The ISM Code does not prescribe a specific format for maintenance records — but it requires that procedures exist, are followed, and that records are maintained to demonstrate compliance. In practice, this means that a vessel’s planned maintenance system (PMS) and the data it contains are central to ISM compliance.

Key ISM Code requirements with direct data management implications include:

• Identification of critical equipment — the SMS must identify equipment whose sudden failure could create a hazardous situation. This requires a structured, complete equipment register so that critical systems can be systematically identified and their maintenance tracked.
• Planned maintenance schedules — maintenance procedures must be established for all identified critical equipment, with schedules maintained and records kept of maintenance carried out. Equipment must be correctly entered, maintenance tasks linked and scheduled at correct intervals, and maintenance history recorded.
• Inspection and testing of emergency systems — life-saving appliances, fire-fighting systems, and emergency shutdown equipment must be inspected and tested on schedule. CMMS data that is incomplete or incorrectly structured makes it impossible to systematically demonstrate this compliance.
• Documentation and record-keeping — Port State Control officers routinely request maintenance records during PSC inspections. Gaps or inconsistencies in CMMS data are a common source of deficiencies raised at PSC inspection.

ISM Code compliance depends on the quality and completeness of vessel maintenance data. A planned maintenance system built on an incomplete equipment register, with maintenance intervals that have not been verified against maker requirements, cannot reliably demonstrate the level of maintenance control that the ISM Code requires.

Sharecat Data Services helps maritime operators build the data foundation that ISM-compliant maintenance management requires — constructing and verifying vessel equipment registers, ensuring that all maintenance-relevant equipment is captured, that critical equipment is correctly identified and linked to appropriate maintenance tasks, and that maintenance intervals are verified against manufacturer requirements and class society guidance.

For operators preparing for ISM audits or addressing deficiencies identified in previous audits, Sharecat Data Services provides targeted data assessment and remediation services, identifying where equipment register and PMS data does not meet the standard required for ISM compliance, and delivering corrected, complete data ready for direct loading into AMOS, ShipNet, STAR Suite, or any other maritime CMMS. Every project includes a before-and-after statistical comparison so that the improvement in data completeness and quality is measurable and demonstrable to auditors.