Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4018 APRIL 2017 • FOGHORN BUSINESSMATTERS revenue from $6M a year to over $100M. A couple of years later, he sent me on a mission to answer a single question: “what percent complete is the ship under construction?” The yard’s team spent a morning with me on extremely detailed calculations, stating definitively “85 percent.” Then I spent 24 hours wandering around and spoke to 50 people on the job site at all levels, and reported to the owner confirming we were at “65 percent.” The owner replied, “if we are at 65 percent comple- tion, then we are bankrupt.” Sadly, the last piece of documentation from that bankruptcy just recently cleared, 17 years later! Even robust organizations can run the gamut of experiences. Within two days I saw one project that was 15 percent complete and had exceeded its initial budget by 50 percent, while another $75M complex project was only days late and used a mere 10 QUALITY FERRIES FROM THE VIGOR TEAM 400 PASSENGER FERRY 144-CAR FERRY VIGOR.NET MARINESALES@VIGOR.NET percent of its contingency. While I’ve made every mistake you can make, let me pass along a few nuggets of ex- perience when supervising a major shipyard project. We can’t talk enough about getting a good set of specifications, drawings and plans. Have you used deconflic- tion software to see the location of all piping, electrical, ductwork, and other equipment? Involve as many on your team as possible to get the interior flows of passengers, galleys, and storage rooms. Many dinner boats are laid out by designers who don’t under- stand our business. Planning is tedious, but indispensable. Get the document written by Steve Bers, the PVAGeneral Counsel, “75 Tips When Negotiating a Vessel Contract.” It is well-written, balanced and fair, and will help you anticipate many possible issues. I hope you don’t have to look at the contract after it is signed, but these ounces of prevention can save tons of cure. Then have your contract reviewed by experienced legal counsel. You’ll need serious project manage- ment. This isn’t necessarily a task for your head captain or controller; you’ll need someone with significant experi- ence, meticulous documentation and communication skills, and not someone in their first rodeo. Contract a pro for oversight if necessary. Listen to the yard. Our chefs would bristle if someone told them how to prepare a feast, and our captains need latitude to navigate the vessel. The yard’s expertise is what we don’t have, and a cooperative attitude with them will make a world of difference. Designate your person in charge for the yard to make timely decisions. This is typically one of the most vexing issues from the yard’s perspective. Find a yard that innovates and isn’t stuck in 1985. Are they comput- erized to find conflicts between trades in every nook and cranny? Do they have a clean operation, with an eye on environmental friendliness? Do they envision the construction as a flow of just-in-time materials coming together in almost a factory like setting? Can