Overview

SYMRED is an Australian marine engineering consultancy and provides leading edge investment analysis and engineering solutions to its clients, which include government,  and defence agencies, as well as private sector companies ranging in size from small operations to large multinational corporations.

Symred is qualified and experienced in handling complex marine projects.  Our skills include commercial evaluation, business case and project viability, project management, stakeholder communication and contract negotiation, technical evaluation, risk management and product inspection/commissioning.

Experience has been gained through exposure to a variety of public sector defence/ government, as well as commercial private industry projects.  Roles in Senior Management and development of this consultancy company have further contributed to the company’s ability in dealing with clients and cultures worldwide.

The Principle - Mr John Lane

Commercial Analysis

Mr Lane has performed senior management roles in projects where he has had accountability for budgets and performance.  Cost control and scheduling have been part of all projects undertaken with a full understanding of cost and schedule implications being a key skill requirement. Understanding and using complex cost auditing and scheduling tracking systems are part of the skill set and extensive application has occurred in ship projects.  Budgets and weekly updates on expenditure enabled real time tracking of project have been common place. 

The additional MBA qualifications gained by Mr Lane have provided a detailed understanding of corporate and project finances and assist in producing applicable reports for stakeholder assessment.  Current consultancy efforts for dive/cruise industry clients provide NPV assessments of project viability prior to investment commitment.

The business case development for Sydney Ferries resulted in a submission to the NSW Government Cabinet providing direction for the Sydney Ferry fleet replacement for 30 year service.

Examples of current marine projects utilising this service:

• Violia Transport consulting support for Ferry Operations Tenders.
• Project advice to support owner’s delivery of commercial high speed ferry build.

Project/Technical Capability

Mr Lane has extensive project management experience, especially on projects where fixed price contracts include allocated damages for non-performance, requiring complete control over delivery, cost and quality.

Examples of involvement in past complex projects of this type are:

• Company Project Management representative for Foreign Design team management for US based team (15 personnel) to produce the Royal Australian Navy FFG frigate upgrade bid (worth AUS $700 million).
• Company Project Management representative for Foreign Design team management for Swedish Minehunter (30 personnel) team to produce RFP and tender (AUS $1.2 billion).
• Prime Contractor operations and production executive for RAN Hydrographic Ship Project coordinating project resources and manpower and interfacing with company departments to meet project objectives - control of 1,000 employees and over AUS $80 million in department budgets.
• Vosper Thornycroft Patrol boat project (worth GB £200 million) for African clients.
• Commercial high speed craft projects for companies to meet classification and flag state requirements.
• Project control of various OEM local and foreign subcontractors providing design input, schedule and quality control in Collins Class submarine project.
• Development of design to meet Australian Government requirements in conjunction with Kockums design team in Australia and Sweden for submarine project.
• Global cruise/ferry/dive industry in past and current consultancy capacity providing technical and project management support, marketing and sales of commercial vessels worldwide.
• Project Manager to NZAID on behalf of  the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the development of a replacement Ship for Tokelau.
• Independant assessment manager for Platform capability for the Department of Defence on Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) SEA 4000 Project.
• Consulting Project Management to Sydney Ferry Corporation for the Fleet Replacement Strategy and Project. (AUD $300 M)
• Tongan Ferry Disaster  -  requirements review and tender support to NZ Government and AUSAID.

Symred's skills and knowledge include:

• business Case development including Net Present Value assessments
• budget and financial assessments
• risk evaluation
• the generation of project tender documentation
• technical management
• requests for quotes to suppliers
• project operational support documentation such as functional performance specifications
• systems engineering plans
• ILS, production, risk management plans and reports
• QA documentation
• safety documents
• HR employee work scopes
• industrial relations and Industrial Court submissions

Commissioning Technical Designs

Symred has undertaken commissioning of technical designs to meet demanding client requirements.  This also required coordination of multiple subcontracts and in house resources to meet technical schedule, quality and budgets.  The following are examples of this type of work:

• Prime Contractor operations and production control of RAN Hydrographic Ship Project coordinating project resources and manpower and interfacing with company departments and design requirements to meet project objectives.
• Numerous commercial high speed craft projects for clients to meet classification and flag state requirements.
• ASC subcontractor technical control role for OEM equipment installed.  This required direct contact and management of the contractor together with interfacing all other platform requirements
• NZAID ship replacement project coordination with British Maritime Technology (BMT) a specialised global defence/commercial design consultancy, to provide clients with independent advice of submitted proposals from subcontractors/industry.

Professional Relationships

This consultancy business has required the development of new and existing contacts in the marine industry.  This database of contacts, including equipment suppliers, operators, designers, shipbuilders, financing, and government, continues to grow and currently has in excess of 50,000.

