Fighter jet engineer tells Offshore Europe the value of standardising
A fighter jet engineer told the offshore industry yesterday of the need to standardise its processes to improve costs and safety.
A fighter jet engineer told the offshore industry yesterday of the need to standardise its processes to improve costs and safety.
DNV GL has launched a JIP (Joint Industry Project) in a bid to establish a new international standard for offshore oil and gas projects which could cut costs by 15%. The move is in a bid to curb the challenges presented by varying owners, operators and regulators during both engineering and construction phases in South Korean yards. A number of companies are involved with the initiative including Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company, as well as Samsung Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Since the days of Henry Ford and the beginning of mass production, the benefits of ‘standardisation’ have been widely promoted and publicised. The automotive industry spear-headed standardisation and, with it, transformed manufacturing practice forever. The rationale for standardisation is as compelling as it is simple – we know full well that variation is more likely to cause errors, increase complexity and therefore impact everything from safety to operating costs. The oil and gas industry has been slower than many to adopt standardisation to the same extent, although some operators have been better than others at embracing the concept. Generally, the industry is still behind the curve. Nowhere is this more evident than offshore when comparing ‘ways of working’ across different shifts where it is not unusual to see a marked change in how things get done with the arrival of a new crew.