CONTENTS

4-5

10

14-15

WHAT IS DATA
SCIENCE?

6-7

AN INSIGHT INTO
HUMAN FACTORS

11

16-17

FOUR
GENERATIONS
AT WORK

8-9

WE WELCOME
BMT NAVCON TO
THE GROUP

12-13
= =
ARE YOU TAKING
CYBER SECURITY
SERIOUSLY?

FINANCE
UPDATE= =

WHY
NETWORK?

18-19
HOW CAN WE
USE 3D
VISUALISATION?

FUN AND
FUNDRAISING

KEY
TECHNOLOGY

DEVELOPMENT

OPERATIONS

PROFILE

NEWS

SOCIAL

FINANCE

EDITORIAL
Welcome to a new look Staff in
Partnership, our internal newsletter
for sharing news about our
activities across BMT.

20-21

BMT IN
PARTNERSHIPS

22-23
TO BOLDLY GO
WHERE NO LEGO
BOYS HAVE GONE
BEFORE
(PROBABLY)

In this new format, you will find

articles which are interactive,
covering a broad cross-section
of what we do. We hope you will
find these both interesting and
inspiring.
Following on from my roadshow
last year, this edition focusses
on keeping ahead of the
curve and includes articles on
new technologies, business
opportunities and changes in
working habits.
We hear from BMTs Research
Directorate on why we must gain
a better understanding of data
science to exploit this capability.

24-28

BMTS NEWS
ROUND UP

Mark Watson, Head of ICT at BMT

Group talks about the importance
of taking cyber security seriously
and we hear from Chris Greenbank
at BMT Reliability Consultants
on his role as a human factors

consultant and how we can use his

expertise in customer engagement.
Simon Luck at BMT Defence
Services looks at the application
of 3D visualisation and James
Roy at BMT Nigel Gee relates
his experience of working in
partnership.
BMT Groups Finance Director,
David McSweeney, gives an
overview of our current financial
situation, and we share a
back-to-basics article on cash
management, highlighting the
importance of having enough cash
in the bank to ensure business
stability and growth.
With a wide range of topics, there
is something for everyone. If you
have any feedback regarding
this new edition or would like
to contribute to future editions,
please get in touch with Katherine
Iggulden, Marketing Executive,
BMT Group.
Peter French, Chief Executive

WHAT IS DATA SCIENCE?

Why is it important that BMT
develops a greater understanding
of data science? We talk to BMTs
Research Directorate scientists to
hear about the work they are doing
in this area.
Across the world, organisations
are capturing more and more
data. Anything from mobile phone
data, shipboard sensors and web
histories, to social media and
customer loyalty information.
Worldwide IP traffic has quadrupled

BMT PROJECTS
The Research Directorate is liaising
with several BMT companies BMT
Defence Services, BMT Scientific
Marine Services and BMT SMART to share ideas and insight on internal
projects.
For BMT Scientific Marine Services,
data comes from hundreds of
sensors installed on offshore oil
rigs worldwide, producing a high
frequency and high volume of data.
The company is looking for new

However, this deluge of raw,

unprocessed information leads to
two main shortcomings with the
systems on which we currently rely
for analysis, storage and processing.
Companies are collecting significant
amounts of data in a wide range
of areas: sales; relationships with
customers; marketing; technical
data; etc.
The majority, however, have no
idea what to do with it and are not
exploiting the business intelligence
that could make a difference to them
and their clients.

ways of managing it and turning

it into useful information for their
clients.
On an oil platform, you might want to
look for loading patterns to estimate
the fatigue damage in your structure
and correlate it with environmental
data such as ocean currents, waves
and wind.
Anomalous sensor signals can
provide information regarding the
health of the sensors and help in
planned maintenance that will result

Organisations need to analyse data

in smaller timescales, e.g. a retail
business wanting to know what their
customers are buying.
In the early years of data capture,
it could take a magazine editor up
to eight months to collate data on
a magazines distribution, waiting
weeks for stockists to respond on
sales. You could not run a business
this way today.
Data scientists can help by looking
at trends or extracting more useful
information, helping to overcome
technical challenges associated with
big data.

in less downtime and improved

efficiencies.
Using traditional methodology, this
involves processing small amounts
of data in batches, periodically
producing reports and sending the
reports to the client by email.
A great deal of that process can be
automated, to the extent that you
can give feedback to the customer
within hours or days, rather than
months.

EUROPEAN UNION
FUNDED PROJECTS
BMT has just completed a prototype
system for the EU funded CONTAIN
project, a container logistics security
project to manage threats in the
supply chain.
As part of this project, BMT
developed an information analysis
tool which used a graph database
to support security authorities (e.g.
customs, immigration, etc.) to
analyse information for situational
awareness.
Immigration personnel work with
many different databases, i.e.
visa holders, passenger histories,
passport numbers, etc. Their job is
to spot anomalies in travel schedules
and recognise when people are
travelling fraudulently.

Click
here to view
the CONTAIN
graph database
in operation

WANT TO KNOW
MORE?
This is an area from which BMT
cannot afford to be excluded.

Answering such queries is

theoretically possible in a relational
database.
However, it is usually too difficult
or costly to implement, particularly
when the data comes from disparate
sources and arrives in many different
formats.

A graph database, however, provides

a way of bringing all of these data
sources together in one format which
focuses on relationships, making it a
more intuitive way of structuring data
and enabling more powerful queries.
In CONTAIN, customs authorities
need to predict which of the millions
of containers transported each year
they should scan for illegal goods.
Using a database to look at historical
activity can help identify subtle
patterns which indicate suspicious
containers.
Were these containers, which
started their journey in this country,
also routed through a particular type
of company that has a business
relationship with another business in
one of several high-risk locations?
The data in the graph can reveal
patterns like this to improve the risk
profiling and improve risk profiling.
The Research Directorate is now
turning the technology to different
applications in three other projects
EUROSKY (air cargo security),
CORE (supply chain security) and
TAG CLOUD (a cultural heritage app
integrating social media, gaming and
augmented reality).

