pages.pdf
TRANSCRIPT
CONTENTS
FINANCETECHNOLOGY
KEY
DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS PROFILE NEWS SOCIAL
= =
10 14-154-5
WHAT IS DATA SCIENCE?
AN INSIGHT INTO HUMAN FACTORS
FINANCE UPDATE
= =
12-138-9
ARE YOU TAKING CYBER SECURITY SERIOUSLY?
FUN AND FUNDRAISING
HOW CAN WE USE 3D VISUALISATION?
18-19
11 16-176-7
FOUR GENERATIONS AT WORK
WE WELCOME BMT NAVCON TO THE GROUP
WHY NETWORK?
EDITORIAL
Welcome to a new look Staff in Partnership, our internal newsletter for sharing news about our activities across BMT.
In this new format, you will find articles which are interactive, covering a broad cross-section of what we do. We hope you will find these both interesting and inspiring.
Following on from my roadshow last year, this edition focusses on keeping ahead of the curve and includes articles on new technologies, business opportunities and changes in working habits.
We hear from BMT’s Research Directorate on why we must gain a better understanding of data science to exploit this capability.
Mark Watson, Head of ICT at BMT Group talks about the importance of taking cyber security seriously and we hear from Chris Greenbank at BMT Reliability Consultants on his role as a human factors
consultant and how we can use his expertise in customer engagement.
Simon Luck at BMT Defence Services looks at the application of 3D visualisation and James Roy at BMT Nigel Gee relates his experience of working in partnership.
BMT Group’s Finance Director, David McSweeney, gives an overview of our current financial situation, and we share a back-to-basics article on cash management, highlighting the importance of having enough cash in the bank to ensure business stability and growth.
With a wide range of topics, there is something for everyone. If you have any feedback regarding this new edition or would like to contribute to future editions, please get in touch with Katherine Iggulden, Marketing Executive, BMT Group.
Peter French, Chief Executive
BMT IN PARTNERSHIPS
20-21
24-28
BMT’S NEWS ROUND UP
TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO LEGO BOYS HAVE GONEBEFORE (PROBABLY)
22-23
BMT PROJECTS
The Research Directorate is liaising with several BMT companies – BMT Defence Services, BMT Scientific Marine Services and BMT SMART - to share ideas and insight on internal projects.
For BMT Scientific Marine Services, data comes from hundreds of sensors installed on offshore oil rigs worldwide, producing a high frequency and high volume of data.The company is looking for new
ways of managing it and turning it into useful information for their clients.
On an oil platform, you might want to look for loading patterns to estimate the fatigue damage in your structure and correlate it with environmental data such as ocean currents, waves and wind.
Anomalous sensor signals can provide information regarding the health of the sensors and help in planned maintenance that will result
in less downtime and improved efficiencies.
Using traditional methodology, this involves processing small amounts of data in batches, periodically producing reports and sending the reports to the client by email.
A great deal of that process can be automated, to the extent that you can give feedback to the customer within hours or days, rather than months.
Why is it important that BMT develops a greater understanding of data science? We talk to BMT’s Research Directorate scientists to hear about the work they are doing in this area.
Across the world, organisations are capturing more and more data. Anything from mobile phone data, shipboard sensors and web histories, to social media and customer loyalty information.
However, this deluge of raw, unprocessed information leads to two main shortcomings with the systems on which we currently rely for analysis, storage and processing.
Companies are collecting significant amounts of data in a wide range of areas: sales; relationships with customers; marketing; technical data; etc.
The majority, however, have no idea what to do with it and are not exploiting the business intelligence that could make a difference to them and their clients.
Organisations need to analyse data in smaller timescales, e.g. a retail business wanting to know what their customers are buying.
In the early years of data capture, it could take a magazine editor up to eight months to collate data on a magazine’s distribution, waiting weeks for stockists to respond on sales. You could not run a business this way today.
Data scientists can help by looking at trends or extracting more useful information, helping to overcome technical challenges associated with “big data”.
WHAT IS DATA SCIENCE?
Worldwide IP traffic has quadrupled
4
EUROPEAN UNION FUNDED PROJECTS
BMT has just completed a prototype system for the EU funded CONTAIN project, a container logistics security project to manage threats in the supply chain.
As part of this project, BMT developed an information analysis tool which used a graph database to support security authorities (e.g. customs, immigration, etc.) to analyse information for situational awareness.
Immigration personnel work with many different databases, i.e. visa holders, passenger histories, passport numbers, etc. Their job is to spot anomalies in travel schedules and recognise when people are travelling fraudulently.
Answering such queries is theoretically possible in a relational database.
However, it is usually too difficult or costly to implement, particularly when the data comes from disparate sources and arrives in many different formats.
A graph database, however, provides a way of bringing all of these data sources together in one format which focuses on relationships, making it a more intuitive way of structuring data and enabling more powerful queries.
In CONTAIN, customs authorities need to predict which of the millions of containers transported each year they should scan for illegal goods.Using a database to look at historical activity can help identify subtle patterns which indicate suspicious containers.
“Were these containers, which started their journey in this country, also routed through a particular type of company that has a business relationship with another business in one of several high-risk locations?”
The data in the graph can reveal patterns like this to improve the risk profiling and improve risk profiling.
The Research Directorate is now turning the technology to different applications in three other projects EUROSKY (air cargo security), CORE (supply chain security) and TAG CLOUD (a cultural heritage app integrating social media, gaming and augmented reality).
