UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE - Wind Energy Network

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Equipment
The pads and the helmet are the visible
equipment, but this category also includes
the technical support instruments of the
job. For the American footballer this must
surely include the playbook.
This is the document that specifies what
each player’s task is for the given team
play. Each offensive play is designed to
manoeuvre the defensive players in such
a way as to create space for a runner to
make yards, or for a receiver to find free
space to catch a pass.
Environment
Every player has their own job to do, but
success depends on everyone doing their
job perfectly….together.
The environment of their workplace has
to be one of trust and consistent coordination.
If one player moves too soon
or too far then he exposes the team to the
penetration of the opposition and, quite
possibly, to the injury of a team-mate. The
creation of this environment is the task of
the coaching team and will be dependent
on a philosophy of dedication to practice.
The strategic goal of the team must be
to finish the season on top. Their critical
success factor (CSF) is to keep the team
together, maintaining the highest level of
performance by ensuring that the three
constituents are kept at an equal level of
provision.
The commercial world
In the commercial world things are
very much the same. Everyone in the
team must have knowledge of, and
commitment to, the strategic goal. With
this the critical success factors can be
identified, and the required competence(s)
of the organisation can be built. In the
case of an O&M team the cascade to
competence might be...
• Strategic Goal – to contribute in
every way possible to the supply chain
achievement of a levelised cost of
energy of £100/MwH by 2020
• Critical Success Factor – to
minimise the time and cost of
maintaining offshore turbine
installations
Competence 1
Remote monitoring of turbine
equipment
• Expertise – systems development
• Equipment – state of the art
communications, monitoring tools &
test facilities
• Environment – access to all relevant
knowledge & freedom to fail and learn
in pursuit of innovation
Competence 2
Faultless on-site service performance
• Expertise – faultless recognition of
service need – methodical and
thorough service execution
• Equipment – complete set of tools
& materials maintained to the highest
standard – everything to ensure
shortest time between recognition of
need & execution of maintenance
• Environment – safest possible working
environment, continuous improvement
of service capability and constant
readiness and support
I don’t imagine that this list is all that a
professional O&M team could detail as the
competences that could contribute the
most to the achievement of the strategic
goal, but I hope that it has illustrated the
process and provoked some thought.
There are few teams that have the
resources to invest in everything, but every
team has the resources to properly identify
the critical investment needs to deliver world
class performance in their chosen field.
So, we are at the stage where you need to
answer the three questions..
1 Do you have knowledge of and
commitment to the strategic goals of
your organisation
2 If so, have you, as a team, identified
the CSFs i.e. the factors critical to the
successful achievement of those goals
3 And has that CSF identification
enabled you to specify the
organisational competence(s) that your
team needs to perfect
If you have answered ‘Yes’ to these three
questions then, I guess, you are hard at
work to enjoy the delivery of world class
competitive performance.
If you haven’t answered ‘Yes’ then go
back to Question 1 and work out what
success it is that you want to create.
Without that you will have no chance, as a
team, to make it happen. It sounds simple
doesn’t it But, the majority of teams that
I talk to for the first time are not able to
answer ‘Yes’ to question 1.
One of the biggest challenges to
companies caught in the upsurge of
renewable energy supply chain activity is
to withstand the temptation that will be put
in the way of their staff to leave and join
one of the ‘new teams in town’.
The companies that have already secured
the commitment of every one of their team
members to the strategic goals of the
organisation will be the ones who will be
best placed to meet this challenge and
succeed, no matter who has arrived in
town. Make sure that you are one of those.
‘Competence’ is just one of the workshops
staged by Renewables Network Ltd to help
SMEs to earn their place in the renewable
energy supply chain.
John Britton
BCG Bridgepoint
www.bcg-bridgepoint.co.uk
Renewables Network
www.renewablesnetwork.co.uk
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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