Companies need ideas and

solutions for doing more than the
bare minimum with their data.

Use the community, get in touch,

share ideas, talk about what data
you have.

To support collaboration, a new

NAVIGATOR community called Data
Science has been created.

The more we share, the quicker we

will be able to build a stronger group
of experts across BMT.

For more information please contact:

Dr Will Martin

E: wmartin@bmtmail.com

T: +44 (0) 20 8614 4296

Join the Data Science Community

Tom Cane

E: tcane@bmtmail.com

T: +44 (0) 20 8614 4207

FOUR GENERATIONS AT WORK

Many will be familiar with the generic labels given to recent generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, the Millennials and
Generation Z, but what are the differing characteristics of these generations and how will they impact on psychological
well-being and creative performance in the workplace?

BABY BOOMERS
(AGED 50 65)
Believe in working their way up the
ladder, paying their dues and working
long, hard hours.
They are loyal to the companies they
work for and will not move as often as
other generations. They are working
longer and retiring later.
They value face time in the office and
many will not covet work flexibility or
other work/life balance trends.

GENERATION X
(AGED 35 49)
Independent and enjoy
flexibility in their working
hours and environments.
They are very comfortable
with technology and want
frequent training that relates
not just to the job, but to their
careers.

They look for technology

based instruction which
includes multi-media and
interactive, computer- based
training.
They dislike meetings about
meetings and neither want
nor need face time. They
are more likely to move
companies than the Baby
Boomers.

THE MILLENNIALS OR
GENERATION Y
(AGED 15 34)

They will go online and search

the web as well as ask their own
network of friends / associates for
information.

More educated than any other

generation to date, they are a multiskilled set who focus on careerism,
have an inclination for independence
and look to work for ethical
businesses.

They have a high commitment to

training in order to develop their
skills and capabilities, and make the
most of e-learning opportunities.

They are very sociable, have lots of

virtual friends and take advantage of
virtual networks professionally. They
are adaptable in terms of working
space and will happily conduct
a meeting in a coffee shop - that
is, if they have the access to the
technology they are hard-wired into.

GENERATION Z
(15 AND UNDER)
They will have spent most of their
formative years using the web and are
used to instant action and satisfaction.
Predictions see them as self-learners
who will look more to consultancy work
or owning their own businesses.

Meeting the needs of current and

future employees is key to ensuring
BMTs success. Without the right
people in place with the right skills
and attitudes, BMT cannot maintain
a competitive advantage over its
competitors.
Which is why a great deal of work
is being undertaken to meet the
varying needs of all generations.

classroom based learning, BMT

also offers e-learning, one-to-one
tuition, mentoring, coaching, team
building and action learning sets.
In addition, managers and
employees are increasingly
taking advantage of psychometric
questionnaires, 360 degree
feedback exercises and selfawareness programmes to better
understand drivers of behaviours.

Trying to force-fit them into a traditional

job environment could result in peerfrustration, reduced productivity,
low morale and a lack of employee
engagement.
For this group, connectivity and the
use of modern media is as natural as
breathing.

Personal development plans

also support each generation
with their individual package
of development and training
needs, which in turn further
supports business objectives.
If you are interested in
finding out more about the
opportunities available to you
across the group, please visit
NAVIGATOR or contact the
HR Development & Training
department.

Never before have BMT

employees had access to so many
development opportunities in such
a variety of formats to meet differing
needs. As well as traditional

The insight from these tools helps

to increase engagement and
understand team dynamics.

For more information please contact:

Louise Romano

E: lromano@bmtmail.com

T: +44 (0) 20 8614 4227

Join the HR Community

Emma-Louise Mills

E: emills@bmtmail.com

T: +44 (0) 20 8614 4256

ARE YOU TAKING CYBER

SECURITY SERIOUSLY?
As reported in the media,
Cyber-attacks now present a
clear threat to all businesses and
customers. While the problem is
recognised among most largescale enterprises, there remains
an inability for any network to
remain 100% secure.
This means that, for now, the
average likelihood of a data
breach remains high while
the capacity for prevention is
worryingly outpaced by the
capacity of the threat.

Mark Watson, Head of ICT Strategy

at BMT Group talks to us about
what this means for BMT.
20 years ago cyber-attacks were
only a small concern to businesses
such as BMT, but now they are an
ever increasing threat.
Every month, BMT Group alone
is subjected to over 2,000 cyberattacks. Multiply that by 24 for each
of the operating companies and you
have a significant number.

These attacks can range from

automated attacks, compromising
VPNs, attacking hardware or social
engineering - which is the art of
manipulating people into divulging
private information such as
passwords, and performing certain
actions which may allow fraudulent
behaviour.
Recently, BMT has had three major
breaches across the operating
companies which have required a
quick response to manage.

If BMT fails to take

cyber security seriously,
our relationships with
our customers will be
compromised and
ultimately lead to
loss of business.
WHY TARGET BMT?
There are small risks and high gains
for hackers, with new opportunities
for them to monetise the information
they steal.
The underground black market is
thriving and there is a huge trade
in stolen data, malware and attack
services.
For BMT, that means potentially
accessing our pricing, designs,
intellectual property and, equally
worryingly, the intellectual property of
our customers and partners.

Hackers can now be hired to target

specific companies for as little as
US$200 per website.
Cyber criminals could target BMT
by infiltrating any number of areas
within the group where cyber
controls are weak.
This could lead to the compromise
of other parts of the business, which
is why it is imperative that we take
cyber security seriously across the
entire group.
To address this issue, BMT is
now working towards reaching
the standards set out in Cyber
Essentials.

