“Mia and Mateo” and the smart marina

A smart marina system introduces a flexible automated process from the boater’s first contact with the marina to his/her stay and use of services. Let’s explore the experiences of Mia and Mateo, boaters visiting a smart marina, to see how the Marina Master solution covers an automated reservation process, berthing payment, boat arrival, stay at the marina, extra services and final departure.

Smart reservation: The digital process begins when Mia makes an online berth reservation via the marina home page. She completes a reservation form that has been customised to suit the marina. The manager is immediately informed about the reservation via the mobile Marina Master app, he accepts it and confirms the boat’s arrival. Mateo and Mia request berth assistance via their mobile device ahead of arrival and are helped at the dock by marina personnel. Immediately after the reservation confirmation, the boat is on a system that is visible to all on-site Marina Master users.
Advanced invoicing: Upon arrival, Mateo and Mia receive a welcome email that outlines the marina services, service level agreement and basic terms and conditions. Mateo orders a boat lift and painting from his mobile and Mia orders coffee and newspapers. Marina staff trigger automatically generated invoices and send them to Mia and Mateo so that they can confirm, sign and pay.
Automated contract creation: As Mateo and Mia are regular visitors, Mateo automatically receives a contract by email that can be signed digitally. The contract is pre-filled with his customer data and Mateo can review it, along with the terms and condition. Mateo and Mia can also select optional services, such as power or water connections at the pedestals, car parking and more. Mateo is asked to sign each page of the contract and upload additional documents, such as insurance policy etc. He can also add comments. Marina staff are automatically informed that a new contract has been signed and confirmed, and can read Mateo’s remarks or requests. The fee for the contract and utilities is automatically invoiced and processed in General Ledger.
Berthing control: During Mateo and Mia’s stay in the marina the dockhands will regularly check whether the boat is berthed or not. This can be done in several ways. For example, using CCTV cameras or performing regular dock walks. On the day of departure, Mateo and Mia can simply leave with no need to tell the reception desk. The Marina Master application automatically records the departure and marks the berth as empty on the system. After every departure, Mateo and Mia automatically receive a thank you email from the marina inviting them to share their experience and suggestions.
Unique customer relationship: The boater’s journey through a smart marina results in improved boater experience and increased loyalty. Mia and Mateo have peace of mind knowing that their expectations will always be met. The marina management team is able to keep its promises.
The Marina Master team is constantly developing new smart features. “Every experience with our customers is a goldmine for our strategy,” says CEO Vesna Pavlovic. Happy customers include Darrell Barnett CMM, marina manager at Soldiers Point Marina in Australia (pictured) and Kevin Lussier CMM, regional manager Ocean Havens District Waterfront Properties, USA.
“One of the best things that we have done this past year was to work with the Marina Master team to move our seasonal contracts to automated processing. This one example of the automated process has saved us a lot of time by no longer having to scan and upload the agreements, and the fact that you can email all our agreements by a click of the button is amazing,” says Lussier.
Barnett comments: “The best thing about it is how versatile, cooperative and diversified the app is and, to date, Marina Master has met all our expectations. The software not only improves the day to day operations, but is saving me thousands of dollars a year in operational costs.”
www.marina-master.com