WANT TO KNOW MORE? This is an area from which BMT cannot afford to be excluded.
Companies need ideas and solutions for doing more than the bare minimum with their data.
To support collaboration, a new NAVIGATOR community called ‘Data Science’ has been created.
Use the community, get in touch, share ideas, talk about what data you have.
The more we share, the quicker we will be able to build a stronger group of experts across BMT.
Dr Will Martin
Tom Cane
For more information please contact: E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0) 20 8614 4296
T: +44 (0) 20 8614 4207
Click here to view the CONTAIN
graph database in operation
Join the Data Science Community5
BABY BOOMERS (AGED 50 – 65)
Believe in working their way up the ladder, paying their dues and working long, hard hours.
They are loyal to the companies they work for and will not move as often as other generations. They are working longer and retiring later.
They value face time in the office and many will not covet work flexibility or other work/life balance trends.
GENERATION X (AGED 35 – 49)
Independent and enjoy flexibility in their working hours and environments. They are very comfortable with technology and want frequent training that relates not just to the job, but to their careers.
They look for technology based instruction which includes multi-media and interactive, computer- based training.
They dislike “meetings about meetings” and neither want nor need face time. They are more likely to move companies than the Baby Boomers.
FOUR GENERATIONS AT WORKMany will be familiar with the generic labels given to recent generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, the Millennials and Generation Z, but what are the differing characteristics of these generations and how will they impact on psychological well-being and creative performance in the workplace?
6
Meeting the needs of current and future employees is key to ensuring BMT’s success. Without the right people in place with the right skills and attitudes, BMT cannot maintain a competitive advantage over its competitors.
Which is why a great deal of work is being undertaken to meet the varying needs of all generations.
Never before have BMT employees had access to so many development opportunities in such a variety of formats to meet differing needs. As well as traditional
classroom based learning, BMT also offers e-learning, one-to-one tuition, mentoring, coaching, team building and action learning sets.
In addition, managers and employees are increasingly taking advantage of psychometric questionnaires, 360 degree feedback exercises and self-awareness programmes to better understand drivers of behaviours.
The insight from these tools helps to increase engagement and understand team dynamics.
THE MILLENNIALS OR GENERATION Y (AGED 15 – 34)
More educated than any other generation to date, they are a multi-skilled set who focus on careerism, have an inclination for independence and look to work for ethical businesses.
They are very sociable, have lots of virtual friends and take advantage of virtual networks professionally. They are adaptable in terms of working space and will happily conduct a meeting in a coffee shop - that is, if they have the access to the technology they are hard-wired into.
They will go online and search the web as well as ask their own network of friends / associates for information.
They have a high commitment to training in order to develop their skills and capabilities, and make the most of e-learning opportunities.
GENERATION Z (15 AND UNDER)
They will have spent most of their formative years using the web and are used to instant action and satisfaction. Predictions see them as self-learners who will look more to consultancy work or owning their own businesses.
Trying to force-fit them into a traditional job environment could result in peer-frustration, reduced productivity, low morale and a lack of employee engagement.
For this group, connectivity and the use of modern media is as natural as breathing.
Personal development plans also support each generation with their individual package of development and training needs, which in turn further supports business objectives.
If you are interested in finding out more about the opportunities available to you across the group, please visit NAVIGATOR or contact the HR Development & Training department.
Louise Romano
Emma-Louise Mills
For more information please contact: E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0) 20 8614 4227
T: +44 (0) 20 8614 4256Join the HR Community7
WHY TARGET BMT?
There are small risks and high gains for hackers, with new opportunities for them to monetise the information they steal.
The underground black market is thriving and there is a huge trade in stolen data, malware and attack services.
For BMT, that means potentially accessing our pricing, designs, intellectual property and, equally worryingly, the intellectual property of our customers and partners.
Hackers can now be hired to target specific companies for as little as US$200 per website.
Cyber criminals could target BMT by infiltrating any number of areas within the group where cyber controls are weak.
This could lead to the compromise of other parts of the business, which is why it is imperative that we take cyber security seriously across the entire group.
To address this issue, BMT is now working towards reaching the standards set out in ‘Cyber Essentials’.
This set of guidelines is produced by the UK Government as part of its National Cyber Security Strategy to ensure the UK is a safer place in which to conduct business online.
The five main areas of control which all companies should understand and adhere to are: boundary firewalls and internet gateways, secure configuration, access control, malware protection and; patch management.
These controls have been shown to block 80% of cyber-attack techniques.
ARE YOU TAKING CYBER SECURITY SERIOUSLY?
As reported in the media, “Cyber-attacks now present a clear threat to all businesses and customers. While the problem is recognised among most large-scale enterprises, there remains an inability for any network to remain 100% secure. This means that, for now, the average likelihood of a data breach remains high while the capacity for prevention is worryingly outpaced by the capacity of the threat.”
Mark Watson, Head of ICT Strategy at BMT Group talks to us about what this means for BMT.
20 years ago cyber-attacks were only a small concern to businesses such as BMT, but now they are an ever increasing threat.
Every month, BMT Group alone is subjected to over 2,000 cyber-attacks. Multiply that by 24 for each of the operating companies and you have a significant number.
These attacks can range from automated attacks, compromising VPNs, attacking hardware or social engineering - which is the art of manipulating people into divulging private information such as passwords, and performing certain actions which may allow fraudulent behaviour.
Recently, BMT has had three major breaches across the operating companies which have required a quick response to manage.
