TMSA 3 & DryBMS Gap Assessment That Raises Your Vetting Score
Your TMSA or DryBMS self-assessment is a claim about how your office really works, and oil majors and charterers test it. Our Master Mariner-led team assesses every element against objective evidence, helps you close the gaps, builds vetting-ready evidence packs and then runs a mock office audit, so you walk into the real review with nothing to defend.
- TMSA 3 gap analysis
- DryBMS
- Oil major vetting
- Evidence packs
- KPI dashboards
- Mock office audits
- 16 TMSA 3 & DryBMS office preparations and mock inspections
- 550+ onboard sailing audits and pre-vetting inspections
- ISO 9001, ISO 27001 & CMMI Level 3
Track record
Vetting now checks the office, not just the ship
A good-looking manual used to be enough to claim a stage level. Today reviewers ask for records, trends and people who can explain them, and they read your vessel findings and your office self-assessment side by side.
OCIMF's framework expects each claimed stage to be backed by objective evidence and measurable KPIs, from leadership and personnel through navigation, mooring, cargo operations, change management and emergency preparedness.
Dry bulk charterers and owners now benchmark operators against the Dry Bulk Management Standard, with tiered expectations that reward a system that is measured and improving.
Reviewers sample your evidence in your own office and question the people who own each element. A stage you cannot prove is a stage you do not have.
Repeated vessel observations often trace back to weaknesses in office systems, and vetting departments connect the two when they review your TMSA.
For bulk fleets, management standards and inspection outcomes feed the safety picture that charterers see before they fix a ship.
What an unproven self-assessment can cost
The most damaging gap is the one an oil major finds in your boardroom before you have found it yourself.
- A score that collapses under questioning
Stage levels claimed on the strength of procedures, without records or trends, are downgraded during the office audit and the credibility of the whole submission suffers.
- Stalled chartering approvals
While gaps are closed under time pressure, approvals wait and fixtures go to operators whose systems are already in order.
- The same findings on every ship
Vessel observations keep repeating because the root cause sits in the office: training, change management, maintenance planning or incident follow-up.
- Last-minute scrambles
Evidence is gathered in a rush before each review, by superintendents who should be managing the fleet, and none of it is sustained afterwards.
Everything you need to pass vetting and keep the score
This is not a report that sits in a drawer. Each engagement carries you from an honest assessment to a rehearsed review.
Element-by-element gap analysis
A full TMSA 3 and/or DryBMS assessment against objective evidence, with every gap severity-ranked and mapped to the element and stage or expectation it blocks.
Prioritised corrective action plan
Each gap paired with a practical action, an owner and a realistic target, so you can see the quick procedural fixes apart from the evidence that takes months to build.
Vetting-ready evidence packs
Records organised the way reviewers expect to see them, so your team can answer any sampled question with a document, not an explanation.
KPI dashboards
Safety, navigation, maintenance and HSEQ indicators that show trend-based management instead of snapshot compliance, for reviewers and for your own leadership.
Oil major requirements mapping
Your system checked against the expectations of the oil majors and charterers you trade with, so nothing specific to them is left to chance.
Training and mock office audit
Shore and sea staff trained on the elements they own, followed by a mock oil major office audit and closure verification.
From honest assessment to a rehearsed review
We work alongside your DPA, HSEQ and fleet teams, so the improvements are owned by your people and survive after we leave.
- 1
Gap assessment
We review your current self-assessment, procedures and records element by element, remotely, in your office or both, and map the oil major requirements that apply to you.
- 2
Action plan
You receive the ranked gap register with owners, targets and the quick wins that improve your position first.
- 3
Implementation
We help revise procedures, set up document control, build evidence packs and KPI dashboards, and train the shore staff who own each element.
- 4
Mock audit and verification
A mock office audit in the structure and questioning style of a real oil major review, then closure verification and a management briefing.
Timescales depend on fleet size, the elements in scope and how much evidence already exists. Procedural fixes can land quickly; higher stage levels need months of demonstrated practice, and we plan the programme around your target review date.
Why operators choose Synergetic for TMSA and DryBMS
We have prepared offices for this review 16 times, and we see the vessel side of vetting every week.
Mariners who have sat on both sides
Our team is led by Master Mariners with superintendent experience, who know what reviewers ask and what a working office system looks like.
