OIL & GAS
Fit4Off shore programme
manager Andrew
Stormonth-Darling
COHORT APPROACH
Another di erence in comparison
with Fit 4 Nuclear is that F40R uses a
cohort approach, so a company does not
go through the process alone, but as a
part of a group.
Says Stormonth-Darling: “No
sensitive information is shared, and we
try to avoid having direct competitors
as part of the same cohort. However,
companies get together every few
months at least on a virtual call and
have the chance to share best practice,
as well as any concerns. It also helps
to raise awareness of who is part of
the cohort; we have already seen
this lead to business deals and the
formation of commercial
relationships.”
To date, 15
photo: Balmoral
A Balmoral test rig
companies have nished
the programme, all of
which now have the
leadership, resources
and processes in place
to maintain this status and,
indeed, continuously improve
their business management practices in
the future with the aim of securing more
work in the o shore renewables sector. A
further 43 companies are currently on the
F4OR journey, from manufacturers and
engineering design companies, through to
o shore/onshore service specialists and
vessel operations companies.
“The programme is for established
companies with 10 or more employees,
or with a turnover of £1 million upwards,”
explains Stormonth-Darling. “Applicants
must also have ISO 9001 or be actively
working towards it. In addition, there
are currently some regional restrictions
regarding speci c funders and which
companies are geographically eligible.”
F4OR is presently supporting cohorts
of companies in three live regional
programmes: northeast Scotland,
northeast England and East Anglia,
thus tting well with the government’s
‘levelling up’ agenda. However, companies
not based in one of these regions, but still
interested in F4OR, are encouraged to
complete a general expression of interest
form available on the website.
management buy-in from the outset.
“It needs a programme champion
to take it by the horns and provide
evidence of change and implement the
recommendations,” he says. “This could
entail introducing new processes, or new
ways of monitoring or reporting. Without
senior level buy-in, it can be a struggle.”
The process begins with an initial
capability questionnaire regarding the
company’s current position against the
set standard. F4OR expert advisors then
verify the scores put forward by visiting
the business in person.
“In itself, it’s a useful exercise for
businesses, as they get a chance
to benchmark their performance,”
says Stormonth-Darling. “Our
experts will scrutinise the company’s
manufacturing processes, health
and safety procedures and relevant
documentation, for example. The team
will look at the gaps and, together with
the company, develop an action plan to
address those points.”
Moving forward, companies
upload evidence of their actions to
an online portal, veri ed by periodic
F4OR checks. In addition, there are
15 separate ‘surgery modules’ to
complete. These surgeries are 2-3 hour
sessions that provide opportunities for
knowledge improvement in key areas
such as supply chain, marketing and
innovation.
“Ultimately, the whole process
moves through to pre-granting
and granting phases, where we
make a nal call on whether the
company has met the criteria,”
says Stormonth-Darling.
Winter 2021 www.operationsengineer.org.uk 77
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