This set of guidelines is produced

by the UK Government as part of
its National Cyber Security Strategy
to ensure the UK is a safer place in
which to conduct business online.
The five main areas of control which
all companies should understand
and adhere to are: boundary
firewalls and internet gateways,
secure configuration, access control,
malware protection and; patch
management.
These controls have been shown
to block 80% of cyber-attack
techniques.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO
REDUCE THREATS?
The more devices we use as a
company and the more of these
which are connected to the internet,
the more emphasis needs to be
placed on securing these devices.
To have the necessary controls in
place for staff in a more mobile
environment, BMT has introduced
Mobile Device Management (MDM).
The use of MDM involves securing,
monitoring, integrating and
managing mobile devices, such as
smartphones, tablets and laptops, in
the workplace.

The intent is to optimise the

functionality and accessibility of
mobile devices within the enterprise,
while simultaneously protecting the
corporate network.
Whilst some companies in the group
are already up to speed, data loss
prevention technologies in others are
starting to be implemented, such as:
Limitation of USB port access;
Restriction of Bluetooth
accessibility;
Tagging files created within BMT;
and
Ensuring that these files cannot
be passed through the boundary
firewalls

Staff need to understand the threats they are facing and

stay ahead of these attacks.
Most people are unware of the level of sophistication
(both at a personal and corporate level).
To help, BMT is working on ways to inform staff of the
risk of cyber-attacks using techniques such as social
engineering, by which attackers can bypass technical
controls. For example, an attacker may send an email
claiming to be from a BMT staff member and the content
contains an infected link.
Technical controls such as ensuring passwords are
strong in terms of length and complexity can be made to
make computers and programs more secure.
For advice on changing your password please read the
cyber essentials guide on NAVIGATOR.

WHAT HAPPENS IF
BMT DOES NOT TAKE
CYBER SECURITY
SERIOUSLY?
If BMT fails to take cyber security
seriously, our legal and financial
relationships with our customers will
be compromised and ultimately lead
to loss of business.
If there is one message I would leave
with staff it is Dont lock the stable
door after the horse has bolted.

For more information please contact:

Join the NAVIGATOR Community

We must implement security

measures before we have to explain
to our customers and partners that
we have had a breach resulting in a
serious loss of data.
The IT and HR team are currently
working on a programme of Cyber
Awareness training for all BMT staff.
The training will be computer based
and will be taking place in the next
few months. The full set of Cyber
Essentials can also be found on
NAVIGATOR.

Mark Watson

E: mwatson@bmtmail.com

T: +44 (0)20 8614 4220

9

AN INSIGHT INTO HUMAN

FACTORS
Chris Greenbank, Human Factors Consultant at
BMT Reliability Consultants, talks to us about his role.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE
HUMAN FACTORS (HF)?

Of course, so-called unmanned

aircraft are not unmanned at all.

HF optimises the interaction

between systems and people.

Rather, they are simply managed

from a cockpit many miles away
on the ground - and that makes for
interesting and unusual challenges.

WHY IS HF AS A DISCIPLINE
OFTEN OVERLOOKED?
HF draws on scientific knowledge
from a wide range of disciplines
including psychology, physiology
and engineering and offers
reductions in total life cost, improved
safety and performance.
Even with these benefits its still
often overlooked. This may be the
result of a misunderstanding of what
HF is about - its not just knobs
and buttons, its about taking a
science-based systems engineering
approach to integrating technology
and people.
If two engineered components of a
complex system arent integrated
properly then its no surprise when
things fail.
The same is true of people; humansystem integration failures are part
of what is commonly referred to as
human error.
Its not actually an error in most
cases though - its more commonly
the result of a failure of integration
between people and technology.
THE MOST UNUSUAL PROJECT
YOUVE WORKED ON?
The most unusual programme I
worked on (at the time) was an early
unmanned aircraft programme.
When I first started I used to get
some very strange looks, followed
by if this thing is unmanned why
do we need human factors - which
started a very long and detailed
involvement in the programme!
For more information
please contact:
10

TELL US ABOUT APPLYING

HF PRINCIPLES TO SYSTEM
DESIGN

I have also been fortunate to work

on the safety side of land vehicle
programmes, and to explore the
wealth of research opportunities
available within BMT.
I have also set up a partnership
with Coventry University in the UK
to collaborate on Human System
Integration research through a parttime PhD.

Part of the fun of HF is uncovering

the issues which could trip
up human performance - and
understanding the likelihood and
consequence of any issues.
Before joining BMT I was part of a
team of scientists, engineers and
military aircrew who developed flight
tests to put aircraft modifications
and new aircraft through their paces
to make sure they were safe and
airworthy.
That involved everything from
working closely with test pilots,
devising ground tests through to
exploring human factors in-flight
and ensuring all the data points had
been addressed.
One day I could be flying low-level
with a crew, the next I could be
putting the test plan and paperwork
together for a ground trial.
The key to success was the ability
to be meticulously detailed, realistic
about the understanding of risk,
and pragmatic about applying the
science to the reality of operating the
equipment in context.
DO YOU COLLABORATE IN
YOUR WORK?
I have been lucky to collaborate with
other BMT companies and have
been involved in both MARS tanker
and LSV programmes.

Chris Greenbank
E: chris.greenbank@bmtrcl.com

M: +44 (0) 7774 311957

T: +44 (0) 1489 553100 (ext 119)

WE WELCOME BMT NAVCON

TO THE GROUP
BMT has agreed the purchase of
Navegao e Controle Indstria e
Comrcio Ltda (NavCon), a leading
Brazilian specialist in monitoring
systems for the offshore oil and gas
industry.

10

4
2

BMT Scientific Marine Services

Ltda was previously a minority
stakeholder in NavCon and this new
agreement fully integrates NavCon
into the BMT group of companies.

13

9
8

11

18

15

12

The company specialises in data

acquisition and motion monitoring
systems, navigation and heading
reference systems, and GNSS
receivers for offshore, air, land and
space applications.

16
14

26
23 24

21

19

29

30

27

17
20

22

25

28

31

34

32

36
33
35

FACTS ABOUT BMT NAVCON

How many staff are employed by
BMT NavCon?

Who are BMT NavCons main

customers?

41 employees.