Evidence first, not opinion
Every gap is tied to the element and stage it affects and to the evidence that would close it, so prioritisation is traceable and defensible.
Office and ship joined up
With 550+ onboard sailing audits and pre-vetting inspections behind us, we link your recurring vessel findings to the office processes that cause them.
Systems that stay in place
Our Marine X7 HSEQ and reporting tools can keep KPIs, audits and corrective actions live after the review, so the score does not fade.
Experience across the whole vetting cycle
Rehearsed, not surprised
Teams that have answered questions in a mock office audit present their evidence very differently on the day of the real review.
One programme for mixed fleets
TMSA 3 and DryBMS share the logic of staged maturity and objective evidence, so tanker and bulk operations can be prepared together without duplicating effort.
Sustained improvement
KPI dashboards and closure verification give you a record of continuous improvement to show at the next review, not just this one.
For operators who answer to oil majors and charterers
- Tanker operators
- Chemical carriers
- LPG & LNG carriers
- Bulk carriers
- Offshore units
- Ship managers
- DPAs & HSEQ managers
- Operators seeking oil major approval
Trusted by 70+ ship owners and managers
ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2022 and CMMI Level 3. Our DigiMoor X7 and Work-Ship software are approved by Class and RightShip.
- 3,100+ ships use our software and services every year
- 100% client retention
Preferred by the World's Leading Ship Owners and Managers
With 100% client retention since inception, we're trusted by LNG, LPG, Oil, Chemical, Bulk, Container & Specialized Fleets globally.
Keep your TMSA and DryBMS evidence live
HSEQ X7 manages audits, non-conformities and corrective actions, Report X7 turns them into KPI dashboards, and DMS X7 keeps controlled procedures and records in one place.
Learn more about TMSA 3 & DryBMS preparation
Questions about TMSA 3 & DryBMS preparation
Tell us about your fleet and we will answer directly.
Book a TMSA Gap AssessmentWhat does a TMSA 3 and DryBMS gap assessment involve?
A TMSA 3 and DryBMS gap assessment tests each element of your management system against objective evidence, the way an oil major or charterer reviewer would. Synergetic Shipping Technologies delivers a severity-ranked gap register with corrective actions, owners and targets, then helps you close the gaps and rehearses the review with a mock office audit.
What is the difference between TMSA 3 and DryBMS, and do we need both?
TMSA 3 is OCIMF's management self-assessment framework for tanker operators; DryBMS is the equivalent management standard for the dry bulk sector. You need whichever matches your tonnage, and mixed fleets often need both. The frameworks share the same logic of staged maturity and objective evidence, so a combined programme avoids duplicating effort.
Do you help close the gaps, or just report them?
Both. The gap register is the start, not the deliverable. We help revise procedures, build evidence packs in vetting-ready format, set up KPI dashboards and train the shore staff who own each element. Closure is then verified through a mock assessment, so nothing is assumed closed on paperwork alone.
How are gaps ranked?
Each gap is graded by the risk it poses to your target. Gaps that invalidate a claimed stage level or would fail a specific oil major requirement rank highest, followed by gaps with a vessel safety consequence, then documentation and consistency issues. Every entry is mapped to its TMSA element and stage or DryBMS expectation, so prioritisation is traceable rather than opinion-based.
Can you run a mock oil major audit before the real one?
Yes. A mock office audit is the standard final stage of the engagement. It follows the structure and questioning style of an actual oil major review, tests your team's ability to present evidence under questioning, and produces a short findings list for final close-out.
Find out where your TMSA or DryBMS score really stands
Tell us your fleet, your target stage or level and your next review date, and we will propose a gap assessment and preparation plan that gets you there.
Let's Enhance Your Maritime Compliance
and Operational Safety
Connect with our experts to explore how Synergetic's powerful digital solutions can elevate your fleet's compliance, streamline inspections, and strengthen operational safety — backed by real-time data insights and seafarer-driven innovation.
Why Maritime Leaders Choose Synergetic:
- Class and RightShip accredited solutions aligned with OCIMF, TMSA, DRYBMS, and Flag requirements
- Smart AI Powered analytics delivering instant compliance insights and audit-ready documentation
- Proven track record across 3,100+ ships every year and multiple compliance frameworks
- Continuous innovation led by seafarers, auditors, and maritime data specialists
For direct enquiries, reach out to admin@synergeticshippingsolutions.com
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