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Drydock management software is a digital project management solution that helps shipowners, technical managers and superintendents plan, control and execute vessel dry-docking and ship repair projects. It brings specifications, maintenance work, class requirements, yard quotations, budgets and project progress into one structured environment — from initial planning through yard execution and final close-out.
A drydock is one of the most complex and costly events in a vessel's operational lifecycle. Poor preparation can lead to scope creep, cost overruns, delayed repairs and extended yard stays, while every additional day of off-hire can affect vessel availability and commercial performance.
By connecting drydock planning with the vessel's planned maintenance system, equipment history and procurement processes, operators can build the docking scope from accurate operational data rather than disconnected spreadsheets, emails and manual job lists.
Drydock management software supports the complete docking project lifecycle — planning, tendering, execution, cost control and close-out.
Before the vessel enters the yard, technical teams collect work items from planned maintenance, inspections, previous docking projects, class requirements and identified repairs. These items are organised into a structured drydock specification that can be used for budgeting and tendering.
Shipyards and suppliers can then provide quotations against the same scope, allowing technical teams to compare prices, evaluate proposals and select the appropriate yard and service providers.
During execution, superintendents track individual jobs, progress, costs, variation orders and outstanding work against the approved specification. Once the docking is complete, the final work history and documentation can be retained as part of the vessel's technical record and reused when planning future projects.
A complete drydock management system typically supports several connected processes.
Effective drydock planning starts with an accurate specification.
Maintenance tasks, outstanding repairs, class requirements, inspection findings and owner-defined work can be consolidated into structured job lists. Templates and historical docking projects can also be reused to improve consistency and reduce preparation time.
Connecting the specification with maintenance history helps ensure that required work is identified before the vessel enters the yard.
Selecting a repair yard involves more than comparing the total price of competing quotations.
Drydock management software can structure quotations against the original specification, making it easier to compare individual jobs, supplier costs and commercial terms across yards.
This gives technical teams better visibility before awarding the project and creates a clearer baseline for subsequent cost control.
Cost control continues throughout the docking project.
Approved budgets can be monitored against committed and actual expenditure at job level, while additional work and variation orders can be recorded as they arise.
This gives superintendents visibility into how scope changes affect the overall budget before the final yard invoice is received.
During the yard stay, multiple work packages may be progressing simultaneously across the vessel.
Drydock management software provides a central view of job status, outstanding work, project milestones and schedule progress. Updates, documentation and supporting information can be recorded against individual work items, helping vessel, shore and yard teams work from the same project status.
Structured reporting also gives management visibility into progress, costs and potential delays throughout the docking period.
Dry-docking frequently coincides with statutory inspections and classification society surveys.
Class-required work and survey items can be incorporated directly into the project specification and tracked alongside maintenance and repair activities. Outstanding requirements remain visible until they are completed and documented, helping the technical team manage the vessel toward final class approval and return to service.
Drydock projects often require spare parts, specialist contractors, equipment manufacturers and external service providers.
Connecting procurement with the docking scope helps technical teams identify required materials early, manage long-lead items and coordinate suppliers against the project schedule.
This reduces the risk of critical work being delayed because equipment, parts or specialist services are unavailable when the vessel enters the yard.
The quality of a drydock is often determined months before the vessel arrives.
During preparation, technical teams develop the specification, review maintenance history, identify class requirements, obtain quotations, order long-lead materials and coordinate specialist contractors.
Entering the yard with an incomplete specification means that decisions must instead be made during the most time-sensitive and expensive stage of the project.
When drydock planning is connected to the vessel's live maintenance and asset data, outstanding jobs and equipment history can feed directly into the project scope. This reduces duplicate work and gives the superintendent a more complete picture of what needs to be completed before docking begins.
Scope changes are common during vessel repair projects. Additional steel renewal, unexpected equipment condition, class findings or newly identified repair work can all affect the original specification.
The challenge is therefore not eliminating every change, but maintaining control over its impact.
Drydock management software provides an up-to-date view of the approved scope, additional work, variation orders and associated costs. This allows technical teams to assess changes against the project budget and schedule before approving additional work.
Historical docking data can also support future planning by providing previous job costs, yard performance and completed specifications as reference points for subsequent projects.
Using a dedicated system instead of spreadsheets, email chains and disconnected documents provides several advantages:
The result is a more controlled docking process in which scope, cost, schedule and technical documentation remain connected throughout the project.
Spreadsheets can support individual job lists or budgets, but they become difficult to control when a drydock involves hundreds of work items, multiple suppliers, changing quotations, variation orders and frequent progress updates.
Information is often distributed across spreadsheets, emails, reports and maintenance systems, creating multiple versions of the same project data.
Drydock management software creates a single structured project environment where specifications, quotations, costs, progress and documentation remain connected. This improves traceability during the project and creates a reusable historical record after completion.
STAR Suite™ connects drydock planning and execution with the vessel's existing maintenance, asset and procurement information within one maritime EAM platform.
Technical teams can build docking specifications from maintenance requirements and vessel history rather than recreating technical information in a separate project system. Work scope, project progress and costs can then be followed throughout the docking process, giving technical managers and superintendents visibility from planning through completion.
Connecting drydock projects with day-to-day asset management also means that completed work becomes part of the vessel's continuing maintenance history instead of remaining isolated in a closed project file.
This creates continuity between planned maintenance, drydock execution and future lifecycle planning — helping ship operators maintain better control over vessel condition, project costs and technical documentation.