Integrating marina management software for smooth sailing at your club
By Srishti Singh
If you manage a marina, you know the operational nuances are quite different from the rest of your club. For example, the need to maximize your dock utilization but not at the expense of your member satisfaction.
These nuances of your marina require tools that are specific to the task. Top-notch marina management software helps you navigate the challenges while optimizing your operation.
There is no shortage of vendors hawking software for marinas. It can be easy to get lost as you sort through features and functions. As you consider your options, there are three key questions that should drive your evaluation.
- Does it offer smart marina management functionality?
- Does it seamlessly integrate with your club management software?
- Does it offer excellent support?
Let’s look at each of these and how premier solutions answer the questions.
Smart marina management functionality
Your marina management software should make it effortless to manage your slip assignments. And it should give you a bird’s-eye view of your marina, allowing you to quickly assess your usage. From this view, it should allow you to drill down to see details about each slip assignment. That includes:
- Permanent assignments
- Transient assignments
- Slip reservations including seasonal reservations
- And more
Your software should also offer a member boat directory that allows you to manage a database of your member boats. This database should allow you to capture details of every craft. This can be important for a couple of reasons. First, it allows clubs to record important details that can impact the businesses. For example, some marinas charge based on the vessel’s length. Second, the directory can provide a way for members to identify fellow members’ boats simply by searching by member name, boat name, boat number, or flag number. This kind of functionality builds connections between members, helping to create a sense of community at your marina.
Seamless integration
As you evaluate marina management software, it’s easy to focus solely on the marina. But a crucial factor of your evaluation should be how well the software integrates with your other systems. Is there seamless integration with your accounting system so you're not having to port information from one system to another? Or worse yet, having to manually enter information from one system into another?
Can your member make a slip reservation from the same system that allows them to make a dinner reservation at your restaurant? Solutions that have been built on one database make this possible. For example, the Northstar complete club management software solution utilizes a single database, integrating the marina management module with all other parts of your operation. This helps streamline operations. Plus, it allows you to tap into powerful insights, looking at member behavior across your operation. Spotting trends. And identifying opportunities to improve both the member experience and your profitability.
Always-available support
Excellent software comes with excellent support. After all, the best functionality can be rendered useless if you can’t get your question answered. Before you commit to any software, inquire about the support. Is there a team of developers supporting the system? Can you call any day and any time? There are constant changes in any healthy marina operation. You need support that is built for the nature of your business.
If you’d like more information, request a demo of the Northstar system. You’ll discover how excellent marina management functionality can seamlessly integrate with a complete club management software solution. A solution built on one database to give you unsurpassed control and vision to ensure your entire operation is running full steam ahead. Request a demo, today.