Well, this has been quite the year so far, hasn’t it? We sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are safe and sound, and that we can all continue to work together to get through these challenging times.
At Helm, we’ve taken appropriate measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees and will be operating as normal so we can continue working to ensure your success. Our Support team will continue to maintain normal hours, and our Professional Services team are providing a wide range of services remotely. If you’d like to learn more about how we’re handling the COVID-19 situation, you can read our official statement here.
Now let’s take a look at what happened in Q1 at Helm.
We’re Here to Help
We’re offering a completely free five-hour remote training and consulting package to all our current customers to help them navigate through the uncertainty that COVID-19 has created. Our Here to Help package is designed to help you and your team best make use of Helm CONNECT, and you can apply these hours as best you see fit. If you’re interested in learning more or signing up, register here by April 30.
Welcome Aboard!
During the first quarter of 2020 we added 51 additional assets from 11 new companies on Helm CONNECT! This diverse group of companies come from a range of verticals and locations around the world, and include:
- JMS Marine Services from Texas
- American Queen Steamboat Company from Indiana
- ASEAN Cableship Pte Ltd from Singapore
- Guaran Feeder Transporte Fluvial from Paraguay
- Horizon Geosciences from United Arab Emirates
- Kenai Fjords Tours from Alaska
- Odyssey Marine from Australia
- Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry from Michigan
- Stasinos Marine LLC from Massachusetts
- TDI-Brooks International, Inc. from Texas
- Supreme Towing Belle Chase from Louisiana
With these additions we have now reached a record 208 companies on the system. Welcome aboard everyone and thanks for choosing Helm!
What’s new in Helm CONNECT 1.18?
Our first release of the new year is here and it has some great new features and enhancements! Helm CONNECT Maintenance now has scheduled dates for tasks and checklists, Helm CONNECT Jobs has tons of enhancements for billing, and Helm CONNECT Personnel has improvements to its workflows. To learn more about all the changes made in Helm CONNECT 1.18, check out our blog or read the release notes.
Implementation Blog Post Series
This quarter we highlighted our Professional Services team in a four-part blog series showcasing our implementation process and the types of implementations we offer. We also shared stories from companies who had very successful experiences and what their secrets were.
- Four Things a Successful Implementation Depends On: Learn more about the implementation process we use and the best practices you should be following.
- Distance Doesn’t Matter – Finding Success Through Remote Implementations: See what our Remote Training Package is all about and how Korevaar Marine Group found success with this option.
- Boost Your Implementation Effectiveness with Two Simple Tips: Check out the benefits of choosing our Onsite Training Package and discover the two simple things the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority did to take their implementation to the next level.
- Custom Implementations for Custom Results: Find out how Custom Implementations work and why Westug chose this option as the best way to help them achieve their operational goals.
If you’re interested in learning more about our Professional Services team, don’t hesitate to reach out; we’d love to answer any questions you have!
Quick Hits
- We opened an office in Singapore!
- We attended the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends in Tampa, FL. Co-exhibiting with our partners Tug and Barge Solutions, we ran a focus group where we received valuable feedback. We were also able to share the story of how Red and White Fleet used Helm CONNECT to join the Streamlined Inspection Program and save themselves 40 hours of pre-inspection prep per vessel annually.
- We visited Orange Beach, AL for the 2nd annual TBS Conference! We had a great time at the Helm Boot Camp, and we also gave a sneak peak of a brand new module coming later this year. Can you guess what it is? Keep an eye out for our big announcement coming soon!
What’s Next
As many of you know, Q2 is usually one of the busiest quarters for maritime trade shows and events. Due to recent escalations with COVID-19, we will not be attending any industry events this spring. However, several shows are rescheduling, so we are hopeful that we will be able to attend and connect with you when that happens. Until then, we will be busy continuing to work on the development of Helm CONNECT 1.19 and offering our Here to Help packages.
That’s all for now, but be sure to check for more great content soon. In fact, a great way to stay up to date is to subscribe to our quarterly newsletter, The Connector. You’ll get a look at what’s coming up from us, as well as gain exclusive Helm CONNECT tips and tricks from our team – subscribe now!
In the meantime, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch with us or book a demo. See you next quarter, and wash your hands!