“If BMT fails to take cyber security seriously, our relationships with our customers will be compromised and ultimately lead to loss of business.”
8
WHAT CAN WE DO TO REDUCE THREATS? The more devices we use as a company and the more of these which are connected to the internet, the more emphasis needs to be placed on securing these devices.
To have the necessary controls in place for staff in a more mobile environment, BMT has introduced Mobile Device Management (MDM).The use of MDM involves securing, monitoring, integrating and managing mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, in the workplace.
The intent is to optimise the functionality and accessibility of mobile devices within the enterprise, while simultaneously protecting the corporate network.
Whilst some companies in the group are already up to speed, data loss prevention technologies in others are starting to be implemented, such as: • Limitation of USB port access;• Restriction of Bluetooth
accessibility;• Tagging files created within BMT;
and• Ensuring that these files cannot
be passed through the boundary firewalls
Staff need to understand the threats they are facing and stay ahead of these attacks.
Most people are unware of the level of sophistication (both at a personal and corporate level).
To help, BMT is working on ways to inform staff of the risk of cyber-attacks using techniques such as social engineering, by which attackers can bypass technical controls. For example, an attacker may send an email claiming to be from a BMT staff member and the content contains an infected link.
Technical controls such as ensuring passwords are strong in terms of length and complexity can be made to make computers and programs more secure.
For advice on changing your password please read the cyber essentials guide on NAVIGATOR.
WHAT HAPPENS IF BMT DOES NOT TAKE CYBER SECURITY SERIOUSLY?
If BMT fails to take cyber security seriously, our legal and financial relationships with our customers will be compromised and ultimately lead to loss of business.
If there is one message I would leave with staff it is “Don’t lock the stable door after the horse has bolted”.
We must implement security measures before we have to explain to our customers and partners that we have had a breach resulting in a serious loss of data.
The IT and HR team are currently working on a programme of Cyber Awareness training for all BMT staff.The training will be computer based and will be taking place in the next few months. The full set of Cyber Essentials can also be found on NAVIGATOR.
Mark WatsonFor more information please contact: E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)20 8614 4220Join the NAVIGATOR Community 9
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HUMAN FACTORS (HF)?
HF optimises the interaction between systems and people.
WHY IS HF AS A DISCIPLINE OFTEN OVERLOOKED?
HF draws on scientific knowledge from a wide range of disciplines including psychology, physiology and engineering and offers reductions in total life cost, improved safety and performance.
Even with these benefits it’s still often overlooked. This may be the result of a misunderstanding of what HF is about - it’s not just knobs and buttons, it’s about taking a science-based systems engineering approach to integrating technology and people.
If two engineered components of a complex system aren’t integrated properly then it’s no surprise when things fail.
The same is true of people; human-system integration failures are part of what is commonly referred to as human error.
It’s not actually an error in most cases though - it’s more commonly the result of a failure of integration between people and technology.
THE MOST UNUSUAL PROJECT YOU’VE WORKED ON?
The most unusual programme I worked on (at the time) was an early unmanned aircraft programme.
When I first started I used to get some very strange looks, followed by ‘if this thing is unmanned why do we need human factors’ - which started a very long and detailed involvement in the programme!
Of course, so-called unmanned aircraft are not unmanned at all.
Rather, they are simply managed from a cockpit many miles away on the ground - and that makes for interesting and unusual challenges.
TELL US ABOUT APPLYING HF PRINCIPLES TO SYSTEM DESIGN
Part of the fun of HF is uncovering the issues which could trip up human performance - and understanding the likelihood and consequence of any issues.
Before joining BMT I was part of a team of scientists, engineers and military aircrew who developed flight tests to put aircraft modifications and new aircraft through their paces to make sure they were safe and airworthy.
That involved everything from working closely with test pilots, devising ground tests through to exploring human factors in-flight and ensuring all the data points had been addressed.
One day I could be flying low-level with a crew, the next I could be putting the test plan and paperwork together for a ground trial.
The key to success was the ability to be meticulously detailed, realistic about the understanding of risk, and pragmatic about applying the science to the reality of operating the equipment in context. DO YOU COLLABORATE IN YOUR WORK? I have been lucky to collaborate with other BMT companies and have been involved in both MARS tanker and LSV programmes.
I have also been fortunate to work on the safety side of land vehicle programmes, and to explore the wealth of research opportunities available within BMT.
I have also set up a partnership with Coventry University in the UK to collaborate on Human System Integration research through a part-time PhD.
AN INSIGHT INTO HUMAN FACTORSChris Greenbank, Human Factors Consultant at BMT Reliability Consultants, talks to us about his role.
Chris GreenbankE: [email protected]
M: +44 (0) 7774 311957T: +44 (0) 1489 553100 (ext 119)
For more information please contact:
10
T: +55 12 3937 7952E: [email protected]
For more information please contact:
WE WELCOME BMT NAVCON TO THE GROUP
How many staff are employed by BMT NavCon?
41 employees. What year was BMT NavCon started and by whom?
NavCon was founded in 1998 by Claudio Luiz Gonçalves Pires and Valter Ricardo Shad.
Who are BMT NavCon’s main customers?
Petrobras, Vale, INPE, DCTA, ALSTOM, ITA, FINEP and Ciência e Tecnologia (Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia).
In what main activities is BMT NavCon involved?
Services to the Oil & Gas industry
BMT has agreed the purchase of Navegação e Controle Indústria e Comércio Ltda (NavCon), a leading Brazilian specialist in monitoring systems for the offshore oil and gas industry.