Petrobras, Vale, INPE, DCTA,

ALSTOM, ITA, FINEP and Cincia e
Tecnologia (Ministrio da Cincia e
Tecnologia).

What year was BMT NavCon

started and by whom?
NavCon was founded in 1998 by
Claudio Luiz Gonalves Pires and
Valter Ricardo Shad.

In what main activities is BMT

NavCon involved?
Services to the Oil & Gas industry

For more information

please contact:

T: +55 12 3937 7952

E: navcon@navcon.com.br

Visit www.navcon.com.br
11

BMT FUN AND FUNDRAISING

1. BMT Group staff held a wine
tasting evening where they tried
a variety of delicious wines and
took part in activities such as wine
tasting techniques and cheese and
chocolate pairings.
2. Staff from across BMT had red
noses added to their NAVIGATOR
profile pictures to raise 1,359 for
Comic Relief, helping children and
adults in the UK and Africa.

12

3. Led by Chris Jones from BMT

Reliability Consultants, a team of
cyclists from a number of BMT
companies took part in a bike ride to
raise over 3,000 for Naomi House
and Jacksplace for children with lifelimiting conditions
4. Terry Hawkes, Senior Consultant
at BMT Reliability Consultants, had
his 40 year old beard shaved off to
raise additional money for children at
Naomi House and Jacksplace.

5. BMT Defence Services staff took

part in the Bath Half Marathon.
Participants included Jon Woodman,
Andrew Harris, James Woolford and
Luke Chapman.
6. A ladies hockey team from
the Defence Sport & Recreation
Association, wearing BMT Hi-Q
Sigma-sponsored kit, enjoyed
success at their first overseas
competition in Gibraltar.

N
TO IO
O TIT
PH PE
M
CO

Win a
BMT branded
powerbank

7. David Griffiths from BMT Group

ran in the London Marathon to raise
money for Kingston Cancer Care
Unit. So far, David has raised over
1,000 for the charity.
8. BMT sponsored clothing for the
Molesey Sea Scouts to wear when
taking part in activities on and off the
water. Find out more at Facebook
fb.com/jaguarseascouts or Twitter
@jaguarseascouts

9. The BMT Asia Pacific Dragon Boat

Team enjoyed a good day in Deep
Water Bay, finishing in 6th place in
the Gold Bowl Race 2015.

PHOTO COMPETITION
We would welcome your witty
captions to accompany the photo
above, featuring BMT WBMs
National Practice Leader Water
Quality - Tony Weber.
For your chance to win a BMT
branded power bank, please email
your suggestions to:
marketing@bmtmail.com by 31st
July 2015

13

FINANCE
UPDATE

DAVID MCSWEENEY,
FINANCE DIRECTOR AT
BMT GROUP GIVES AN
OVERVIEW TO THE FIRST
SIX MONTHS OF THIS
FINANCIAL YEAR.
To date, the Asia Pacific region
has struggled, due largely to
the continued recession in
Australia.
This is unfortunate given that,
over the past eight years,
companies in the region had
enjoyed significant growth.
Government money is now
finding its way back and
programs for the coastal
section of the business are
doing well.
Although demand is low,
the water and environment
businesses continue to
generate revenue. However,
because the mining sector
is still suffering losses, this is
reflected in the regions results.
Although general economic
improvement has been
suggested at two years, my
belief is that it may take much
longer before we return to a
pre-recession economy.

TURNOVER 2014/15 ( 000)

90.000
80.000
70.000
60.000
50.000
40.000
30.000
20.000
10.000
0

2014/15
Actuals

Oct

Nov

The Hong Kong business is

doing well with its infrastructure
projects, and in India there is
a lot of demand which is good
for ongoing activity. Indonesia
is performing very well and its
new laboratory will hopefully
give a more sustainable, local
business.

2013/14
Actuals

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

OPERATING PROFIT 2014/15 ( 000)

2.500
2.000
1.500
1.000
500
0
-500

2014/15
Actuals

Oct

14

Nov

2013/14
Actuals

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

In the Americas, BMTs project

management capability needs
to be reviewed more closely so
that we can learn lessons from
recent loss-making projects in
the oil & gas sector.
BMT Scientific Marine Services
is looking to diversify and sell
services into allied markets
and BMT Designers &
Planners continues to show
how a consultancy business
should act effectively with
excellent utilisation of staff.

For BMT Fleet Technology,

the market place has been
difficult; however, joining forces
with BMT Hi-Q Sigma to exploit
new revenue streams provides
reasons to be optimistic about
the future.
Europe is doing very well,
especially in the defence
sector, with companies such
as BMT Defence Services,
BMT Reliability Consultants
and BMT Hi-Q Sigma taking
on more work. BMT Nigel Gee
is also doing well, especially in
the yacht design market.
To date, BMT overall is
behind budget and we are
forecasting to be at two-thirds
of the budget by the year end
in September (budget was
forecast at 6 million profit,
but will be in the region of 4
million). For the remainder of
the year, it is important to keep
cash management in mind.
BMT gives customers an
average of 15 weeks in which
to pay invoices. This needs to
be shortened to 11 weeks.
Add up outstanding invoices
across the group and we are
failing to collect 41 million
worth of cash owed to us at
any one point in time. Clearly,
invoices need to be chased
up and paid on time no matter
how large or small. Agree
client payment terms in
advance and stick to them.
In order to meet budget,
companies also need to price
projects properly to cover
costs and improve margins.
Time needs to be taken to
better understand the risks
of a project so as to avoid
unrecognised threats at a later
stage.
For any questions regarding
cash management, please
speak to your Financial
Controller in the first instance.
If you are seeking wider further
advice on cash management,
then please do contact
Louisa Williams, Group Cash
Manager.

A part of cash management

is also to ensure that there
are sufficient bank facilities
(overdrafts and loans) in the
background to cover any
cash shortfalls and enable
uninterrupted trading.
WHAT IS BMTS CASH
POSITION NOW?

