Page 10: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2000)

Investment in Design to a single point of contact regarding warranty and back-up for entire power train and propulsion equipment systems will no doubt be welcomed.

Alliances of such a nature accordingly promise long-run benefits in addition to conferring efficiencies in the design and execution of a project, through the deliv- ery of functionally integrated, complete systems. Indeed, Wartsila NSD and

John Crane-Lips are looking beyond the generative effect of the agreement on product sales to the extra opportunities that it offers in tendering long-term or life-cycle support. Significantly, service has come to account for 31 percent of the Finnish engine group's turnover, and its U.K.-owned collaboration partner attributes similar importance to its after- sales activities.

The link-up brings a complete array of two-stroke and four-stroke diesel machinery, transmissions, shaftlines, propellers, seals and bearings, thrusters. waterjets, pods and controls under the aegis of the Wartsila-Lips banner, albeit with Wartsila NSD acting as integrator and main contractor.

The move is all the more notable for the single-minded, self-reliant attributes long displayed by Wartsila NSD and its

Finnish antecedents. However, if it seems to go against the grain in that respect, the collaboration is distin- guished by the remarkable degree of product complementarity, which it con- fers. It is equally significant in denoting a meeting of minds in two European advocates of vigorous investment in technology and champions of in-house manufacturing control. The Finnish group recently gave further expression to its belief in the partnership-type approach by entering into a working agreement with Carnival Corporation for the development of a 'smokeless' diesel engine. Using potent medium- speed machinery from the existing range as the design basis, Wartsila NSD will apply common rail fuel injection technology and its direct water injection method to a project for a diesel-electric propulsion plant with exceptional envi- ronmental credentials and an increased level of efficiency.

Careful packaging and delivery

Although it is now looking to a period of consolidation, the robust acquisitive policy pursued over the past few years by the independent research organiza- tion British Maritime Technology (BMT) has widened its market reach and strengthened its hand in providing 'packages' of services. Chairman David

Goodrich confirmed that "BMT's con- tinued long-term strategy is to become a 'one-stop' consultancy, differentiated by the outstanding quality of its products and services and integrity of its advice."

The restructuring of the group last fall, putting all subsidiaries and joint ven- tures under the supervision of two man- agement companies in Greater London and Virginia showed understanding of the importance of being able to effi- ciently and quickly deliver and respond to customers.

Assembling the components of a com- prehensive service capability is not in itself a guarantee of turnkey business, as

BMT clearly recognizes. As in all such situations, the various companies and personnel need to be able to interact freely, in identifying and pursuing busi- ness opportunities, looking to the com- mon good of the organization.

The institution of the Employee Bene- fit Trust system in 1998 was a prudent, motivating measure. Nonetheless, prag- matic management has laid down build- ing blocks on which to create a single- sourcing platform. One example of this is a secure system of internal communi- cation, using the electronic medium, through which market intelligence can

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