BMT Scientific Marine Services Ltda was previously a minority stakeholder in NavCon and this new agreement fully integrates NavCon into the BMT group of companies.
The company specialises in data acquisition and motion monitoring systems, navigation and heading reference systems, and GNSS receivers for offshore, air, land and space applications.
FACTS ABOUT BMT NAVCON
11
1
2
34
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23 24
25
26
27
28
29 30
31
32
33
34
35
3614
Visit www.navcon.com.br
BMT FUN AND FUNDRAISING1. BMT Group staff held a wine tasting evening where they tried a variety of delicious wines and took part in activities such as wine tasting techniques and cheese and chocolate pairings.
2. Staff from across BMT had red noses added to their NAVIGATOR profile pictures to raise £1,359 for Comic Relief, helping children and adults in the UK and Africa.
3. Led by Chris Jones from BMT Reliability Consultants, a team of cyclists from a number of BMT companies took part in a bike ride to raise over £3,000 for Naomi House and Jacksplace for children with life-limiting conditions
4. Terry Hawkes, Senior Consultant at BMT Reliability Consultants, had his 40 year old beard shaved off to raise additional money for children at Naomi House and Jacksplace.
5. BMT Defence Services’ staff took part in the Bath Half Marathon. Participants included Jon Woodman, Andrew Harris, James Woolford and Luke Chapman.
6. A ladies hockey team from the Defence Sport & Recreation Association, wearing BMT Hi-Q Sigma-sponsored kit, enjoyed success at their first overseas competition in Gibraltar.
12
7. David Griffiths from BMT Group ran in the London Marathon to raise money for Kingston Cancer Care Unit. So far, David has raised over £1,000 for the charity. 8. BMT sponsored clothing for the Molesey Sea Scouts to wear when taking part in activities on and off the water. Find out more at Facebook fb.com/jaguarseascouts or Twitter @jaguarseascouts
9. The BMT Asia Pacific Dragon Boat Team enjoyed a good day in Deep Water Bay, finishing in 6th place in the Gold Bowl Race 2015.
PHOTO COMPETITION
We would welcome your witty captions to accompany the photo above, featuring BMT WBM’s National Practice Leader Water Quality - Tony Weber.
For your chance to win a BMT branded power bank, please email your suggestions to:[email protected] by 31st July 2015
PHOTO
COMPETITION
Win a BMT branded powerbank
13
FINANCE UPDATE
DAVID MCSWEENEY, FINANCE DIRECTOR AT BMT GROUP GIVES AN OVERVIEW TO THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS FINANCIAL YEAR.
To date, the Asia Pacific region has struggled, due largely to the continued recession in Australia.
This is unfortunate given that, over the past eight years, companies in the region had enjoyed significant growth. Government money is now finding its way back and programs for the coastal section of the business are doing well.
Although demand is low, the water and environment businesses continue to generate revenue. However, because the mining sector is still suffering losses, this is reflected in the region’s results.
Although general economic improvement has been suggested at two years, my belief is that it may take much longer before we return to a pre-recession economy.
The Hong Kong business is doing well with its infrastructure projects, and in India there is a lot of demand which is good for ongoing activity. Indonesia is performing very well and its new laboratory will hopefully give a more sustainable, local business.
In the Americas, BMT’s project management capability needs to be reviewed more closely so that we can learn lessons from recent loss-making projects in the oil & gas sector.
BMT Scientific Marine Services is looking to diversify and sell services into allied markets and BMT Designers & Planners continues to show how a consultancy business should act effectively with excellent utilisation of staff.
For BMT Fleet Technology, the market place has been difficult; however, joining forces with BMT Hi-Q Sigma to exploit new revenue streams provides reasons to be optimistic about the future.
Europe is doing very well, especially in the defence sector, with companies such as BMT Defence Services, BMT Reliability Consultants and BMT Hi-Q Sigma taking on more work. BMT Nigel Gee is also doing well, especially in the yacht design market.
To date, BMT overall is behind budget and we are forecasting to be at two-thirds of the budget by the year end in September (budget was forecast at £6 million profit, but will be in the region of £4 million). For the remainder of the year, it is important to keep cash management in mind. BMT gives customers an average of 15 weeks in which to pay invoices. This needs to be shortened to 11 weeks. Add up outstanding invoices across the group and we are failing to collect £41 million worth of cash owed to us at any one point in time. Clearly, invoices need to be chased up and paid on time no matter how large or small. Agree client payment terms in advance and stick to them.
In order to meet budget, companies also need to price projects properly to cover costs and improve margins. Time needs to be taken to better understand the risks of a project so as to avoid unrecognised threats at a later stage.
For any questions regarding cash management, please speak to your Financial Controller in the first instance. If you are seeking wider further advice on cash management, then please do contact Louisa Williams, Group Cash Manager.
TURNOVER 2014/15 (£’ 000)
OPERATING PROFIT 2014/15 (£’ 000)
90.000 -
80.000 -
70.000 -
60.000 -
50.000 -
40.000 -
30.000 -
20.000 -
10.000 -
0 -Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
2014/15Actuals
2013/14Actuals
2.500 -
2.000 -
1.500 -
1.000 -
500 -
0 -
-500 -Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
2014/15Actuals
2013/14Actuals
14
LOUISA WILLIAMS, BMT GROUP’S CASH MANAGER TALKS ABOUT BMT’S CASH MANAGEMENT POSITION.
