Save Time and Money in Your Marina

Can you save time and money in your marina?

Ask yourself these 4 easy questions:

1. Do I repeat the same time-consuming or repetitive daily, weekly, and/or monthly tasks?

2. Do I use multiple software programs, creating an unnecessary complex workflow?

3. Am I communicating manually to keep multiple parties up-to-date?

4. Could a system automate some of the work so I can focus on improving my marina, giving a better customer experience, or whatever I would like to spend my time on?

If you answered yes to any of the questions, you are in luck because there is room for improvement. In the following section, you will find information on how to solve the challenges listed above. 

1. Oban Marina dramatically decreased the time spent on checking in visitors 

When a visitor arrives at your marina, it can take quite some time to enter all their information into a system or fill out a paper form. But with a proper system, you can let the boater handle all this. As Samantha, Director at Oban Marina, explains:

“It took me 20 minutes to book a guest into our system with the guest in the reception, but now, the guest can do it alone in only 1 minute (without coming to the reception), and I can see it immediately in the HarbaMaster marina software!”

If you have, let’s say, 1,000 visitors per season, that amounts to 32 hours or almost a whole workweek that you can save with this one feature. The best thing about it is that it’s also more accessible for the boater. Using HarbaApp, all their information is already stored there. There is no need to fill out new forms or relay that information to a marina employee.

“Harba helped us increase productivity and improve our customer experience through quick and safe payments and check-in. Our boaters love it!” – adds Samantha.

Read more about Oban Marina’s challenges and discoveries, which have increased productivity and improved customer experience, in the Oban Marina: Now is the best time to go digital article.

2. Sejlforeningen Vikingen (yacht club) handles everything in one system

Humans were never meant to sit in front of a computer all day and just do data entry. Unfortunately, many marina employees do that since information is scattered between multiple systems. You can’t eliminate data entry, but you can avoid copy-pasting information from one system to another. Having one system that handles invoices, insurances, messages, crane lifts, and more can vastly improve the efficiency of your marina or club, as it did for Sejlforeningen Vikingen.

“Now we have a good, up-to-date overview of our club members and only need to maintain data in one place. Bookkeeping works like registration of payments and invoicing happen automatically. It saves us a lot of time. In our experience, the system has greatly assisted our daily work. We are happy to cooperate with Harba, who always provide us with good support.” – says Carl Erik Juel Hansen, Chairman at Sejlforeningen Vikingen.

With a unified system, you can also avoid relaying information multiple times to different parties. Using HarbaMaster, all employees can access the amount of data you decide is relevant for them via a computer, tablet, or smartphone. What to learn more about yacht club management software? Check out our article about the 4 ways your yacht club can benefit from yacht club management software.

3. Sønderborgs multifaceted marina management challenges

Running a marina can be complex as many varying tasks must be handled. Harbormaster Torben Østerby, who runs 5 marinas for a Danish municipality, knows all about this. Having a minimum of staff handling visitors and long-term slip holders across 5 marinas can be challenging. In cases like these, it’s all about reducing complexity as best as possible.  

“Harba meets all my current needs as it offers the whole package regarding handling marinas, and they share more of my future visions for marinas than any other provider I’ve talked to. By using smart technology solutions that save time, I can spend more time with the visitors in the marinas; that is my vision.” – says Torben Østerby.

With boaters checking in via the HarbaApp, online, or using the HarbaKiosk on the docks, all information is gathered in the same system. This reduces the need for wandering between the marinas, checking whether boaters have paid their fees. Likewise, boater information, insurance papers, and boat data are all stored in one place but separated by marinas, making it possible to handle all the marinas from one central location. 

Read more about how Sønderborg marinas have changed their administration with Harba to work smarter – not harder.