Taking the War out of Warranty Management
VesselWise Streamlines Communication between Maritime Service Professionals
June 22, 2015
Any owner-operator, captain or yacht manager knows that managing a yacht is a complex affair. This is because the systems on board a yacht are very complex and problems can crop up quite frequently. If not regularly surveyed and serviced, a yacht can be damaged by the smallest of issues.
To truly enjoy the ownership of a yacht, it is important to keep it well maintained. Besides ensuring its safety, diligent maintenance also ensures that it stays in top condition for many years, so that when the owner decides to sell it, it fetches a good return on his investment. However, the major challenge faced by yacht owners in this regard is that there is no reliable method of efficiently communicating with service professionals. As such, owner-operators, captains and managers have a hard time coordinating with dealers, warranty managers, surveyors and contractors to identify and resolve vessel-related issues in an efficient and transparent manner. This problem plays out in a number of different ways.
- Yacht owners: For non-technical private owners, understanding the complex systems on board can be difficult. Identifying and communicating technical problems to warranty agents or dealers would require owners to have an understanding of all the complex nautical terminology related to parts and components. Few private owners have this technical knowledge, so when there is a failure in one of their systems, they can’t effectively explain the problem or troubleshoot. Until it is accurately identified and clearly communicated, the problem simply cannot be fixed.
- Captains: Captains carry a big responsibility. They have to manage the yacht itself as well as oversee the crew and guests on board. The time required to thoroughly note all of the issues that crop up on the vessel can be a big distraction from the captain’s primary duty of navigating the yacht and maintaining the safety of guests and crew.
- Yacht managers: The profitability of yacht management companies depends upon their ability to maintain their clients’ yachts in the most efficient manner possible. But in the absence of task or operations management tools or even a common platform to liaise with surveyors and contractors, efficiency is stymied and their operating costs suffer while owners remain dissatisfied.
The VesselWise software platform solves many of these problems. It allows owner-operators, captains and managers to address all maintenance, repair and service-related issues using a powerful and interactive mobile app. VesselWise is not only an effective software application for non-technical owner-operators, but also a powerful tool in the hands of professionals. Regardless of expertise, VesselWise helps users manage the often complex and time-consuming maintenance issues of their yachts more efficiently and effectively. It also helps users maintain a complete record of all issues, including a fully documented dialogue history with warranty agents, insurance companies and dealers, which can increase the resale value of the vessel.
VesselWise improves warranty management and issues resolution for maritime services professionals in several ways.
- VesselWise addresses key challenges faced by independent surveyors. Surveying a vessel requires skill, expertise, and above all, the right reporting tools to give the owner the most accurate survey report. Surveyors can perform a variety of surveys faster and more efficiently using VesselWise. The iPad app allows surveyors to quickly capture images and video clips of affected areas on board, add comments and upload them as well as manage survey items, invoices and payments.
- VesselWise addresses key challenges faced by dealers. Dealers face an uphill battle managing hundreds of vessels and the thousands of corresponding issues that inevitably crop up. For the first time, VesselWise centralizes control of every aspect of the issue management process, giving dealers the confidence they need when interacting with hesitant buyers. When dealers use VesselWise, they can take care of their clients’ vessel-related issues efficiently through a more organized survey and maintenance process, a more organized workflow and better warranty and claims management.
VesselWise was created to provide a common, collaborative platform for yacht owners, dealers, captains, surveyors, warranty representatives and contractors that would allow them to conveniently manage the many service-related issues commonly faced by yacht owners. The platform grew out of first-hand experience with the frustration resulting from the lack of tools and resources for maritime services professionals and customers. In co-founder Brandon Rundquist’s words, “Warranty management shouldn’t be so difficult and inefficient. The manufacturers, dealers, owners and yacht crew need to all be working from a common ground, a common platform. It’s time to take the “war” out of warranty management.”
Learn more about the VesselWise app at www.vesselwise.com.
