Holland America Line Turns To MSS For Help Managing Thousands Of Certificates

Think of one of the premier cruise lines in the world and you're bound to think of Holland America Line. With 14 ships sailing the globe, it's no wonder that they're so well known. Now consider that each of those vessels must have up to 300 ship's registry and statutory certificates available for inspection on demand, and that each certificate has unique requirements and renewal dates. It's a significant management project, which is why Holland America Line turned to Marine Software Solutions and their Certificate Management Tool for help.

"We were looking for a solution that would help us better manage the certificates our ships require," says Capt. Prash Karnik, Holland America Line's Deputy Director Nautical Operations. "Our IT Department discovered MSS and felt that their product would be very compatible with our needs."

Certificate Management Tool, by Marine Software Solutions (MSS), provides anytime, anywhere access for operators and port state authorities to vital documents via a secure Internet portal. Virtually, no additional hardware is required onboard. The user-friendly interface allows for complete shipboard management of documents with minimal training. A myriad of sophisticated features are built into the application, and full customization is available.

Holland America Line was especially interested in Certificate Management Tool's scanning capability. This feature allows the actual document to be scanned and available for review online, in addition to a complete listing of each certificate's important information. Another extremely useful feature is escalating e-mail notification of expiration dates and other vital data. These alerts are sent automatically at pre-defined intervals, and if the issues are not resolved, subsequent e-mails are then sent to personnel higher up in the organization.

As a web-based application, Certificate Management Tool offers benefits simply not available any other way. For example, Holland America Line is literally a 24-hour, 7-day a week operation, and so is Certificate Management Tool. And updates to the Tool's database are instantaneous to anyone accessing the system around the globe. As Karnik says, "In the past, we had to make copies and fax or overnight them to our ships and offices. Now, once you have a change in the system, the new information is available right away."

Holland America Line had a few additional needs as well. That's where MSS's support and programming abilities stepped in. "There were some features that we wanted to change and add," says Karnik. "We were able to work with MSS. They've been very supportive in meeting our needs. And the program is easy to learn. It's not very difficult at all."

Certificate Management Tool helped Holland America Line overcome a huge logistical challenge. This is one of Marine Software Solutions' many products designed to meet specific needs within the marine industry, such as certificate management and compliance, project management, personnel management, logistics, procurement, and much more.

Marine Software Solutions is headquartered in Miami Beach, Florida. They can be contacted toll free at (800) 496-7066, or online at www.msslighthouse.com.

About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)]

Holland America Line's fleet of 13 ships offers nearly 500 cruises to 314 ports of call in 97 countries, territories or dependencies. Two- to 108-day itineraries visit all seven continents, including Antarctica, South America, Australia/New Zealand and Asia voyages; a Grand World Voyage; and popular sailings to ports in the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexico, Canada/New England, Europe and Panama Canal. For more information, contact a travel agent or call 1-877-SAIL-HAL
(1-877-724-5425) or visit www.hollandamerica.com.