SUCCESSFUL MEETING FOR STENA BULK'S SENIOR OFFICERS WITH FOCUS ON INNOVATIONS

The purpose of Stena Bulk’s regular senior officers’ meeting is not only to be a pleasant event, but also to help further develop operations in various ways.

“The starting point is to constantly improve and deliver stronger results for Stena Bulk,” says Daniel Edvall, General Manager, Fleet Operations, Stena Bulk, who organized this year’s senior officers’ meeting. “The meeting helps to navigate all the many people that make up Stena Bulk in the same direction and towards the same goal.”

The officers working for Stena Bulk come from all over the world, with an emphasis on India, Russia and Eastern Europe.

“For some, it meant a couple of days’ travel and quite extensive logistics to get here. So it’s great to see how everyone really made an effort to be able to participate during these days, says Daniel Edvall.”

This year’s meeting was attended by 60 of Stena Bulk’s senior officers, i.e. a significant proportion of the chief engineers and second engineers who were not currently on board. Husbands and wives were also invited, bringing the total guest list to around 100 people. Some events were held jointly, such as the dinners. But there was also a specific partner program that included among other things, a popular behind-the-scenes visit to the
Gothenburg Opera.

“We don’t always invite partners, but this is an important part of the whole,” says Daniel Edvall. “Crews need a secure and good home life to do a good job, and it’s equally important that their partners can rest assured that they’re safe while working with us. Part of the benefit of meeting like this is that the partners get the opportunity to meet each other and share their experiences.”

The officers’ program included visits to the head office, seminars with Stena Bulk’s various departments, as well as Stena Teknik and Stena Assurans. Half of the first day was spent at the Donsö Shipping Meet, where the officers were divided into six groups. Each group was then tasked with finding three innovations or new solutions at the fair that could in some way improve or streamline operations.

“There were actually 18 unique solutions,” says Daniel Edvall. “Many were about reducing energy consumption, but there were also proposals that focused on economy. For example, one group had found spare parts at a lower price. We’ll now go through all the proposals, and some will be implemented.”

The exercise was not only about finding concrete proposals but was also part of structured activities in working with improvements that Stena Bulk has initiated together with Northern Marine.

“We have almost 1,200 crew members and I expect many of them have great ideas,” says Daniel Edvall. “Some may not be suitable because they are presently too expensive. But in the changing world we live in, conditions can change quickly. This is why it’s important to take all the ideas into consideration.”

However, simply collecting ideas in a random manner can be counterproductive, especially if no one really gives them a good look.

“As of this year, we’ve come up with a clearer structure, where we run a campaign around a specific issue and ask crews to come up with solutions, such as if we notice that there is an area where problems often occur,” says Daniel Edvall.

An example of this was on the Stena Suède where water was running down from the deck and causing rust stains on the sides. The crew and master for Stena’s Suezmax fleet jointly came up with a solution that involved inserting hoses into drainage holes that protrude a few centimeters from the side of the ship. This prevents water from running down the side and causing the stains.

“I think this is a good example of a small, simple solution that is smart, effective and saves a lot of money,” says Daniel Edvall. “It doesn’t always have to be about the big ideas. Sometimes it can be many small ideas that together improve results or create added value for Stena Bulk and our customers.”