18 Jun 2020
Amanda Jones
Marketing Manager

 

Odyssey Marines Pilot boat operating in Port Hedland, Australia

Perth, Western Australia — Operating since 2009, Odyssey Marine is an industry leading vessel owner, operator, and supplier of inshore vessel services to “Tier 1” resource companies. Headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, Odyssey Marine primarily operate their fleet of 11 vessels in Port Hedland where they serve clients that include the Pilbara Ports Authority, BHP Billiton, Fortescue Metals Group, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, and Seacorp. As an industry leader, Odyssey Marine has a strong focus on technical innovation in the service of safety, efficiency, and reliability, and they needed a software system that matched this approach and would help them maintain their exceptional operational record.

Odyssey Marine crew member working onboardPrior to using Helm CONNECT, Odyssey Marine relied on two separate systems to schedule, manage, and collate all operational and safety records, but this had its challenges. “One system was clunky and the other was unnecessarily complicated for our requirements,” Chris Hedges, the company’s Marine Manager, told us. “The systems did not integrate and so there was no single point of reference. They also offered little flexibility and we couldn’t change the systems to fit our needs and terminology.” With the goal of having a single customizable system, Odyssey Marine started looking for something new. Some of the company’s crew members had previously used Helm CONNECT and thought it would suit the company’s needs. As a growing company, Odyssey Marine needed the ability to develop solutions for different scenarios quickly so, after seeing the ease of use and adaptability Helm CONNECT offered, they were sold. “Any business that is seeking a single solution for their vessel operations should seek out a demonstration of Helm CONNECT and keep an open mind as it is an extremely capable piece of software,” Wesley van der Spuy, their CEO, told us.

The most challenging part of the transition for Odyssey Marine was deciding how the Management Team wanted to set up the system. As Chris described, “Helm CONNECT is very flexible and offers many options for achieving outcomes, and there are multiple ways of having the system run.” Of course, user adoption was a concern as well, as it is for any businesses implementing a new system, but for Odyssey Marine this was not a challenge. “The buy-in from our marine crew has been great and we have drastically reduced the administrative duties involved in their roles,” Chris told us. Having the required support when needed from the Helm team only made this easier.

Some of the crew onboard

“The level of support we received was excellent. Our Account Manager, Drew, has been more than helpful; he has driven the project to success. He’s been available around the clock and has quickly come up with solutions for each challenge encountered. Drew also managed liaising with the Helm CONNECT Support Team. We have been impressed by the Support Team’s direct feedback, extensive product knowledge, and timely provision of relevant information.”

Odyssey Marine crew using Helm CONNECT on a tabletOnce Odyssey Marine had the system set up to suit their operations, they really started to see the power of Helm CONNECT and the benefit of having everything in one system. “Helm CONNECT allows our marine crew to log into one system and immediately know what needs to be completed for that day and in the longer term,” Chris told us. “The ease with which we can build a new template and assign that to the desired assets is amazing. Our marine crew will come to us saying that it would be great if we could do this in the system, and often we have it completed and operational in the next hour. Helm CONNECT has been so easy for all levels of employees to embrace.”

Another win for Odyssey Marine has been the added transparency Helm CONNECT has brought to the organisation. “For example, our Marine Manager can check the live status of any piece of maintenance, any vessel drills, or even the accuracy with which the marine crew are recording jobs to be invoiced out. Additionally, the transparency we are able to offer to our clients with this system matches our ethical ethos”, says Chris.

“We strive to always perform to the highest standard and to sustain open and strong working relationships with our clients and personnel to advance our business and the businesses we work with,” Wesley van der Spuy explained, and the added transparency that Helm CONNECT has brought to Odyssey Marine’s organisation will allow them to do just that. Moving forward, Odyssey Marine plans to use Helm CONNECT as a standardised platform from which they can grow their business.

If you’re interested in learning more about Helm CONNECT and how it can help streamline your operations, book a demo with us today!