Dry Docking Governance: A Fleet Manager’s Perspective on Cost, Schedule and Change Control

DANAOS ProjectVIEW ERP for Fleet Managers

 

For modern shipowners and ship management companies, vessel uptime is revenue.

 

 

Most fleets already operate advanced maritime software systems onboard. Planned Maintenance Systems (PMS) and onboard procurement systems such as SUPPLY are class-approved and mission-critical. They are certified by classification societies (Lloyd’s, DNV, ABS, ClassNK, etc.) and ensure vessels remain compliant and technically sound while sailing.

 

But when a vessel enters dry dock, a different challenge emerges.

 

And that challenge is not technical maintenance.

 

It is project control.

 

What PMS and SUPPLY Actually Do — and Do Well

 

Onboard maritime systems focus on maintaining the vessel as an asset.

 

PMS (Planned Maintenance System)

 

• Schedules and documents preventive maintenance
• Tracks machinery, safety systems, and equipment
• Ensures compliance with class and flag requirements
• Records corrective maintenance identified during voyages

 

SUPPLY System

 

• Manages onboard spare parts procurement
• Uses standardized coding systems (e.g., IMPA)
• Synchronizes with office systems via satellite/broadband
• Enables fleet managers to prepare riding crews and logistics

 

These systems are essential. They ensure vessels are compliant and technically maintained.

 

However, they are not designed to manage dry docking as a commercial project from the shipowner’s perspective.

 

The Dry Docking Reality: A Shipyard Is a Project Environment

 

When a vessel enters shipyard, two types of maintenance converge:

 

• Predictive maintenance (planned technical tasks)
• Corrective maintenance (issues identified during sailing)

 

But dry docking is no longer just maintenance execution.

 

It is:

 

• A time-critical commercial event
• A budget-sensitive operation
• A multi-stakeholder project involving shipyards, subcontractors, agents, suppliers, and inspectors
• A high-risk cost environment with potential variations

 

From a fleet manager’s standpoint, the key questions are:

 

• What is the approved budget for this docking?
• How does daily progress compare to schedule?
• What is the real-time cost exposure?
• How are variation requests handled?
• Are additional works justified and controlled?
• Will the vessel redeliver on time?

 

PMS does not answer these questions.

 

SUPPLY does not answer these questions.

 

Dry Dock modules typically track tasks — not commercial performance.

 

The Missing Layer: Structured Dry Docking Project Management

 

This is where ProjectVIEW ERP enters — not as a competitor to PMS or SUPPLY — but as a strategic complementary layer.

ProjectVIEW ERP operates from the Shipowner / Ship Manager perspective, transforming dry docking into a fully controlled project environment.

 

What Fleet Managers Actually Need During Dry Docking

 

1. Structured Budgeting Before Arrival

 

Dry docking should begin with a structured cost plan:

 

• Predictive maintenance budget
• Corrective maintenance estimates
• Shipyard quotations comparison
• Contingency planning
• Risk allocation

 

ProjectVIEW ERP allows fleet managers to structure dry docking budgets before vessel arrival, integrating technical tasks into a financial control framework.

 

2. Shipyard Selection Based on Data

 

Choosing the right shipyard is not only about location.

 

It requires:

 

• Historical performance
• Cost benchmarking
• Availability
• Specialization
• Execution speed

 

With integrated procurement management, ship managers can evaluate and select shipyards based on structured data rather than fragmented spreadsheets.

 

3. Real-Time Progress and Cost Control

 

Most dry docking reporting is binary:

 

• Done
• Pending

 

That is not enough.

 

Fleet managers need:

 

• Daily progress percentages
• Earned value tracking
• Budget vs. actual cost comparison
• Work package monitoring
• Live cost exposure visibility

 

ProjectVIEW ERP provides a secure, web-based portal where shipyards update daily progress and cost data — giving ship managers a real-time window into execution.

 

4. Controlled Change Management

 

Variations during dry docking are inevitable:

 

• Additional steel renewal
• Unexpected machinery findings
• Spare part replacements
• Class recommendations

 

Without structured change control:

 

• Budgets drift
• Timelines slip
• Accountability blurs

 

ProjectVIEW ERP enables:

 

• Shipyard variation submissions
• Digital approval workflows
• Instant budget adjustments
• Schedule recalibration
• Full traceability of every change

 

Fleet managers retain full control.

 

5. A Secure Window for Shipowners

 

Shipowners require visibility without interfering with operations.

 

ProjectVIEW ERP provides:

 

• Secure web access
• Role-based dashboards
• Budget tracking
• Timeline monitoring
• Variation logs
• Cost analytics

 

It creates a controlled digital collaboration space between:

 

• Shipowner
• Ship Manager
• Technical Department
• Shipyard
• Vendors
• Agents

 

Complementary — Not Competitive

 

It is important to clarify:

 

• PMS maintains the vessel technically.
• SUPPLY manages onboard spare logistics.
• Dry Dock modules track tasks and maintenance records.

 

ProjectVIEW ERP governs:

 

• Budget
• Time
• Procurement
• Variations
• Commercial performance

 

It does not replace maritime class-certified systems.

 

It adds the missing commercial and project governance layer.

 

Why This Matters for Fleet Managers

 

Fleet managers are no longer just technical supervisors.

 

They are responsible for:

 

• Asset lifecycle cost optimization
• Charter compliance
• Commercial reliability
• Transparency to shipowners
• ESG and cost reporting
• Operational predictability

 

Dry docking is one of the largest periodic cost events in vessel lifecycle.

 

Without structured project control:

 

• Cost overruns become normalized
• Variation management becomes reactive
• Redelivery dates become uncertain
• Reporting becomes manual and fragmented

 

With a project-centric ERP layer:

 

• Budgets are structured before execution
• Progress is measured daily
• Changes are controlled immediately
• Shipowners gain real-time visibility
• Downtime risk is minimized

 

The Strategic Shift for Modern Fleets

 

As fleets expand and regulatory pressure increases, shipowners and ship managers need more than maintenance tracking.

 

They need:

 

• Project governance during shipyard execution
• Commercial transparency
• Digital collaboration
• Real-time cost intelligence

 

Dry docking must evolve from a maintenance event into a controlled project.

 

Conclusion: From Asset Maintenance to Project Control

 

PMS ensures compliance.

 

SUPPLY ensures logistics.

 

But neither provides structured project management for dry docking from the Shipowner’s perspective.

 

ProjectVIEW ERP fills that gap — delivering:

 

• Structured budgeting
• Time scheduling control
• Shipyard evaluation
• Real-time cost monitoring
• Variation management
• Secure stakeholder collaboration

 

 

It is operational discipline.