Good cash management is essential if a business is to succeed and grow. It ensures short-term stability and longer term survival by managing and smoothing out cash flows via the collection, handling and usage of cash.
There is an old adage, ‘turnover is vanity, profit is sanity but cash is king’. Regardless of the number of profitable large scale projects won, if you don’t have the cash to complete these projects, the business will fail.
The majority of BMT cash comes from invoiced work; however it also comes from investment income and asset disposals.
BMT uses cash to pay suppliers, overheads (premises, facilities, office equipment) and staff. Cash also facilitates growth by enabling the acquisition of companies.
A part of cash management is also to ensure that there are sufficient bank facilities (overdrafts and loans) in the background to cover any cash shortfalls and enable uninterrupted trading.
WHAT IS BMT’S CASH POSITION NOW?
In September 2013 BMT had approximately £15 million in own operating cash as well as investment funds of £11 million, which was viewed as a comfortable cash position at that time.
However, by December 2014 our operating cash had fallen to around £3 million, with £11 million remaining in investment funds.
The decline was in part due to the recession and profits being squeezed - if we generate less profit there is less cash in the bank- investment in new products; poor trading in some BMT companies as well as rapid growth in others and, over the last few years, the acquisition of several companies.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE DON’T IMPROVE IT?
BMT needs to generate more cash, to become less reliant on external bank facilities and fund future growth internally.
In extreme cases, if operating companies continue to generate insufficient cash to meet existing and future commitments, they will eventually cease trading.
Every member of staff can contribute to cash management, the key components of which are listed in our infographic.
15
USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO NETWORK
Twenty years ago, it was more difficult to find out about a company or individual. However, with the use of social media, access to information is now available 24/7, globally.
Tools such as LinkedIn can give you the opportunity to research a prospect or customer before you even attend a meeting.
You may want to find out about their previous work history, or if you have any connections, or interests in common.
LinkedIn also has a number of forums and thought leadership groups which can be used for knowledge sharing.
Internally, BMT Hi-Q Sigma uses Yammer to ensure its management consultants at customer sites globally can network internally to share ideas and keep each other informed.
However, it is important to remember that, whilst social media is a great tool, nothing beats a face-to-face meeting, as it enables you to build a better relationship. You are not purely focused on words, but can read body language as well.
After all, people still buy from people first and prefer to do business with people they like, trust and deem credible, so it is important to build relationships that can potentially deliver results in the future.
BMT Hi-Q Sigma has grown rapidly over the past five years with an increase in sales from £7 million to over £18 million.The company has gone from a mainly UK based, maritime focussed business to working across a variety of markets and geographies.
The company’s success means it is seen increasingly as the partner of choice for big market players such as Deloitte, Price Waterhouse Cooper, KPMG and Ernst & Young.
Here, Dean Taylor talks about his role as Business Development Director and the importance of networking to the company.
Networking, as a business and personal tool, will help to deliver overall business and
marketing objectives and can significantly enhance career opportunities. It works incredibly well if you are looking to break into new markets, learn about your competitors and deepen your knowledge about your customers.
The more people you know, the more chance you have of finding opportunities and collaborating on business prospects. Whether you are speaking to a new supplier or future customer, you are giving more exposure to your company or personal brand. Every person you meet has a potential network for you!
A great number of people across BMT don’t believe they do business networking, or they think they’re not proficient at it. I would challenge this and say, without realising it, they are
probably already networking, almost daily!
When you join a club, go to a sporting fixture, speak to the window cleaner, or go out to dinner with friends, you are networking. Throughout everyday life, you will meet new people and have conversations with them about countless topics. Each conversation increases your network.
Who knows, at that rugby match you’ve gone to, you could be introduced to somebody from an organisation you want to do business with. You start a conversation about their job role and you have a potential lead in to their business. Networking can occur at any time!
WHY NETWORK?
16
WHAT ARE THE FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR BMT?
To keep ahead of the competition, we need to network more internally as well as externally. Using a group-wide Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool such as Microsoft Dynamics will help.
As each company in the group expands to focus globally and possibly move into new markets, we need to collaborate with each other to utilise BMT networks better.
We also need to focus our time to gain the right leads for our businesses. Time spent researching a person or business and forging relationships will create stronger business ‘win chances’.
If you don’t have this relationship and rely on just submitting
proposals, you stand to win only a small percentage of bids.
A face-to-face meeting increases your chance of winning work enormously.
We must also become better at identifying and communicating our capability strengths to our customers, and constantly remind them of our added value offering.If you have any sales questions, or are seeking advice, Dean will be happy to talk with you. Get in touch.
DID YOU KNOW?
Institute of Directors (IOD ) offers 25 hours per year free market research, if you have membership- make use of it.
Dean TaylorFor more information please contact: E: [email protected] T: +44 (0)1225 820980
Visit www.bmt-hqs.com17
HOW CAN WE USE 3D VISUALISATION?
What do you currently use 3-D visualisation technology for?
We’ve built a really strong and capable team that provides everything from storyboarding and concept images all the way through to highly detailed renders and simulation experiences using virtual reality (VR).
We use a range of these services to help with marketing our platform designs (either publicly or within bids).
Most recently, we’ve used this technology on the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier designs.
A virtual reality tour of the vessels was created which included a unique interfacing between two of them.
We’ve also worked on both the Tide-Class Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) tankers that BMT has designed for the UK Ministry of Defences
and the Logistics and Support Vessel (LSV) designed for the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation.
