PartnerShip : : In a aeronautical industrie often seen as a model by the maritime industry, why has Airbus Helicopters committed itself to a transformation plan?
Jérôme Fagot: The company grew around a particularity that distinguished it from its competitors: it offers the widest range of helicopters on the market and has the capacity to customize them to fit its clients' needs. We tripled our turnover during the period of strong growth and our priority was to deliver our helicopters on time. We then suffered an increase in our production costs and began to question the company's business model: should we produce more helicopters, in which case it was necessary to revise our industrial model, or did we want to preserve our specificity and stop this development? We strategically chose the 1st option and launched our transformation plan in 2013 placing our priority on the industrialization of the company, notably by taking our inspiration from the automobile industry – with lean processes, new management methods, and new monitoring tools. A first phase dedicated to the identification of dysfunctions was followed by a phase of communication and sharing this diagnosis with all our staff; For me, such an ambition can only succeed if the employees are sufficiently aware and associated to become the actors of this transformation. Finally, once the plan was engaged, expectations were created – people want to see the results. The challenge is thus to reassure and materialize the plan through concrete action at every level, demonstrating that it is not just a simple theoretical exercise.

PS: In your opinion, what are the key factors for the success of a transformation plan?

J. F.: Transparency is an essential factor for success: transparency in the diagnosis and the action plan, and transparency in the plan of progress, based on solid monitoring methods. We implemented a process of monthly reporting of key performance indicators, controlled at the highest level by the management committee and relayed via the managers to all employees. This monthly "meeting" enabled us to regularly communicate internally, but also to better manage the evolution of the projects and to rapidly identify the delays that could arise; in fact, employees also expect and appreciate transparency concerning the failure of certain projects. The method of communication of a transformation plan is also very important. Top management has an essential role to play in this matter: transformation must be its absolute priority. Finally, over and above communication, a transformation plan must be supported by the real conduct of change, including changes to working methods – the development of more agile means, and the promotion of ownership and leadership.

PS: The second phase of your plan, launched in 2017, saw the introduction of digitalization as an accelerator. What are your main projects?

J. F.: We have two main projects. The first concerns the customer experience. We aim to further develop the interaction with our clients better sharing data more effectively. Thanks to this data, we are able to offer them a customized service and more adequate maintenance, to optimize the utilization rate of their helicopters, and to provide them with support for predictive maintenance. Digital tech is an essential lever for generating added value for our clients. Real transformation lies there - by favoring the sharing of information we develop a relationship of trust and partnership with them. As for the 2^nd project, it covers the efficiency of our operations and is based on the concept of digital continuity.

PS: What exactly do you mean by digital continuity?

J. F.:The particularity of digital tech is that it brings people and entities closer together and, in the end, modifies the organization. Implementing digital continuity that covers the entire organization means reconciling the different departments, ensuring that this community works collaboratively with the same tools. This enables us to reduce the cycles and avoid the redundancy of information. For example, we have halved the production time for the new H160 helicopter compared with its predecessor and we believe we still have some margin for improvement.

PS:How do you manage to reconcile cost reduction and innovation in the context of your transformation plan?

J. F.: The two are not incompatible. An initial reduction in costs can be achieved by working on the efficiency of internal processes, by simplifying the organization, and by developing new working methods. It is a case of optimization. During the first four years of our transformation plan, we reduced the structural costs of the company by 10%, which is already very significant. Part of these savings were reinjected into innovation as, even in times of a declining market, our innovation investment policy has never wavered. It is one of the strengths of Airbus Helicopters. But we also revised our priorities in this field: to refocus ourselves on projects that provide our clients with added value, work on helicopter flight safety, develop new business models thanks to digitalization, and anticipate tomorrow's markets, notably in the sector of airborne urban mobility. Because, in the end, transformation also means being visionary to better anticipate the changes and, in this respect, history has shown that Airbus Helicopters has been quite successful...

Between July 27 and August 12, 2018, the crews of Bourbon Subsea Services, in association with a number of operators, carried out the disconnection of the CALM buoy and then towed it to the Sonamet Yard in Lobito (Angola) for decommissioning. In production from 2000 to 2014, the Kuito oilfield was no longer operated: the FPSO had been disconnected in 2014 and one of the six moorings of the buoy had ruptured. The challenge: to ensure the coordination and supervision of disconnection operations.