LOUISA WILLIAMS, BMT

GROUPS CASH MANAGER
TALKS ABOUT BMTS CASH
MANAGEMENT POSITION.
Good cash management is
essential if a business is to
succeed and grow. It ensures
short-term stability and longer
term survival by managing and
smoothing out cash flows via
the collection, handling and
usage of cash.
There is an old adage,
turnover is vanity, profit
is sanity but cash is king.
Regardless of the number of
profitable large scale projects
won, if you dont have the cash
to complete these projects, the
business will fail.
The majority of BMT cash
comes from invoiced work;
however it also comes from
investment income and asset
disposals.
BMT uses cash to pay
suppliers, overheads
(premises, facilities, office
equipment) and staff. Cash
also facilitates growth by
enabling the acquisition of
companies.

In September 2013 BMT had

approximately 15 million in
own operating cash as well
as investment funds of 11
million, which was viewed as
a comfortable cash position at
that time.
However, by December 2014
our operating cash had fallen
to around 3 million, with 11
million remaining in investment
funds.
The decline was in part due to
the recession and profits being
squeezed - if we generate
less profit there is less cash
in the bank- investment in
new products; poor trading
in some BMT companies as
well as rapid growth in others
and, over the last few years,
the acquisition of several
companies.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE
DONT IMPROVE IT?
BMT needs to generate more
cash, to become less reliant on
external bank facilities and fund
future growth internally.
In extreme cases, if operating
companies continue to
generate insufficient cash
to meet existing and future
commitments, they will
eventually cease trading.
Every member of staff
can contribute to cash
management, the key
components of which are listed
in our infographic.

15

WHY NETWORK?

BMT Hi-Q Sigma has grown

rapidly over the past five years
with an increase in sales from
7 million to over 18 million.
The company has gone from
a mainly UK based, maritime
focussed business to working
across a variety of markets and
geographies.
The companys success means
it is seen increasingly as the
partner of choice for big market
players such as Deloitte, Price
Waterhouse Cooper, KPMG and
Ernst & Young.
Here, Dean Taylor talks
about his role as Business
Development Director and the
importance of networking to
the company.
Networking, as a business
and personal tool, will help to
deliver overall business and

USING SOCIAL MEDIA

TO NETWORK
Twenty years ago, it was more
difficult to find out about a
company or individual. However,
with the use of social media,
access to information is now
available 24/7, globally.
Tools such as LinkedIn can give
you the opportunity to research a
prospect or customer before you
even attend a meeting.

16

marketing objectives and can

significantly enhance career
opportunities. It works incredibly
well if you are looking to break
into new markets, learn about
your competitors and deepen
your knowledge about your
customers.
The more people you know, the
more chance you have of finding
opportunities and collaborating
on business prospects. Whether
you are speaking to a new
supplier or future customer, you
are giving more exposure to your
company or personal brand.
Every person you meet has a
potential network for you!
A great number of people
across BMT dont believe they
do business networking, or they
think theyre not proficient at
it. I would challenge this and
say, without realising it, they are

You may want to find out about

their previous work history, or if you
have any connections, or interests
in common.
LinkedIn also has a number of
forums and thought leadership
groups which can be used for
knowledge sharing.
Internally, BMT Hi-Q Sigma uses
Yammer to ensure its management
consultants at customer sites
globally can network internally to
share ideas and keep each other
informed.

probably already networking,

almost daily!
When you join a club, go to a
sporting fixture, speak to the
window cleaner, or go out to
dinner with friends, you are
networking. Throughout everyday
life, you will meet new people
and have conversations with
them about countless topics.
Each conversation increases your
network.
Who knows, at that rugby match
youve gone to, you could be
introduced to somebody from
an organisation you want to
do business with. You start a
conversation about their job role
and you have a potential lead in
to their business. Networking can
occur at any time!

However, it is important to
remember that, whilst social media
is a great tool, nothing beats a
face-to-face meeting, as it enables
you to build a better relationship.
You are not purely focused
on words, but can read body
language as well.
After all, people still buy from
people first and prefer to do
business with people they like,
trust and deem credible, so it is
important to build relationships
that can potentially deliver results
in the future.

WHAT ARE THE

FUTURE
CHALLENGES
FOR BMT?
To keep ahead of the competition,
we need to network more internally
as well as externally.
Using a group-wide Customer
Relationship Management (CRM)
tool such as Microsoft Dynamics will
help.

As each company in the group

expands to focus globally and
possibly move into new markets, we
need to collaborate with each other
to utilise BMT networks better.
We also need to focus our time
to gain the right leads for our
businesses. Time spent researching
a person or business and forging
relationships will create stronger
business win chances.
If you dont have this relationship
and rely on just submitting

proposals, you stand to win only a

small percentage of bids.
A face-to-face meeting increases
your chance of winning work
enormously.
We must also become better at
identifying and communicating
our capability strengths to our
customers, and constantly remind
them of our added value offering.
If you have any sales questions, or
are seeking advice, Dean will be
happy to talk with you. Get in touch.

DID YOU KNOW?

Institute of Directors (IOD )
offers 25 hours per year free
market research, if you have
membership- make use of it.

For more information please contact:

Visit www.bmt-hqs.com

Dean Taylor

E: dean.taylor@bmt-hqs.com

T: +44 (0)1225 820980

17

HOW CAN
WE USE 3D
VISUALISATION?
We talk to Simon Luck, Head of Information Systems at BMT
Defences Services, on the future of 3D visualisation and how
BMT could adopt this technology more widely to the benefit of its
customers.

3D visualisation uses computer

software to create detailed,
lifelike, three-dimensional
representations of natural
or manmade objects to
communicate a message or

to allow interaction within an

environment that has not been
physically built yet.

What do you currently use 3-D

visualisation technology for?

Most recently, weve used this

technology on the Royal Navys
Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft
carrier designs.

and the Logistics and Support

Vessel (LSV) designed for the
Norwegian Defence Logistics
Organisation.

