Any navy shipyard is essential to ensuring the preparedness to its fleet, incorporating aircraft carriers and submarines, and providing support to operations. Shipyards are critical in the maintenance of ships, emergency repairs, modernization of vessels and deactivations. The US each year spends lots of money in its shipyards, to maintain their capability to participate in essential missions, such as war. It is reported that over the last five years, the US Navy has spent over $1.9 billion investment in its shipyards (McBride, 2000). Moreover, as of June this year, the navy had in its possession 276 ships, including ten aircraft carriers and 70 submarines that the naval shipyards were charged with the responsibility of management and maintenance. The US is just one case study, mainly because it has invested heavily in the military. All countries especially those that border great waterfronts have a naval unit in their defense forces. The navy is charged with the duty of protecting the various nations from external aggressions that arise from the sea. To be able to provide the protection, a country ought to invest in the equipment and workforce to enable operation capability and efficiency. Such enormous costs are spent on purchasing warships and other related equipment.
Proper management of shipyards is crucial to ensure success. A successful shipyard enhances mobility and readiness. In case an urgent matter that needs naval intervention arises, there ought to be ships or other sea automobiles that are ready for combat. Warships, as well as the necessary personnel, must be prepared all the time (Komoroski et al., 2006). This essay defines and describes an organizational strategy that will offer the best way of managing a thriving shipyard. It incorporates aspects such as finance, personnel, management of facilities, training, and maintenance of ships as well as curbing and treating pollution in the shipyard.
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Finance
A naval shipyard ought to be always financed adequately if at all any government intends to strengthen its military prowess in the sea. Purchasing of warfare tools and equipment is in itself a costly affair. The same applies to the maintenance and repair of the machine. Majority of the expenditure is realized in the following projects.
• Military construction projects which involve development, construction, extension or conversion projects of any type with the inclusion of repair work.
• Select projects that include the modernization and restoration of facilities and equipment.
• Equipment projects that incorporate the installation of equipment in plants. These projects are limited only to non-structural work.
All the projects mentioned above are known as capital investments. Most governments in the world are known to underfund the navy and only focus on ground troops. This funding is triggered by the notion that the sea is safe and experiences fewer invasions. The current world continues to suffer piracy at the sea as well as natural disasters (Guneri, Cengiz, and Seker, 2009). The modern global concern of global warming has given rise to unprecedented calamities such as tsunamis. When such accidents happen, the Navy is charged with the mandate of intervening and trying to save lives. These events usually catch many navies unawares, or unprepared hence many lives that could have been protected are lost. It is reported that the ships are generally in a bad condition or are absent. The shipyards need to be restored and modernized. Presently, technology has advanced. All countries that have naval units ought to be at par with the modern trends if at all they intend to have the upper hand in sea maneuver strategies. Old ships and warfare facilities do not have a chance in the contemporary world. A shipyard ought to have equipment that ensures speed and accuracy. The tools that are used in the repair work need to be automated to avoid the active use of human resources that often takes ages.
Realizing that there had been a culture of under-investment of restoration and modernization of the shipyards, the US Congress passed a law that required the secretary of the navy to invest adequately in these sectors (McBride, 2000). Perhaps the US Congress recognized the importance of being ahead in sea combat and application of technology in modern warfare. To enhance efficiency, there ought to be proper management of the funds. The office of the Chief of Naval Operations should be the one with the mandate of controlling the overall allocation of the money needed to restore and modernize the shipyards. This step ensures accountability and for record purposes. After the distribution, the funds can then be disbursed to the relevant units, headed by their respective commanders. The naval engineering teams should be involved in the process because they are the ones that can assess and come up with the required amount of funds to do the desired operations.
Management and restoration of facilities
There is a typical scenario whenever an individual visits any shipyard in the world. Most shipyards appear as old and antic sights. As much as many governments have taken steps to raise shipyard capital investment and trying to improve them, the shipyards remain in poor conditions. Equipment could be working, but the facilities are old and in a sorry state. In fact, most shipyards around the globe are not building any new buildings despite the increasing needs of modern warfare. The US navy data, for instance, reveals that there may be approximately 1.2 million square feet of isolated, uninhabitable space that is not being put to use. The report further emphasizes that there are about four dozen shipyard structures across the four navy shipyards in the country that have been condemned. Some of those shipyards are found in the prime waterfronts, and officials posit that the neglected facilities could step up efficiency in the repair processes. Researchers also note that most of the shipyards were constructed long ago and cannot meet the current obligations. The responsibility of any navy administrator presently is to reduce the backlog and improve efficiency. The congestion in a majority of the shipyards cannot warrant successful operation. The first step that ought to be taken is to ensure that the neglected facilities are put to use. The navy administration should minimize at all costs the isolation of some structures to act as monuments. The naval shipyards need to serve their purposes and not be selected as sight-seeing structures. Each day, the navies are purchasing equipment, and if spaces are being put aside for tasks which do not concur with the shipyard purposes, then there will be limited space. Navy yards need ample spaces in cases of emergency, repair, and training.
