Naval MRO and newbuilding · Malaysia · 2019–2020
Shin Yang Shipyard: a stalled naval refit recovered, and a new production system installed in one year
The yard’s people did in two weeks what had taken months before. Its own review called it the real capacity within us.
Photos: Suh Wan-Chul, Shin Yang Shipyard, 2019
- Shin Yang Shipyard
- Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
- Naval refit for the Royal Malaysian Navy; a training ship for the UAE
- Suh Wan-Chul, for Proper Mediation Inc. with OMAHAMS
- Project records, Shin Yang Shipyard, 2019–2020
The situation
Shin Yang Shipyard in Miri, Sarawak, builds and repairs vessels of up to eighty metres. In mid-2019 it was refitting KD Ganas, a 47-metre fast patrol boat built in 1972, for the Royal Malaysian Navy: new main engines and generators, 535 pipe spools, more than 280 cables and 28 compartments to renew.
The repair was planned by ship system rather than by space. When the engagement began, the plan was not being followed, about fifty people were on site against eighty planned, and the yard was falling weeks behind its own intermediate targets.
What changed, in order
June–July 2019
A target-focused zone plan
The repair schedule was rebuilt as a matrix of six zones and five disciplines, with man-days set by the foremen themselves and one target for everyone: mechanical completion, then delivery.
July–August 2019
Back to basics, led from the front
Morning cleaning, safe access, lighting and ventilation; a morning briefing and a closing meeting every day; daily manpower monitoring. When the executive director joined the closing meeting, the record notes a positive upturn on site.
August 2019
Two weeks of high-speed installation
With a complete work content list checked every day and supervisors coaching at the worksite, the yard installed 400 of 535 pipe spools and secured 28 auxiliary units in two weeks.
September–October 2019
Countdown to delivery with the Navy
Harbour and sea acceptance tests were prepared item by item with the Royal Malaysian Navy. All 78 outstanding items were closed by 30 September, and KD Ganas was delivered on 28 October 2019.
November 2019 – 2020
From one refit to the whole yard
The same system was carried into newbuilding: a six-day TACT for hull erection on the UAE training ship YD987, twenty production zones, a ten-year plan called ShinYang 2030, a training series for engineers, and WORKOUT and EPP management programmes.
On site
Photos: Suh Wan-Chul, Shin Yang Shipyard, 2019
Two weeks in August 2019
Countdown with the Navy
The people: “we recover self-confidence”
The closing review written for the yard set down what its people had proved to themselves: we have power to achieve target; we have positive intention to make change; we build teamwork through communication; we recover self-confidence.
4daily habits adopted on site: morning cleaning, exercise, briefing and closing meeting
50→88people on site each day as management led the recovery
6 × 5zones by disciplines in the plan, with man-days set by the foremen
20production zones and 56 sub-zones planned for the UAE training ship
Results
| Indicator | Scope | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Pipe spools installed in two weeks | 535 | 400 (75%) |
| Auxiliary units secured in two weeks | 54 | 28 (52%) |
| Electronics cables laid in two weeks | 71 | 42 (59%) |
| Acceptance test protocols prepared | 59 | 59 |
| Outstanding items closed with the Navy, 15–30 Sep | 78 | 78 |
From the yard’s daily records, August–September 2019.
What lasted
6 daysTACT for hull erection on the UAE training ship YD987, run from November 2019
2030a ten-year plan for high-speed production and a best-selling ship, drawn up with the yard
“SY exercised their full powers in 2 weeks. Excellent Result! It shows ‘Real Capacity’ within us.”