We’re further enhancing reports for Dstl, demonstrating ship survey prototypes with Google Glass and improving our ASSERT application with enhanced graphics to enable more effective decision making.
We talk to Simon Luck, Head of Information Systems at BMT Defences Services, on the future of 3D visualisation and how BMT could adopt this technology more widely to the benefit of its customers.
3D visualisation uses computer software to create detailed, lifelike, three-dimensional representations of natural or manmade objects to communicate a message or
to allow interaction within an environment that has not been physically built yet.
3D visualisation has become more realistic with both static
and animated photorealistic imagery whilst the hardware required to use it has become more cost effective.
18
What benefits does this visualisation technology deliver?
It gives the opportunity to view the proposed layout without the need to invest in expensive and time consuming physical mock-ups. Costs are cut whilst the design process is accelerated. Using a virtual reality headset allows users to view the virtual environment through 360 as though it was real and to become fully immersed in the experience.
This visual immersion gives those involved a far more powerful insight into the design than is available via a computer aided design screen or a model, allowing them to make key decisions on design detail that will hopefully reduce the risk of needing to make changes further down the line.
How can it support the sales process?
From a marketing standpoint 3D visualisation provides a wow factor, as well as the less obvious benefit of being able to take a full-sized (albeit virtual) aircraft carrier to a trade show.
Communicating BMT’s skill in design through engaging high-end and 3D visualisations is a powerful way to support the sales process with true-to-life interaction.
Do you think BMT could be using this technology more?
I’d like to see more visualisation within bids as there’s no doubt the end customer has a much better experience and can make a much more informed decision, as they can see the offering or the context of the offer more easily.
Throughout BMT, there are many instances where visualisation can help and add more to the offering. Visualisation of complex engineering projects can help to identify risk early on in the project. It helps the customer understand the process of a project as well, perhaps highlighting key areas of concern or demonstrating the benefits of doing something differently.
Where do you think the future of
3D visualisation lies?
I can really see the power of augmented reality (AR) in supporting our projects. It’s inevitable that with a reduction in personnel aboard more complex vessels, they are going to have to rely on technology to support maintenance activities.
We also want to cycle through design iterations faster so using a combination of VR and AR, we should be able to design changes to physical spaces more quickly and test them using this technology.
The technology itself will become smaller and less intrusive and should allow users to switch from normal view to AR view to full VR very easily.
If you would like to find out more about this technology or think your business could benefit from further discussion, please con-tact Simon.
VIDEO
Simon LuckE: [email protected]
M: +44 (0) 1225 473 772For more information please contact:
Visit www.bmtdsl.co.uk19
For more information please contact:
Visit www.bmtyachts.com
JAMES ROY YACHT DESIGN DIRECTOR TALKS TO US ABOUT THE GOOD AND BAD OF PARTNERSHIP WORKING.
James Roy T: +44 (0) 23 8038 2529
Maintaining a competitive edge in the yacht and shipping market is not just about delivering a quality service on time and on budget. For BMT Nigel Gee investing in long-term partnerships has proven to be of immense benefit to its business.
HOW HAVE YOU TRADITIONALLY WORKED WITH CUSTOMERS?
The traditional approach is to define a scope of supply, price it, outline a delivery schedule and undertake the conventional commercial aspects of bidding for work.
This is done in a competitive environment, with others bidding for the same job.
That process can be quite quick or it can be extremely time consuming. This can depend on the customer and how well you know them.
If you don’t know them, a lot of time can be spent on forming a relationship with them and, if you do know them, time can be spent on haggling over price, delivery or resourcing. Often the number of hours spent on the commercial and administrative aspects of a job make it difficult to focus on the technical delivery.
WHAT WAS THE MOTIVATION FOR BUILDING STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS WITH SHIPYARDS?
Since the early days of BMT Nigel Gee, we’ve recognised that forging partnerships with shipyards is key to getting our designs sold as they actively sell to their customers.
We’re busy designing, so we try to form licence agreements with them to sell our designs exclusively and lock out our competition in key geographical areas.
This gives the shipyard a security of supply, proven design, naval architecture and engineering. It gives us a bigger footprint that we could not achieve on our own.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE SHIPYARDS?
For the shipyard, the traditional procurement approach is to get three quotes for every piece of equipment; so for a complex piece of procurement like a yacht or ship the process is painfully slow.
Some are now forming framework agreements with key suppliers and agreeing commercial terms which are reviewed every three to four years.
The yards speed up their production times, get more consistent quality, and both the supplier and the shipyard can focus on core activities.This extends not only to procurement of materials but also to services.
20
HOW HAS THE PARTNERSHIP WITH OCEANCO CHANGED YOUR BUSINESS?
The relationship with Oceanco goes beyond a licence agreement.
We’ve done the commercial haggling and agreed terms so that we don’t have to keep re-visiting this. This allows us to spend a lot of time focussing on building our relationship with them and we’ve made a level of commitment that, we hope, has built a lasting relationship. This takes trust, time and a lot of compromise.
As well as technical delivery, we’re sharing knowledge, intellectual property and team building activity and have undertaken training on regulatory codes and software.We’re sharing intelligence on Human Resources but moving it around, thereby usefully distributing resources. This helps to keep the knowledge within the partnership. CAN YOU MEASURE THE BENEFITS OF PARTNERING?
It’s a huge security of work. If we had to do business development to win the work we’re executing now, and have been for the last three years, it would have been more than a full-time role for me.