A virtual reality tour of the

vessels was created which
included a unique interfacing
between two of them.

Were further enhancing

reports for Dstl, demonstrating
ship survey prototypes with
Google Glass and improving
our ASSERT application with
enhanced graphics to enable
more effective decision making.

Weve built a really strong and

capable team that provides
everything from storyboarding
and concept images all the
way through to highly detailed
renders and simulation
experiences using virtual reality
(VR).
We use a range of these services
to help with marketing our
platform designs (either publicly
or within bids).

18

and animated photorealistic

imagery whilst the hardware
required to use it has become
more cost effective.

3D visualisation has become

more realistic with both static

Weve also worked on both the

Tide-Class Military Afloat Reach
and Sustainability (MARS)
tankers that BMT has designed
for the UK Ministry of Defences

What benefits does this

visualisation technology deliver?
It gives the opportunity to view the
proposed layout without the need
to invest in expensive and time
consuming physical mock-ups.
Costs are cut whilst the design
process is accelerated. Using a
virtual reality headset allows users
to view the virtual environment
through 360 as though it was real
and to become fully immersed in
the experience.
This visual immersion gives those
involved a far more powerful insight
into the design than is available via
a computer aided design screen
or a model, allowing them to make
key decisions on design detail that
will hopefully reduce the risk of
needing to make changes further
down the line.

3D visualisation lies?
I can really see the power
of augmented reality (AR) in
supporting our projects. Its
inevitable that with a reduction in
personnel aboard more complex
vessels, they are going to have
to rely on technology to support
maintenance activities.
We also want to cycle through
design iterations faster so using
a combination of VR and AR,
we should be able to design
changes to physical spaces more
quickly and test them using this
technology.

The technology itself will become

smaller and less intrusive and
should allow users to switch from
normal view to AR view to full VR
very easily.
If you would like to find out more
about this technology or think
your business could benefit from
further discussion, please contact Simon.

How can it support the sales

process?
From a marketing standpoint 3D
visualisation provides a wow factor,
as well as the less obvious benefit
of being able to take a full-sized
(albeit virtual) aircraft carrier to a
trade show.
Communicating BMTs skill in
design through engaging high-end
and 3D visualisations is a powerful
way to support the sales process
with true-to-life interaction.
Do you think BMT could be using
this technology more?
Id like to see more visualisation
within bids as theres no doubt the
end customer has a much better
experience and can make a much
more informed decision, as they
can see the offering or the context
of the offer more easily.
Throughout BMT, there are many
instances where visualisation
can help and add more to the
offering. Visualisation of complex
engineering projects can help to
identify risk early on in the project.
It helps the customer understand
the process of a project as well,
perhaps highlighting key areas
of concern or demonstrating
the benefits of doing something
differently.
Where do you think the future of
For more information please contact:
Visit www.bmtdsl.co.uk

VIDEO

Simon Luck
E: simonl@bmtdsl.co.uk

M: +44 (0) 1225 473 772

19

JAMES ROY
YACHT DESIGN DIRECTOR TALKS TO US ABOUT THE
GOOD AND BAD OF PARTNERSHIP WORKING.
Maintaining a competitive edge in
the yacht and shipping market is
not just about delivering a quality
service on time and on budget.
For BMT Nigel Gee investing
in long-term partnerships has
proven to be of immense benefit
to its business.
HOW HAVE YOU TRADITIONALLY
WORKED WITH CUSTOMERS?
The traditional approach is to define
a scope of supply, price it, outline a
delivery schedule and undertake the
conventional commercial aspects of
bidding for work.
This is done in a competitive
environment, with others bidding for
the same job.
That process can be quite quick or
it can be extremely time consuming.
This can depend on the customer
and how well you know them.

For more information please contact:

20

Visit www.bmtyachts.com

If you dont know them, a lot of

time can be spent on forming a
relationship with them and, if you
do know them, time can be spent
on haggling over price, delivery or
resourcing.
Often the number of hours spent on
the commercial and administrative
aspects of a job make it difficult to
focus on the technical delivery.

This gives the shipyard a security

of supply, proven design, naval
architecture and engineering. It gives
us a bigger footprint that we could
not achieve on our own.
WHATS IN IT FOR THE
SHIPYARDS?

WHAT WAS THE MOTIVATION

FOR BUILDING STRONGER
PARTNERSHIPS WITH
SHIPYARDS?

For the shipyard, the traditional

procurement approach is to get
three quotes for every piece of
equipment; so for a complex piece
of procurement like a yacht or ship
the process is painfully slow.

Since the early days of BMT Nigel

Gee, weve recognised that forging
partnerships with shipyards is key
to getting our designs sold as they
actively sell to their customers.

Some are now forming framework

agreements with key suppliers and
agreeing commercial terms which
are reviewed every three to four
years.

Were busy designing, so we try

to form licence agreements with
them to sell our designs exclusively
and lock out our competition in key
geographical areas.

The yards speed up their production

times, get more consistent quality,
and both the supplier and the
shipyard can focus on core activities.
This extends not only to procurement
of materials but also to services.

James Roy

E: jroy@bmtng.com

T: +44 (0) 23 8038 2529

If we had to do
business
development to
win the work were
executing now, it
would have been
more than a
full-time role.

HOW HAS THE PARTNERSHIP

WITH OCEANCO CHANGED
YOUR BUSINESS?
The relationship with Oceanco goes
beyond a licence agreement.
Weve done the commercial
haggling and agreed terms so that
we dont have to keep re-visiting
this. This allows us to spend a lot
of time focussing on building our
relationship with them and weve
made a level of commitment that, we
hope, has built a lasting relationship.
This takes trust, time and a lot of
compromise.
As well as technical delivery, were
sharing knowledge, intellectual
property and team building activity
and have undertaken training on
regulatory codes and software.
Were sharing intelligence on
Human Resources but moving it
around, thereby usefully distributing
resources. This helps to keep the
knowledge within the partnership.
CAN YOU MEASURE THE
BENEFITS OF PARTNERING?
Its a huge security of work. If we had
to do business development to win
the work were executing now, and
have been for the last three years, it
would have been more than a fulltime role for me.
Instead, it gives me time to develop
the relationship. For most, having
a long-term partner like this is an
aspiration.

