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Marsoft
Decision Support System (MDSS) – Frequently Asked Questions |
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| Shipping Credit
Manager (SCM) 3.x |
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• New features • Frequently Asked Questions • Known issues with SCM 3.x |
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| Shipping Credit
Manager (SCM) 4.x |
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• Overview • Frequently Asked Questions • Known issues with SCM 4.x |
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| Download patch files | |
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Version
3.x of Marsoft's Shipping Credit Manager and Shipping Investment
Evaluator offers several significant enhancements. Some of the most
important are listed below; please contact your Account Manager if
you would like to schedule an in-depth training session. Fleet Performance Benchmarking In the SCM 3.x you are able to evaluate the overall financial performance of a fleet of vessels – the composition of which may change over time due to sale/purchase activity – over both historical and forecast periods. With this new ability you are able to benchmark a fleet's financial performance versus the Marsoft market benchmarks and evaluate how investment and chartering strategy has supported a premium (or discount) performance versus the market. To illustrate the fleet modeling ability, create a new project with a start date of, for example 1990.1 (the first quarter of 1990). Record the sale and purchase activity from that date and going forward by entering and saving the relevant transaction details. (Note that the purchase date does not have to be the same for all ships involved in the project.) Also enter any borrowing details relevant to the project. Once that information is in place you can create a report showing the financial performance of the fleet since 1990.1. The reported cash flows can then be compared with historical accounting records. Enhanced Reporting Capabilities One of the most powerful new features of the SCM 3.x is its reporting capabilities. With these new features users can create reports based on an individual ship or loan, a fleet of ships and/or a complete balance sheet, or any combination of ships and loans. The reports can be generated on a quarterly or annual basis (calendar or fiscal year). A new chart has also been added, showing the cash breakeven rate and earnings for an individual ship or average breakeven rate and average earnings for a fleet of ships. Of course, Marsoft's unique residual value profile charts are also readily available. A new set of vessel and loan input summary reports are also available. The new reporting capabilities appear in several places throughout the SCM 3.x. The expanded vessel and loan detail reports are available through icons on the project overview screen of the input window, as are the vessel and loan input summary reports. The new financial report generating capabilities can be seen by selecting the "Create Report" option from the project overview screen. The report specification screen that then appears lists the vessels and loans to be included in the report as well as other options. More Detailed Vessel Description The SCM 3.x offers users the ability to provide a significantly richer vessel description than earlier versions of the SCM. On the revenue side, the system supports more complex time charter contracts (including multiple periods and escalation rates). On the cost side the system offers more detailed operating cost inputs (with multiple periods and escalation rates), and more detailed drydock information (including the date of each drydock, the docking budget and the offhire time associated with the docking). In addition, information on fuel consumption, speed and other vessel parameters is now presented more visibly and in a way that facilitates comparison with Marsoft's benchmark assumptions. The detailed vessel modeling capabilities are shown in the vessel detail tabs on the right side of the vessel input screen. The operating cost and drydock inputs can be seen in the Op. Cost/DD cost tab and the time charter information on the Employment tab. Multiple entries can be created in each of the operating expenses, drydock and time charter fields. Easier to Use Interface A new user interface is introduced with the SCM 3.x. The vertically oriented spreadsheet-style interface of the previous versions of the SCM has been replaced by a tabular windows-style interface. The three main components of the SCM 3.x – the project overview section, the vessel input section and the financing section are now presented as three "tabs" on the screen, and the user switches between these tabs by selecting them using the mouse. The detailed vessel inputs are also presented as tabs within the vessel screen. In addition, in many cases the options available for user inputs are now presented in list boxes, thereby simplifying data entry. For example, users can now choose the vessel type – dry bulk, tanker, chemical tanker, containership, or reefer – from a list box for that input field. The new design of the SCM 3.x is intended to make the system easier to use, particularly for the infrequent user. It will also facilitate future enhancements to the system. More Powerful Architecture In the SCM 3.x data is stored in a Microsoft Access database, data entry is through a Microsoft Visual Basic interface, the financial calculations are performed by Microsoft Excel and presented in a spreadsheet format, and the vessel and loan input reports are generated using Crystal Report from Seagate Software. This new combination of tools is in contrast to the previous versions of the SCM, which relied solely on Microsoft Excel. These new tools provide a more powerful SCM architecture. One important benefit of the new architecture is apparent in the new interface and analytical tools. Another is the platform for continued enhancements that it provides. A third is a much improved ability to integrate information from other databases into the SCM. The benefits of this new architecture will be apparent as the SCM evolves as a more powerful, more customizable system for Marsoft clients. |