Instead, it gives me time to develop the relationship. For most, having a long-term partner like this is an aspiration.
The difficulty is in finding the right partner with the right mesh of culture, approach and attitude. With Oceanco, we’ve been lucky to find that.
That said, companies should also be aware of the risks of this approach. Spending a lot of time on one relationship and putting all your eggs in one basket is risky. If that relationship fails, you can be left with nothing.
That’s why we’re still out there doing further work in the superyacht market, alongside the diversity of other markets we operate in.
We have licence agreements in place with numerous shipyards with projects spanning windfarm support vessels, articulated tugs, fast ferries, patrol boats and work boats. HOW DO YOU PICK YOUR PARTNERSHIPS?
You have to be careful. You can’t be in bed with everyone. A lot of the shipyards are in the same markets and you can’t hope to have agreements with all of them.
You have to target who you want to work with, nail your colours to the mast and live with it. It’s tempting to work with somebody new but you can very quickly annoy your current partners.
HOW COULD OTHER BMT COMPANIES EXTEND THEIR BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS?
It starts with a conversation.
If you’re working with a business, have an established relationship and they’re putting work to you without going to the competition, you’ve got the foundations.
Form a framework agreement or make a small first step towards something more formal.
The key is to keep demonstrating that you are competitive because it’s easy to become complacent when you are sole-sourced.
All it takes is some change in management at the other end and, if you are not delivering on time, cost and quality, things can rapidly change. Adding value beyond your core delivery is also key.
“If we had to do business development to win the work we’re executing now, it would have been more than a full-time role.”
21
THE FIRST 100 ADVENTURES
So far, their adventures have included panning for gold, bat watching, caving, skiing, exploring a tunnel and watching the Aurora Borealis.
They have visited Legoland, camped in a luxury tent, become knights for a day, made a dinosaur garden, been to a car race and helped nurse an injured hedgehog back to health. They’ve even managed to catch some rainbows.
For their 100th challenge, the boys chose to send their Lego counterparts up into space.They were tasked with raising money for the trip and used crowd funding to sell seats on their spaceship. BMT Cordah also kindly made a donation to the project.
With all plans in place and ready for the launch it was, as you would expect in the UK, the weather that proved to be challenging.
Strong winds are the order of the day in the north east of Scotland, meaning that the spaceship would have to be launched in Glasgow to land back in Aberdeen if the winds did not die down.
A PERFECT WEATHER WINDOW
As it was, a perfect weather window opened up on Saturday 14 March and the boys, their parents and supporters headed to the launch site.
Little yellow astronaut men and women were strapped into the shuttle and, accompanied by the Lego boys, were sent up into space using a high-altitude weather balloon.
They travelled an impressive 19.8 miles into orbit and a Go Pro camera, with a battery life long enough to record the entire flight and the ability to withstand the -30deg temperature, caught footage of the trip, with stunning views of the curvature of the Earth and the Moray Firth coastline.
To give some perspective of the height reached, this is twice the height at which a commercial airliner flies.
BMT SPONSORS LEGO BOYS TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO LEGO BOYS HAVE GONE BEFORE (PROBABLY!)With 99 adventures under their young belts already, it was felt that adventure number 100 had to be a special and challenging affair for Ollie and Harry, sons of Dr MacNeill Ferguson, Lead Senior Environmental Consultant at BMT Cordah, Aberdeen, and his wife Vicki.
At only five and three years old, the boys have been set a challenge by their parents to undertake 500 adventures before they reach the age of 18.
The adventures will encourage them to explore the world around them, while having as much fun as possible. And it is all being documented for them on a Facebook page called ‘The Days Are Just Packed’.
View the space shuttle taking off and landing here
22
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
With the mission accomplished successfully, the boys even received a message from world-famous astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield.
His message to the boys not only wished them good luck but reminded them that ‘The Sky is Not the Limit’.
The little yellow astronaut men and women who paid for shuttle seats will be returned to those who sponsored them and the boys
have learnt a valuable lesson in planning, raising money and the challenges of space.
And with 400 adventures still ahead of them… the sky really is not the limit for Ollie and Harry.
23
BMT’s Annual Results
BMT’s 2015 Annual Report highlights the group’s financial results for the year to 30 September 2014 and profiles some of our major activities.
The group saw a strong performance for the year and secured revenues of £165m, with underlying operating profits of £10m.
A proportion of these profits have been distributed to the staff through the group’s profit share schemes.
PT BMT Asia Pacific Indonesia was chosen for proactively seeking collaborative opportunities, for assisting sister companies in any way it can and for always being prepared to go the extra yard. The selfless nature of the company was reflected in
the volume of work it passed to sister companies, exceeding the volume it retained.
The cups were presented by BMT’s Chairman, Dr Neil Cross, at the recent Annual Conference in the UK.
BMT NEWS ROUNDUP
This year, the David Goodrich Cup for Collaboration and the Jack Birks Cup for Outstanding Achievement have been awarded to Johnny Tjea, Managing Director of PT BMT Asia Pacific Indonesia and Charlie Behrle, President of BMT Designers & Planners respectively.
BMT Designers & Planners was recognised for its outstanding achievement in exceptionally challenging market conditions. The company drove down its costs, managed its overheads and improved margins to deliver an outstanding financial performance, whilst at the same time diversifying out of its core market and providing excellent support to sister companies.
AWARD WINNERS
Visit NAVIGATOR to view David McSweeney’s overview of the results.
