Page 38 - SMI Issue 62

Tools & Spare PartsIndependent engine maintenancean effective alternative to OEMsAcompany has responded to an article in the summer issue of The Ship Supplier which focused on a survey showing the importanceof original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for maintenance and support, by saying that independents provide an ‘effective alternative’ to OEMs and can actually save the operator money.Sarah Wade, CEO of dieselpower specialist Royston, based in Newcastle, UK said independent engine maintenance providers were in a unique position to support ship owners faced with mounting cost efficiency pressures.“These are difficult times forship owners and fleet operators – particularly for those in the oilfield services market. Rising operating costs, tighter margins and the downturn in oil and gas sector activity mean that even greater focus is now being placed on finding cost savings and operating more efficiently wherever possible.”She said recent industry surveys pointed to a rise in vessel operating costs in both 2015 and 2016 and these were attributed to new regulations, the high bargaining of the oil majors, stricter rules regarding maintenance and repairs carried out in ports, the advent of more sophisticated onboard machinery and increasing consolidation in the marine equipment and services sector.Other surveys also showed that many owners had cut back on expenditure on repairs and maintenance in recent years and some ‘catching up’ of overdue engine servicing could now be expected.“The reference to deferred maintenance is an interesting one and in our own experience thisis also precisely the area where some shipping companies are now increasingly turning to specialist independents rather than OEMs.”Ms Wade said to illustrate this trend, in the last 12 months Royston had successfully established engine service framework agreements with a number of shipping companies, reflecting both the renewal and extension of existing agreements and success in winning new contracts.She believes the increased popularity of longer term framework agreements reflects how the use of more cost effective engineering and maintenance solutions has become a key operational factor among ship owners.“In response, by using an independent, we estimate that ship operators can typically save around 30% of typical OEM diesel engine service and maintenance costs without any compromise on the quality and standard of engineering work provided – and this is usually verified by rigorous technical audits and assessments of the providers’ diesel engineering capabilities,” said Ms Wade.She said as a fully independent operation, diesel engine specialists like Royston were completely focused on the business of providing effective and high quality engine maintenance services to customers and this was helped by the long-standing relationships developed with the major high and medium speeddiesel engine manufacturers. This had meant ensuring that engineers were properly trained and fully qualified to OEM skills standards.“The availability of enough suitably experienced and skilled service engineers is also a key consideration and one which the OEMs can find challenging,” said Ms Wade.“Official representative or main OEM agency status also gives an approved independent instant accessto official online parts and ordering systems. As a result, all parts used on engine repair, maintenance and overhaul wok are genuine and sourced through official OEM supply chains, eliminating worries over the use of inferior, ‘grey market’ or counterfeit components.She said other advantages of being independent included being ableto offer parts and spares for older engines, and retaining the specialist technical manuals and tool kits required for work on those engines that may be nearing obsolescenceand the technical ability to workacross whole fleets rather than being restricted to one type of engine system.“OEMs, understandably, have priority interests in manufacturing and new product development, sales of new engines and warranty support, while the independent service provider can be totally focused on providing a fully responsive engineering service that is geared towards meeting the specific timing location and technical needs of a customer,” added Ms Wade. u36 | The Ship Supplier | Issue 70 2016