Personnel must be allocated with the duty of conducting checks of the existing structures within the naval shipyards and noting down the uses of each of the buildings. These tests ensure that a record of all the facilities within the shipyard is kept. With the technological advancement, the whole comprehensive structure and plan of the shipyard ought to be held in soft copy on computers. Such a technique eases the review and monitoring process. The management of the shipyard needs to conduct routine inspections around the base. Any facility that is found not to be in operation should be noted and urgently addressed. Buildings that are not in right conditions ought to be repaired before they reach critical situations. To lessen the work of investigating the structures, a department in charge of physical facilities should be established with a clear report chain of command.
Human capital planning strategy
A navy shipyard ought to ensure that there are right individuals with the required skills in various fields and at the right time. Any competitive navy in the world needs highly skilled personnel in areas such as engineering, fabrication, and software development and information technology. The busy nature of most shipyards requires that such individuals be highly efficient and be able to avail the best results even under pressure. The success of a shipyard encompasses the growth of critical talent and essential competencies from within as well as the spotting and recruitment of talent from outside. This two-sided approach enables the shipyard to anticipate and accomplish its staffing needs in the dynamic environment and makes sure that employees are prepared well to fulfill the shipyard’s challenges in the near as well as the longer terms. The shipyard management ought to put in consideration the following factors when planning to hire personnel;
• The administration should comprehend the shipyard’s mission and the challenges facing it
• It should find out how work practices and processes are shifting in the world
• The quality of life within the shipyard should be assessed to maximize productivity and the long-term human resource efficiency as well as spotting future needs and opportunities.
• The administration should determine skill sets as well as levels of staffing and competencies to accomplish expected future work and requirements.
• The management is charged with the duty of coming up with plans to meet the demands of staffing level and develop essential competencies through competitive outsourcing, and recruitment.
• The administrative team should also spot urgent needs that need unique action to appoint, recruit or retain workers with the required skills and knowledge.
Cost effective workforce strategy
Workforce planning
For effective management of personnel, a human resource department should be created. This administration ought to set the total employment levels and overtime limits for the shipyards (Huselid and Becker, 2005). The shipyard itself will determine the scale and the requisite skills that will make up the entire workforce and establish how overtime will be executed. The shipyard labor force ought to be arranged and managed by shop and trade-skill. Usually, a shipyard must have stores that are otherwise referred to as production or support shops. These stores typically produce some essential products and services on the shipyard that include painting and blasting, welding, electronics, sheet metals, among others. The support shops give support services such as quality assurance, lifting, and handling. The labor force within the shipyard most of the time mirrors the number of production and support shops.
Shipyard managers ought to develop different types of labor to address unforeseeable factors in the shipyard operations. These kinds of job could comprise of;
• Permanent, full-time employees who work throughout the year.
• Seasonal, full-time workforce that is guaranteed a minimum of six months of work in a year but might not work throughout the year. These types of employees also maintain benefits while working.
• Borrowed workers, who are employed permanently on loan and are poached or hired from another public shipyard
• Apprentices, who constitute new employees that are enrolled in learning or apprentice program related to a production trade.
• Individuals in the military who provide maintenance services
• Contractors, who work in the shipyard in any capacity, other than the ones described above and who are secured through contracts
• Temporary employees, whose employment model is almost similar to contractors only that they can be allowed or discharged of their duties at the shipyards at any time.
Each of the labor types mentioned above avails different experiences for the shipyard manager. For instance, seasonal labor force can be placed on no-pay status to assist the administration to manage brief periods of work decline. The apprentice method is employed to teach and impart the future workforce with the relevant skills. Permanent staff assists in maintaining the needed essential capabilities. Borrowed labor force can help solve the plight of worker shortages, especially in highly specialized skills. Uniformed personnel do not operate like the other types of labor regarding availability, ability and how the management can employ them. They mainly perform intermediate-maintenance duties that need less skill. It is because of their training and readiness. Military personnel are not subject to similar regulations as the civilian workforce and can perform their duties to overtime levels that are above those recommended for the civilian workforce. Shipyards should also subcontract work using other methods in case of severe shortages. There are usually problems that arise which require the hiring of individuals that possess particular talents.
