You can sort Exel to order the date for a task or the interval to tasks. If the number of tasks is large, they can be grouped to tasks by month and tasks when on the hard, or similar. But then, I maintain a bunch of equipment, some of which needs regular testing, some of which needs monthly review, etc., with a notebook with dates of last service recorded. That collection is a lot more complicated than my boat.

This really is a matter of the tipping point between not forgetting to do something and spending more time on managing software than is warranted by the task. Commercial software is going to be angled at tasks like maintaining a fleet of vehicles or a large building, not a 40' boat. For the boat, I use checklists (before leaving the dock, do the following) and squawks in the engineering log. Works for me.

[etoimene]

Originally Posted by Boaterbob

What is the least complex (simplest) software program to track maintenance on a boat?

Repeating tasks in Google calendar?

[bigdogandy]

I use the BoatMinder app on my phone to track maintenance items on my sailboat. There’s a version for motor vessels also I believe.

[Winf]

Watching this thread.

I set up a CMMS for work using the MEX package - manages a fleet, multiple assets, inspections, planned maintenance, drawings register, suppliers and more if you want it to.

https://www.mex.com.au

Great program. I love it. Simple, intuitive, customisable. Way overkill for a single small vessel though and its not a freebie.

Our improved fleet servicing after implementing the CMMS has dramatically reduced breakdowns and downtime. So much so that the extra mechanic we fought hard to put on is getting harder to justify.

If I could get a free version of something similar to MEX with its ease of use I would use in a heartbeat for our boat and home. Again, probably overkill but I can be a systems nerd at times.

My current boat maintenance system consists of a small whiteboard beside the hour meter with the next service hours in red, a spreadsheet, handwritten maintenance logbook with key part numbers, suppliers etc, recurring reminders on computer calendar and at times a fast failing memory!


Winf