How to structure your planned maintenance system (PMS)

There are hundreds of ways to set up the planned maintenance system of your vessel or fleet, but which one is the best for you? In this short guide (based on our ‘Vessel Management Fridays’ on LinkedIn, we’ll delve deeper into the various options.

First things first. What does a fully operational PMS look like?

A marine planned maintenance system tells you what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. The system divides your vessel(s) into comprehensive groups. As you can see in the screenshot below, it clearly indicates which tasks require attention (red or orange) and which one do not (green and yellow):

There are lots of things to consider when building a PMS:

• Should I use a standarized structure like SFI?
• Can my crew easily find the right tasks?
• Do I have to use codes for my equipment
• How many layers of groups should I add?

To summarize, there are two options:

• A custom structure
• A standarized structure like SFI

Option 1 – Custom structure

A custom structure is tailored to your vessel, for example separated by system, physical space, department, process, or something else.

Example 1 – System

• Safety
• Machinery
• Auxiliary equipment
• Electrical and power

Example 2 – Space

• Bridge
• Deck
• Engine rom
• Cargo hold

Example 3 – Process

• Operations
• Navigation
• Maintenance
• Docking

Example 4 – Role

• Master
• Chief Officer
• Chief Engineer
• Electrical Engineer

There are a lot more examples, but the ones above are the most common, especially the system approach. The custom structure can be divided into sub-layers. It’s up to you how many layers you create, but we advice to keep it simple. An example of a system structure can be seen below:

• Safety
  • Lifesaving equipment
    • Lifeboats
      • Open lifeboats
      • Closed lifeboats
  • Firefighting equipment
  • Medical equipment
  • Emergency communication
• Propulsion
  • Main engine
    • Cylinder heads
    • Turbocharger
    • Pistons and connecting rods
  • Reduction gear
  • Propeller shaft

Option 2 – SFI grouping

SFI is a widely used classification system for maritime assets. It organizes a vessel’s components and functions into a standardized hierarchy with codes, making it easier to categorize and manage information.

• Ship general
• Hull
• Equipment for cargo
• Ship equipment
• Equipment for crew and passengers
• Machinery main components
• Systems for machinery main components
  • Compressed air systems
    • Starting air systems
      • Starting air system

Ready to streamline your PMS?

With Marad, you can implement an intuitive and organized system that gives you full control over your fleet’s future. Contact us for practical tips on optimizing your PMS!

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