All major projects identified have required the formulation of effective cooperative teams to meet project targets.  The current projects involve a diverse set of stakeholder interactions and consultations where various skill sets are imported from associated organisations successfully meeting project objectives.

Risk Management

Mr Lane has developed and implemented Risk Management Plans on all public sector projects identified above.  Assessment of risk has been a standard practice, with risks identified having been continuously monitored for impact on project development.  Some areas of typical risk assessed in these projects were: shortage of labour, weather influences in cyclone prone areas, delays in material deliveries, and failure of scheduled delivery of subcontract components.  A proven marine project risk management control structure and procedures have been extensively employed and enacted to mitigate risk and the potential impact on project milestones.

Communication skills

Senior management roles held by Mr Lane have required well developed communication skills in order to ensure the requirements of the project were understood by all team members and stakeholders.  Mr Lane’s ability to communicate with all levels of a company and cultures to achieve project targets can be demonstrated through the following:

• Lockheed Martin – USA;
• Kockums – Sweden;
• Vosper Thornycroft – England;
• Extensive successful involvement in the commercial and government marine industries in past and current global consultancy capacity. Regions including Asia, Europe, Africa, Pacific, Americas;
• Marketing and sales of military and commercial vessels worldwide.  This includes communication with all stakeholders, whether government or the commercial marine industry (e.g. classification societies, flag authorities, colleges and unions); and
• Experience in negotiating with unions and blue/white collar employees to achieve positive industrial relation outcomes.

SYMRED Ship Production Services (SYMRED SPS)

Overview

Post-Contract Technical Effort and Construction Oversight Supervision are key activities in the delivery of a high quality vessel/ vessel class.

• Shipyard contract is in place
• Equipment vendors are selected;
• Detailed design details are developed;
• maintenance and training issues are settled;
• cost control and scheduling are tracked;
• risk and safety considerations are prioritized; and
• the client's On-Site Construction Supervision Staff must maintain a presence in the construction facility to insure that all phases of production are carried out in accordance with the contracted schedule and to the standards of workmanship expected.

SYMRED SPS is available to undertake all or as many of the individual areas of expertise required to provide this level of assurance to the client; and SYMRED SPS can provide staff support in specific areas, on an "as needed" basis depending on a Client's in-house staffing. SYMRED SPS is available to contribute its effort wherever and whenever a Client is in need of experienced and knowledgeable assistance.

SYMRED SPS can provide independent project oversight evaluations, on both the technical and production aspects, to assure a client’s best interests are being satisfied. SYMRED SPS provides independent On-Site field assessment working independently to ensure client contract requirements are met or coordinate with client’s construction supervisor and other staff inspectors to oversee the production phase of the project.

In the performance of all work, SYMRED SPS staff will coordinate all its activities with the Client and his operators at all stages of the work which SYMRED SPS has been commissioned to undertake. SYMRED SPS's goals are to satisfy the Client's needs and to deliver Naval, commercial ships and luxury yachts exhibiting high quality standards in design and construction, with experienced attention to key safety and maintenance issues.

Construction Overview

SYMRED SPS is a maritime consulting company providing Ship Construction Oversight, to Clients who may not maintain full in-house staff in specialised disciplines. The service is formed by personnel with extensive work experience, in the design, construction, set to work and delivery for new acquisition/construction and major refit/modification marine vessel projects.

SYMRED SPS has been established to make that expertise, based on its knowledge of overall project responsibility and decision-making authority, available to other Clients who may be in need of such marine technical services. In addition to its own core personnel, SYMRED SPS can draw upon the extensive range of industry related companies and has a long working relationship with an extensive network of widely-known marine firms and independent consultants who are available to provide specialist expertise and support during all phases of any new ship acquisition program.

The SYMRED SPS organization has been streamlined so a small number of diverse and qualified individuals are responsible for the decision-making, completion, and management of any ship design, or construction program. The goal of SYMRED SPS is to assist Clients in the delivery of marine vessels with the same level of quality in design and construction, with experienced attention to safety and maintenance issues, as was built into previous vessels under its direction. 

SYMRED SPS has worked with individuals experienced in the day-to-day business of ship production and on-site construction supervision. These individuals and local service companies are available to SYMRED SPS to provide both general supervision and specific specialist inspectors to oversee production quality and progress in any shipyard that a Client may select to build his ships.

SYMRED SPS is available to provide any level of support that a Client/Operator may need, from overall program management to specialized assistance with specific tasks in any of the areas of SYMRED SPS's expertise.

SYMRED SPS has no vested interests in shipyards any where in the world and as such maintains professional independence and ethics for clients in all aspects of its operations.

