“With our old system, I got 6 to 7 calls a day on how to use it. After implementing Helm, I’ve had maybe 10 calls total – and we implemented six months ago. It’s that much easier to use,”– Captain Scott Moorhead-ISM & Safety Coordinator-DPA
Marine Towing of Tampa (MTT) is a provider of ship assist services at Port Tampa Bay, Port Manatee, and all facilities throughout Tampa Bay. They’ve been huge fans of Helm CONNECT Compliance since September 2017, after switching over from another maintenance system.
Prior to using Helm CONNECT, MTT had another software system in place, but it was a major cause of frustration for their crew. “When our crew would enter a form and then submit it, the old system would frequently crash and they’d have to start over,” says Captain Scott Moorhead-ISM & Safety Coordinator-DPA. “It was not user friendly or intuitive.”
Helm CONNECT was the third system the company had introduced in 10 years. “We got a huge amount of grumbling at the beginning, but once the crew saw how it worked, it sold itself.”
They completed the implementation of Helm CONNECT virtually on their own and found set up was fairly intuitive after coming off a highly complex system. “Once the framework was built, most crew picked it up on their own while using Helm U to support them.”
After going live, the company’s crew are much happier, boat to shore communication is faster and more visible, and proving regulation requirements is simpler.
“The crew no longer have to call shore all the time. The system doesn’t crash for them, it’s easy to access, and it’s specific to them. They only see what they need to see so they know what their job is instead of going into a huge system and figuring out what piece is theirs. With the old system, I got six to seven calls a day on how to use it. After implementing Helm, I’ve had maybe 10 calls total – and we implemented six months ago. It’s that much easier to use.”
Marine Towing of Tampa was the first company to receive their certificate of inspection under Subchapter M. Helm CONNECT provided a simple and easy way for them to prove they’re doing what they say they’re doing for regulation requirements.
“I can log in and get all the information I need right away. I can track certifications for my people and be reminded in advance when they have certifications coming due. Nothing gets forgotten.”
Contact us today to learn more about Helm CONNECT and how it can help you manage your vessel operations.