« Bourbon Evolution 804 was positioned to raise the anchor chains: thanks to its ROV and crane, the vessel was perfectly suited for the operation, », says Philippe Mazurier,Bourbon Subsea Services project manager. After being cut at a depth of nearly 400 m by the ROV, the chains were lifted and cut up aboard a tug chartered by the client. The risers had been previously cut by a diving team contracted by the client. During this decommissioning operation, AHTS Bourbon Rhesos was connected to the buoy to check its movements and limit the tension on the remaining anchors. Equipped with navigation lights for the occasion, the buoy was then towed for 4 days to Lobito.

« We had to face several difficulties: it was an old installation and access to the buoy had deteriorated. Several vessels worked at close quarters around the buoy and there were numerous operators,», he added. Consequently, the teams participated in numerous briefings to better prepare the operations. To board the buoy, whose ladder had been damaged and no longer met classic boat landing criteria, the seamen were equipped with harnesses and access was strictly limited by weather criteria and conditions of luminosity. Perfect coordination between the crews was necessary to manage the proximity of the vessels at work: regular contacts, painstaking preparation, anticipation of the movements of the vessels, the effect of waves and the movements of the buoy, dedicated radio channels, strict procedures... « Our crew on site left no room for improvisation,», affirmed Philippe Mazurier.

The operation was postponed several times because the client wanted to be able to simultaneously position the three vessels with which they already had long-term contracts. « The BOURBON crews had to be particularly flexible and make themselves available as soon as the client had its operational window,», said Philippe Mazurier. It was the first engineering and supervision contract for this client and the crews of the Bourbon Subsea Services grasped the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise. The deadlines were respected with the crews working round the clock. « We are particularly satisfied with the cooperation between the many different operators: this enabled the project to be carried out successfully and efficiently with no accidents,», he concluded.

¹CALM: floating buoy anchored on the seabed by catenary chains fixed to anchors

How can we ensure the embarkation and disembarkation of persons, some of whom may be inexperienced at sea, in a short time and in total safety?
« The Boat Landing is a tubular V-shaped structure in which the Surfer positions itself: it is simple, effective and offers an excellent quality/price/safety ratio. In spite of its basic and rudimentary appearance, this system is constantly evolving and has never ceased to prove itself in oil and gas fields the world over,» replies Vincent Coquelet. The Surfer enters the V and rests against the tubular structure that houses a ladder. Trained for strict procedures, the crew then assist the passengers to climb up, regardless of their level of experience. The system is highly solicited but requires very little maintenance compared with a helideck or a telescopic gangway, which otherwise needs a much longer approach phase in DP mode.

BOURBON's standards and specifications being extremely strict for this equipment, the condition of the landing is monitored by periodic inspections in collaboration with the clients. It is thus thanks to this equipment that BOURBON has transferred over 15 million people since 2014, counting only 1 injury per million passengers without any fatality, that makes the safest system, notably regarding frog/basket² or helicopter³. Contributor to the design of this system from the beginning, BOURBON has become its referent and is regularly contacted to design or assess installations. Manufacturing standards have thus been defined during 30 years of accumulated experience. They concern the distance between the tubes, their diameter, the position of the ladders, the location of the structure on the platform, etc.

Even though the equipment itself has evolved little, the methods have significantly changed. « Pilots are required to carry out a prior risk analysis, which entails periods of observation before and after entering the Boat Landing,», adds Vincent Coquelet. « Then, when the critical phase of passenger transfer begins, we have implemented numerous measures to optimize safety. Checklists have been developed, concise and standardized language has been established to limit any confusion in the instructions given, for clear communication with the passenger, especially during embarkation, when they may be 3 meters above the surfer on the offshore installation. Green armbands are also made available to less experienced passengers, so that they can benefit from special attention during the transfer. ». Some tools have been or are being implemented, including new training videos on board and ashore before embarking, safety information distributed before embarking, and safety information to be found on passenger seats. In addition, a system of training and audits by local referent seamen consolidates all these procedures.

Other tools are being developed, such as an online application with a validation test to be completed by the passengers before embarkation or a virtual reality simulator to prepare for disembarkation, which can be very daunting for beginners.

¹Hs: significant height is a statistical quantity used to characterize the state of the sea. It is often abbreviated to Hs. It represents the average height (measured between the crest and the trough) of a third of the highest waves. This historical definition derives from the estimation of wave height by visual observation, the significant height being close to that estimated by an observer.

²Frog et basket: passenger transport per crane or nacelle

³ Rates recorded: 1 death per 5 million people transported by frog or baskets (DNV-GL 2014), or 1 death per 243,000 people transported by helicopter (IOGP 2016).