What Services We Offer -

SYMRED SPS has prepared a brief overview of the services it can provide to a Client. Our Marine Technical and Project Management services can support a Ship Client/Operator in Construction Oversight.

• On-Site Construction Progress Review and Assessment
• Trials & Vessel Performance Evaluation

The following pages summarize some of the key areas of consideration in each of the disciplines and topics outlined above, and offer some insight into the services that SYMRED SPS can provide to a Ship Client/Operator.

Construction Oversight

Overview

A team of qualified shipbuilding inspectors, during the production phase of the program is required to ensure that the builder carries out his obligation to construct a vessel that meets the quality standards, costs and delivery contracted and envisioned by the Client. SYMRED SPS believes that this on-site staff should report directly to the same organization that has management authority over the Post-Contract Technical Effort discussed previously. On previous programs that SYMRED SPS personnel have managed, the result of this approach was a smooth blending of the technical and field issues, with one single voice representing the Client when key decisions had to be made.

On-Site Construction Supervision

A key part of any new ship acquisition project is the role of the on-site construction supervision staff. SYMRED SPS has a network of individual consultants and experienced construction supervisors that can provide the necessary expertise for any new building or refit program. As part of any work proposal for overall program management, SYMRED SPS will allocate field staff to carry out on-site supervision. In addition can provide a qualified Site Supervisor, and support this effort with a mix of hull structural, outfit, machinery, electrical, and coatings inspectors to address the needs of the Shipbuilder's production schedule. In those cases where SYMRED SPS is responsible for the overall program, the On-Site Construction Supervisor would generally report to SYMRED SPS management. In addition, the SYMRED SPS management would make regular oversight visits to the shipyard to insure that the program is on-track and construction quality meets the contract standards.

Following launching of the ship, generally coincident with the commissioning of systems and the starting of rotating machinery, SYMRED SPS can use the field inspectors to assist with oversight of bringing the vessel's systems on-line and otherwise checking of the preparation of the ship for acceptance and delivery.

Trials Supervision & Vessel Performance

At the completion of the vessel's production, the Shipbuilder will schedule a comprehensive sea trial program to demonstrate that the vessel will meet its contractual performance criteria as well as meeting the requirements of all applicable regulatory bodies, including those of the selected classification society.

SYMRED SPS can be incorporated to be used in an active role in the development of the sea trial program with the Shipbuilder. SYMRED SPS will can assist with resolution of any problem areas that may be identified during the trials.

Delivery and In-Service Follow-Up

Overview

Generally, a Shipbuilding Contract is closed out after expiration of the vessel's guarantee period. Hence, at delivery of the vessel, there should be an understanding between the Client and shipbuilder as to the organization and ground rules of the guarantee period. Issues such as the selection of, and duration of service for, the builder's guarantee engineer should be settled well before sea trials and delivery. On the Client's side, the technical and construction oversight teams should coordinate notes to short-list any issues that should be closely monitored during the guarantee period. SYMRED SPS has the experience to coordinate all production wrap-up and delivery issues and then formulate a thorough guarantee follow-up program.

Post-Delivery Guarantee Follow-Up

After the vessel is delivered and enters service, the terms of the guarantee clause in the Contract will apply. At the preference of the Client, SYMRED SPS can coordinate the guarantee follow-up activities and then negotiate with the Shipbuilder for satisfactory settlement of all guarantee claims filed during that period.

Initially, all guarantee claims are typically made by the Master of the vessel, and then filed with the Shipbuilder for action and resolution. SYMRED SPS will review each claim for completion, content, and validity as a claim, and then confirm the claim to the Shipbuilder. In the event that there are claims that cannot be easily resolved during a service engineer's visit to the ship, SYMRED SPS will, on behalf of the Client, negotiate a satisfactory settlement with the Shipbuilder. Included in SYMRED SPS's efforts will be periodic visits to the ship, including a thorough joint guarantee survey, held at the end of the normal guarantee period, attended by representatives of the Client, the Shipbuilder, and vendors' service engineers as invited by either or both of the parties. Following that survey, SYMRED SPS will lead a guarantee settlement negotiation meeting to resolve and settle all outstanding claims. At the conclusion of that effort, the formal ship acquisition program may be closed and SYMRED SPS's project role completed.

In-Service Vessel Inspections

In addition to vessel inspections that may be scheduled as part of the guarantee follow-up effort, SYMRED SPS is available to lead or participate in other in-service vessel inspections that may be required by a Client. SYMRED SPS's general involvement in such inspections would be in those instances where its diverse technical and ship construction background would be of value. In general, SYMRED SPS would coordinate the in-service survey with a review of the appropriate Class records in order to be up-to-date on any pertinent issues while on board.