Overview
ISO 23323:2021 - Ships and marine technology - Specification for software-based planned maintenance systems (SPMS) - defines the minimum functional requirements for software-based planned maintenance systems used on ships. The standard guides shipping companies and software developers on planning, implementing, recording, reporting, analysing and optimizing onboard equipment and system maintenance. It explicitly supports compliance with ISM Code 2018 Part A/10 (maintenance, spare parts, procurement, personnel and voyage planning).
Key Topics
The standard covers practical, safety-focused functions and technical requirements for SPMS, including:
- General system requirements
- Implementation language (should include English)
- Regular backup capability and failure recovery
- Version and update (version management, validation, rollback)
- Cyber security protections in line with MSC.428(98)
- Ship–shore communication
- Digital transfer of maintenance items, plan execution, stock transactions and purchase requisitions
- Database and data integrity
- Timely updates, self-checks, and backward compatibility
- Authentication, authorization and logging
- User account setup, access rights and activity logs
- Notifications and reporting
- Pre-notifications, overdue alerts, self‑malfunction warnings, query/printout history
- Initialization and registration
- Machinery and spare-part registration, task definition (task description, frequency, method, responsible person, last work date, running hours)
- Maintenance process
- Planning (period or voyage-based), rescheduling with reasons, forecasting material resources
- Reporting of completed tasks (date, person, time, spare parts, photos, comments)
- Supervisor approval workflow and auditability
- Optional functions
- Spare parts management; analysis and optimization of maintenance plans
- Control of internal/external SPMS documents and software/hardware requirements
Applications and Users
ISO 23323:2021 is intended for:
- Shipping companies implementing or procuring a software-based planned maintenance system (SPMS)
- Marine software developers and integrators building PMS applications for crew and shore-based teams
- Safety and compliance officers ensuring alignment with ISM Code requirements
- Vessel operators and technical superintendents using SPMS for scheduling, reporting, spare-parts planning, and maintenance analytics
Practical benefits include improved maintenance efficiency, consistent recordkeeping for audits, better spare-part forecasting, and strengthened ship–shore data exchange for fleet management.
Related Standards (if applicable)
- IMO MSC.428(98) - Guidelines on maritime cyber risk management (referenced for cyber security)
- IACS E22 - On Board Use and Application of Computer based systems (normative reference used in ISO 23323)
Keywords: ISO 23323:2021, SPMS, planned maintenance system, PMS, ships, maritime maintenance, ISM Code, ship-shore communication, cyber security.