DAVID MCSWEENEY
READ THE ANNUAL REPORT HEREView the financial information in dial format
Visit PT BMT Asia Pacific Indonesia’s website here and visit BMT Designers & Planners website here
24
Following a vote to select the next philanthropic project for the BMT Giveback programme, the ‘Bridge of Hope’ has been chosen as the winner by staff.
Submitted by Afta Bakhtiyar and Christopher Siguan of PT BMT Asia Pacific Indonesia, the project will see the development of bridges to connect semi-isolated areas in Indonesia.
Countless people have to risk their lives daily in dangerous river crossings or they must remain cut off from employment, education and health care. A simple bridge will help the people who live in such circumstances by providing a safe means of access to reach their destinations.
Over the coming weeks and months there will be lots of updates on NAVIGATOR as the project progresses.
In the meantime if you have any questions please contact Del Redvers, Head of Sustainability, BMT Group.
4 May– 10 July
The first tranche of Peter French’s Roadshow presentations started in Jakarta on 4 May.
Peter is visiting offices throughout the Asia Pacific region as follows: Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hong Kong, Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
He will then be visiting Teddington, Aberdeen, Southampton, Fareham, Amsterdam, Marknesse, London, Antwerp, Plymouth, Weymouth and Bath in Europe, followed by Kanata, Alexandria, Houston, Escondido, Denver, Victoria and Vancouver in North America.
8 – 11 June
This year’s Financial Controllers’ Conference will be takes place in June. Financial Controllers from across the group have been invited to share ideas and opportunities.
4 - 5 Sept
BMT’s 8th Annual Sailing Regatta is open for entries.
Whether you are a novice or a practised sailor, you can take part in this year’s challenge.
If you are interested in putting together a company team, please speak to your Managing Director or President.
UPCOMING EVENTS
BMT GIVEBACK
25
BMT Appointed to DSTO Panel
BMT Design & Technology, in Australia, has been appointed to the newly formed Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) panel for Scientific, Engineering and Other Technical Services.
This appointment will draw on BMT’s expertise to assist DSTO research and development efforts in a number of areas including mechanical engineering, blast physics, and electronic warfare and radar technologies.
Charlie Behrle to retire
After five years as President, Charlie has decided to retire from BMT Designers & Planners with Kai Skvarla, currently Vice President of Operations, succeeding him.
Charlie has agreed to continue in a part-time role in BMT Group, assisting with the implementation of the next evolution of 1BMT – the partnerships.
Visit BMT Designers & Planners’ website here
DEFENCE
Visit BMT Design & Technology’s website here
BMT Isis is sponsoring the Institute of Mechanical Engineers’ Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) Challenge 2015.
With the continued growth of UAS in a variety of applications from surveillance and border control to agriculture and the media, UAS will become an increasingly important part of everyone’s lives over the next ten years; but it is essential that public fears over safety are overcome.
BMT Isis is excited to have the opportunity to use its industry leading safety expertise to assist the competitors in addressing safety throughout all competition phases, from initial concept and design through to the final fly-off in July.
The newly established panel will assist service providers by streamlining administration and standardising contractual arrangements.
Other government agencies and defence groups, including the Defence Materiel Organisation, may also access the panel for delivery of relevant services.
26
Visit BMT Isis’s website here
High Quality Ocean Data for West Africa
Mid Atlantic Current Hindcast (MACH), a joint initiative between the Met Office, Oceanweather Inc and BMT ARGOSS, is a 20-year, high-resolution, layered data set that gives customers access to high quality ocean current information for West Africa.
It provides data to support offshore operational planning and engineering design in the region.
Recently, Robin Stephens from BMT ARGOSS and the partners shared more on this data set with customers.
Visit the BMT ARGOSS website here
ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
BMT WBM is delighted that a model which it developed for Sydney Water has been awarded the Program Innovation Award at this year’s Australian Water Association’s New South Wales Awards.
BMT developed the TUFLOW FV (estuarine and riverine) component of the model.
Tony McAlister, Dr Michael Barry, Rob Holmes and Tony Weber from BMT were responsible for construction of the model.This was one of the largest and most complex riverine and estuarine numerical models ever delivered in New South Wales.
BMT Innovation Recognised in AWA Awards
Visit the BMT WBM website here
BMT Oceanica awards Marine Science Prize
An annually sponsored BMT Oceanica ‘Marine Science Prize’ for best academic performance in Coastal and Marine Management at Murdoch University has been awarded this year to Madison Mueller.
The prize, which acknowledges academic achievement and encourages a career in the marine environmental field, was presented to Madison for her excellent grades in the subject by BMT Oceanica’s Dr Luke Twomey.
As well as the accolade of winning the award, a prize of $1,000 is given each year to the winner and support is provided in helping to pursue further studies or a career in marine sciences. Visit BMT Oceanica’s website here
Click here to view
the BMT Argoss Video
27
Queen Mary 2
BMT ARGOSS has assisted Liverpool Pilots in planning for the visit of the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 to Liverpool this month.
Liverpool Pilots have used BMT’s ‘REMBRANDT’ real and fast time simulation and training tool to undertake detailed planning of how the three vessels will manoeuvre in close proximity in the River Mersey at the narrowest point close to the Cunard Building.
Cunard’s Three Queens will visit the Mersey as part of the celebrations to mark the 175th anniversary of the famous cruise line.
Visit BMT ARGOSS’s website here
TRANSPORT
28