Labor force motivation
One of the most critical factors in enhancing labor productivity is the motivation of labor force. Employees experience high levels of motivation when they realize that the management cares about their welfare (Huselid and Becker, 2005). When employees do not have enough motivation, they resort to developing anti-work behaviors such as negligence of duties, absenteeism, failure to meet deadlines, display of open frustration, and late coming. The employees can be motivated in some of these ways that include (1) recognition of their excellent work. Their performance efforts should be acknowledged. Simple things such as compliments and even a pat on the back can trigger great outcomes. Administrators can also come up with structured ways of recognizing individuals by developing charts that acknowledge good work every month. (2) Challenging employees to improve. It can be done by assigning the employees more difficult tasks. Individuals often develop a sense of pride if they accomplish more complex duties. Performing similar jobs every day is dreary and demoralizes majority of the employees. (3) Provide clear expectations. A competent manager states what is required for a specific task and the time factor. The employee will strive to attain the set standards of the work. Once the mission is approved, the worker will feel equal to the task and will go beyond his her limits to ensure quality and accuracy.
The labor force needs to be adequately remunerated. Working in a shipyard is one of the strenuous employment activities. The navy is continuously on the move, either on a mission or training. In case a disaster or war emerges, there are usually an increased number of events. More warships will need to be repaired and maintained. Providing an excellent pay package to the employees will enhance their effectiveness. Bonuses should be given as well as the applicable allowances. There ought to be promotions too. Employees should not work at a particular level of employment for a long time. Promotion enables competition and hence increases the output in the shipyard. The promotion should be on merit terms only. Only deserving persons should be rewarded. Favoring some people and elevating them to high positions will not auger well with their colleagues. The psyche will dwindle as well as the respect. The overall effect will be a reduction in performance at the shipyard.
Environmental management
A separate department ought to be set up to deal with environmental issues at the shipyard. Pollution at the majority of the shipyards around the globe has become a significant concern. Emissions range from solid wastes, gas emissions as well as liquid forms of wastes. Curbing pollution at the shipyards ensures a safe working environment for all (Delmas and Toffel, 2004). Majority of the shipyards are congested due to improper solid waste disposal. There are also many types of wreckage that have not been relocated. All damaged ships and equipment that are beyond repair need to be transferred to the mainland for proper disposal. The ship bodies can be recycled and put to other construction uses. A task force ought to be instituted to come up with ways of getting rid of hazardous and sensitive equipment. The main aim of finding appropriate ways to dispose of the solid wastes is to create more space for the many activities at the shipyards. A team should be put in place to manage and control all the scraps that are released at the shipyard. Their responsibilities should include the collection of the garbage, fitting the ships with the variously approved purifiers, inspecting the various automobiles, identifying the problems, notifying the relevant personnel, among others.
All the regular activities need to be coordinated. The Office of the Chief of the Naval Operations, which is the highest management level, should link with the other offices. The Chief of the Naval Operations ought to organize for meetings with the departments under him or her from time to time. Such sessions should be aimed at getting feedback from the ground and also address emerging issues. Moreover, the Naval Operations officer should optimize those meetings to brainstorm and seek solutions. The respective department heads once through with the meeting with the head office should communicate the outcome with those they command and get them to do what is required.
To conclude, as it can be deduced from the above strategy, putting mechanisms in place ensures efficiency and effectiveness in running a shipyard. There ought to be a plan as well as the vision and mission to accomplish essential tasks. Naval shipyards are crucial in making a country’s military operate at sea. It is vital that essential activities be organized systematically to achieve the desired output. All the factors of production need to be assessed and arranged to run a thriving shipyard.
References
Delmas, M., & Toffel, M. W. (2004). Stakeholders and environmental management practices: an institutional framework. Business strategy and the Environment , 13 (4), 209-222.
Guneri, A. F., Cengiz, M., & Seker, S. (2009).A fuzzy ANP approach to shipyard location selection. Expert Systems with Applications , 36 (4), 7992-7999.
Huselid, M. A., & Becker, B. E. (2005). The workforce scorecard: Managing human capital to execute strategy . Harvard Business Review Press.
Komoroski, C. L., Housel, T., Hom, S., &Mun, J. (2006). A methodology for improving the shipyard planning process: using KVA analysis, risk simulation and strategic real options/Acquisition Management.
McBride, W. M. (2000). Technological change and the United States navy, 1865–1945 (Vol. 27).JHU Press.