The difficulty is in finding the right

partner with the right mesh of
culture, approach and attitude. With
Oceanco, weve been lucky to find
that.

HOW COULD OTHER BMT

COMPANIES EXTEND THEIR
BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS?
It starts with a conversation.

That said, companies should

also be aware of the risks of this
approach. Spending a lot of time on
one relationship and putting all your
eggs in one basket is risky. If that
relationship fails, you can be left with
nothing.
Thats why were still out there
doing further work in the superyacht
market, alongside the diversity of
other markets we operate in.
We have licence agreements in
place with numerous shipyards with
projects spanning windfarm support
vessels, articulated tugs, fast ferries,
patrol boats and work boats.
HOW DO YOU PICK YOUR
PARTNERSHIPS?

If youre working with a business,

have an established relationship and
theyre putting work to you without
going to the competition, youve got
the foundations.
Form a framework agreement or
make a small first step towards
something more formal.
The key is to keep demonstrating
that you are competitive because its
easy to become complacent when
you are sole-sourced.
All it takes is some change in
management at the other end and,
if you are not delivering on time,
cost and quality, things can rapidly
change. Adding value beyond your
core delivery is also key.

You have to be careful. You cant

be in bed with everyone. A lot of
the shipyards are in the same
markets and you cant hope to have
agreements with all of them.
You have to target who you want to
work with, nail your colours to the
mast and live with it. Its tempting to
work with somebody new but you
can very quickly annoy your current
partners.

21

BMT SPONSORS LEGO BOYS TO BOLDLY GO

WHERE NO LEGO BOYS HAVE GONE BEFORE
(PROBABLY!)
With 99 adventures under their young
belts already, it was felt that adventure
number 100 had to be a special and
challenging affair for Ollie and Harry,
sons of Dr MacNeill Ferguson, Lead
Senior Environmental Consultant at
BMT Cordah, Aberdeen, and his wife
Vicki.
At only five and three years old, the
boys have been set a challenge
by their parents to undertake 500
adventures before they reach the age
of 18.
The adventures will encourage them
to explore the world around them,
while having as much fun as possible.
And it is all being documented for
them on a Facebook page called
The Days Are Just Packed.

THE FIRST 100

ADVENTURES
So far, their adventures have
included panning for gold,
bat watching, caving, skiing,
exploring a tunnel and watching
the Aurora Borealis.
They have visited Legoland,
camped in a luxury tent, become
knights for a day, made a
dinosaur garden, been to a car
race and helped nurse an injured
hedgehog back to health. Theyve
even managed to catch some
rainbows.
For their 100th challenge, the
boys chose to send their Lego
counterparts up into space.
They were tasked with raising
money for the trip and used
crowd funding to sell seats on
their spaceship. BMT Cordah also
kindly made a donation to the
project.

22

View the space shuttle taking off and landing here

With all plans in place and

ready for the launch it was, as
you would expect in the UK,
the weather that proved to be
challenging.
Strong winds are the order of the
day in the north east of Scotland,
meaning that the spaceship
would have to be launched
in Glasgow to land back in
Aberdeen if the winds did not die
down.

A PERFECT
WEATHER WINDOW
As it was, a perfect weather
window opened up on Saturday
14 March and the boys, their
parents and supporters headed
to the launch site.
Little yellow astronaut men and
women were strapped into the
shuttle and, accompanied by
the Lego boys, were sent up
into space using a high-altitude
weather balloon.

They travelled an impressive

19.8 miles into orbit and a Go
Pro camera, with a battery life
long enough to record the entire
flight and the ability to withstand
the -30deg temperature, caught
footage of the trip, with stunning
views of the curvature of the Earth
and the Moray Firth coastline.
To give some perspective of the
height reached, this is twice the
height at which a commercial
airliner flies.

MISSION
ACCOMPLISHED
With the mission accomplished
successfully, the boys even
received a message from
world-famous astronaut
Colonel Chris Hadfield.

His message to the boys not

only wished them good luck but
reminded them that The Sky is
Not the Limit.
The little yellow astronaut men and
women who paid for shuttle seats
will be returned to those who
sponsored them and the boys

have learnt a valuable lesson in

planning, raising money and the
challenges of space.
And with 400 adventures still
ahead of them the sky really
is not the limit for Ollie and
Harry.

23

BMT NEWS ROUNDUP

BMTs Annual Results
BMTs 2015 Annual Report highlights
the groups financial results for the
year to 30 September 2014 and
profiles some of our major activities.
The group saw a strong performance
for the year and secured revenues
of 165m, with underlying operating
profits of 10m.
A proportion of these profits have
been distributed to the staff through
the groups profit share schemes.

READ THE ANNUAL REPORT

HERE
View the financial information in
dial format

DAVID MCSWEENEY
Visit NAVIGATOR to view
David McSweeneys
overview of the results.

AWARD WINNERS
This year, the David Goodrich Cup
for Collaboration and the Jack Birks
Cup for Outstanding Achievement
have been awarded to Johnny Tjea,
Managing Director of PT BMT Asia
Pacific Indonesia and Charlie Behrle,
President of BMT Designers &
Planners respectively.

PT BMT Asia Pacific Indonesia was

chosen for proactively seeking
collaborative opportunities, for
assisting sister companies in any way
it can and for always being prepared
to go the extra yard. The selfless
nature of the company was reflected in

the volume of work it passed to sister

companies, exceeding the volume it
retained.
The cups were presented by BMTs
Chairman, Dr Neil Cross, at the recent
Annual Conference in the UK.

