MSC Introduces New Shipboard Property Management System, Otalio

MSC Cruises has announced the introduction of a new shipboard property management system, which creates a link between its shoreside operations and the entire fleet of ships.

According to a press release, the new system will help improve internal efficiencies, tailor guest services and digitalize information for the crew.

The new customer-centric and digitalized system brings benefits through increased flexibility and automation with a cloud platform that enables a global configuration across the MSC Cruises fleet and throughout a range of different departments.

The cloud-based software developed by Hamburg-based Otalio was first used onboard MSC Virtuosa, the first deep-sea cruise ship in 15 months to sail in British waters for her maiden season in the UK that started in May.

The modern architecture of the property management system provides scalability and flexibility so that many administrative tasks can be performed by shoreside teams to bring new opportunities for fleet management.

Crew onboard can centralize all guest information in one place, such as purchase preferences, complaint tracking and Voyagers Club member status, MSC said. The crew will also benefit from real-time updates from ashore, as well as options to digitalize processes such as housekeeping rotas and menu pricing.

“This promises to be a win-win scenario whereby the Otalio technology will improve the overall guest experience and make life easier for our crew onboard. Getting Otalio ready to launch across our fleet was a huge undertaking and involved a team of 500 dedicated individuals both onboard and ashore, the biggest ever collaboration at MSC Cruises. The end result was worth the endeavour and is truly change-management at its very best,” said Chief Information Officer of MSC Cruises Daniele Buonaiuto.

The Managing Director of Otalio, Tony Heuer, said that having its latest product now in operation is a “dream come true.”

“(W)e couldn’t be more excited to see it going live. It’s a great achievement for the entire Otalio team to develop an onboard solution that covers all aspects related to guests and crew management, suitable to support larger contemporary cruise ships, as well as smaller luxury vessels. Thanks to the cutting-edge architecture of our system, structured around the unique complexity a cruise ship environment has, many administrative tasks can now be performed by shoreside teams, bringing new opportunities into fleet management altogether,” he said.

“We want to thank the MSC Cruises team for their trust and cooperation during these last two and half years of intense effort. All of this could have not been possible without the commitment and support of their entire organization, both ashore and onboard,” he added.