BMT Designers & Planners was

recognised for its outstanding
achievement in exceptionally
challenging market conditions.
The company drove down its
costs, managed its overheads and
improved margins to deliver an
outstanding financial performance,
whilst at the same time diversifying
out of its core market and providing
excellent support to sister
companies.
Visit PT BMT Asia Pacific Indonesias website here and visit BMT Designers & Planners website here
24

BMT GIVEBACK
Following a vote to select the next
philanthropic project for the BMT
Giveback programme, the Bridge
of Hope has been chosen as the
winner by staff.
Submitted by Afta Bakhtiyar and
Christopher Siguan of PT BMT Asia
Pacific Indonesia, the project will
see the development of bridges
to connect semi-isolated areas in
Indonesia.
Countless people have to risk
their lives daily in dangerous river
crossings or they must remain cut
off from employment, education
and health care. A simple bridge
will help the people who live in such
circumstances by providing a safe
means of access to reach their
destinations.
Over the coming weeks and
months there will be lots of updates
on NAVIGATOR as the project
progresses.
In the meantime if you have any
questions please contact Del
Redvers, Head of Sustainability, BMT
Group.

UPCOMING EVENTS
4 May 10 July
The first tranche of Peter Frenchs
Roadshow presentations started in
Jakarta on 4 May.
Peter is visiting offices throughout
the Asia Pacific region as follows:
Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur,
Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad,
Hong Kong, Brisbane, Newcastle,
Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

He will then be visiting Teddington,

Aberdeen, Southampton, Fareham,
Amsterdam, Marknesse, London,
Antwerp, Plymouth, Weymouth
and Bath in Europe, followed by
Kanata, Alexandria, Houston,
Escondido, Denver, Victoria and
Vancouver in North America.

8 11 June
This years Financial Controllers
Conference will be takes place in
June. Financial Controllers from
across the group have been invited
to share ideas and opportunities.

4 - 5 Sept
BMTs 8th Annual Sailing Regatta
is open for entries.
Whether you are a novice or a
practised sailor, you can take part
in this years challenge.
If you are interested in putting
together a company team, please
speak to your Managing Director
or President.

25

DEFENCE
BMT Appointed to DSTO Panel
BMT Design & Technology, in
Australia, has been appointed to
the newly formed Defence Science
and Technology Organisation
(DSTO) panel for Scientific,
Engineering and Other Technical
Services.
This appointment will draw on
BMTs expertise to assist DSTO
research and development efforts
in a number of areas including
mechanical engineering, blast
physics, and electronic warfare
and radar technologies.

The newly established panel

will assist service providers
by streamlining administration
and standardising contractual
arrangements.

Other government agencies and

defence groups, including the
Defence Materiel Organisation,
may also access the panel for
delivery of relevant services.

Visit BMT Design & Technologys website here

Charlie Behrle to retire

After five years as President,
Charlie has decided to
retire from BMT Designers
& Planners with Kai Skvarla,
currently Vice President of
Operations, succeeding him.
Charlie has agreed to
continue in a part-time role
in BMT Group, assisting with
the implementation of the
next evolution of 1BMT the
partnerships.
Visit BMT Designers &
Planners website here

26

BMT Isis is sponsoring the

Institute of Mechanical Engineers
Unmanned Air Systems (UAS)
Challenge 2015.
With the continued growth of UAS
in a variety of applications from
surveillance and border control
to agriculture and the media,
UAS will become an increasingly
important part of everyones lives
over the next ten years; but it is
essential that public fears over
safety are overcome.

BMT Isis is excited to have the

opportunity to use its industry
leading safety expertise to assist
the competitors in addressing
safety throughout all competition
phases, from initial concept and
design through to the final fly-off
in July.
Visit BMT Isiss website here

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

High Quality Ocean Data
for West Africa
Mid Atlantic Current Hindcast
(MACH), a joint initiative between
the Met Office, Oceanweather Inc
and BMT ARGOSS, is a 20-year,
high-resolution, layered data set
that gives customers access
to high quality ocean current
information for West Africa.

It provides data to support

offshore operational planning and
engineering design in the region.
Recently, Robin Stephens from
BMT ARGOSS and the partners
shared more on this data set with
customers.

Click
here to view
the BMT
Argoss
Video

Visit the BMT ARGOSS website

here

BMT Oceanica awards Marine

Science Prize
An annually sponsored BMT
Oceanica Marine Science Prize
for best academic performance in
Coastal and Marine Management
at Murdoch University has been
awarded this year to Madison Mueller.
The prize, which acknowledges
academic achievement and
encourages a career in the marine
environmental field, was presented
to Madison for her excellent grades
in the subject by BMT Oceanicas Dr
Luke Twomey.
As well as the accolade of winning
the award, a prize of $1,000 is given
each year to the winner and support
is provided in helping to pursue
further studies or a career in marine
sciences.
Visit BMT Oceanicas website here

BMT Innovation Recognised in AWA Awards

BMT WBM is delighted that a
model which it developed for
Sydney Water has been awarded
the Program Innovation Award
at this years Australian Water
Associations New South Wales
Awards.
BMT developed the TUFLOW FV
(estuarine and riverine) component
of the model.

Tony McAlister, Dr Michael Barry,

Rob Holmes and Tony Weber
from BMT were responsible for
construction of the model.
This was one of the largest
and most complex riverine and
estuarine numerical models ever
delivered in New South Wales.

Visit the BMT WBM website here

27

TRANSPORT
Queen Mary 2
BMT ARGOSS has assisted
Liverpool Pilots in planning for the
visit of the Queen Elizabeth, Queen
Victoria and Queen Mary 2 to
Liverpool this month.

28

Liverpool Pilots have used BMTs

REMBRANDT real and fast time
simulation and training tool to
undertake detailed planning of how
the three vessels will manoeuvre in
close proximity in the River Mersey
at the narrowest point close to the
Cunard Building.

Cunards Three Queens will visit the

Mersey as part of the celebrations
to mark the 175th anniversary of the
famous cruise line.

Visit BMT ARGOSSs

website here