Technology capability of Indonesian medium-sized shipyards for ship production using Product-oriented Work Breakdown Structure method (case study on shipbuilding of Mini LNG vessel)

Abstract

The intense competition in the field of new shipbuilding business today requires shipyards to increase their productivity in terms of quality, cost, on-time delivery performance, and flexibility. Product-oriented Work Breakdown Structure (PWBS)-based steel ship production technology has played a vital role in the shipyard’s success in competition. A block and modular assembly approach using the PWBS method was prepared to guide shipyards. This paper presents a study on the technology capability of four selected Indonesian medium-sized shipyards and one leading shipyard as the benchmark in using the PWBS method. The technology capability in shipbuilding is measured using the technometric assessment model by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), which consists of four indicators; technoware, humanware, infoware, and orgaware. The results show that the shipyards’ Technology Coefficient Contribution (TCC) is between 0.5 and 0.7 (TCC maximum 1.0). This value indicates that the four shipyards in this case study are capable of building ships based on PWBS method. However, some aspects have to be improved to ensure the method is implemented properly, including: better design software that could prepare comprehensive production engineering documents, production lane with more automation, and more crane capacity. Of course, large additional investments must be supported by continuous orders for new ships with relatively the same type and size of ships, so that they are more productive and gradually able to compete in the global market.

Keywords:

• shipyards
• shipbuilding
• PWBS method
• technology capability
• technometric

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

Research and development of mini LNG vessel is a part of the National Research Priority Program of Indonesia, 2020–2024, related to the global regulation and government policy in industry sectors. Numbers of this typical vessel are needed to distribute LNG to remote islands within the country. A ship design of Mini LNG was developed by the Agency of Assessment and Application of Technology of Indonesia in 2021. The vessels are expected to be built in the national middle-sized shipyards. However, low productivity of the shipyards needs to be overcome by the application of Product-oriented Work Breakdown Structure (PWBS) method as widely implemented in high competitive shipyards in the world. This research work was conducted to evaluate and measure technology capability of the shipyards in building the ships using advanced production technology based on the PWBS method both block and modular construction approach.

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by LPDP (Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education) under the program Riset dan Inovasi untuk Indonesia Maju (RIIM) batch I, managed by BRIN (Research and Innovation Agency). The second author (Mohamad Imron Mustajib) is a postdoctoral fellow under BRIN. Many thanks to our research partners (PT Industri Kapal Indonesia, PT Terafulk Megantara Design, IPERINDO, and others), also the selected five shipyards who had contributed as research respondents, and involved in focus group discussion.

Disclosure statement

The authors declared that there were no apparent conflicts of interest or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.

Author statements

Buana Ma’ruf and Mohamad Imron Mustajib contributed equally as the main contributor to this paper. All authors have accepted full responsibility for the content of this manuscript and have given their approval to the final version.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Research and Innovation for Advanced Indonesia (RIIM) [B-802/II.7.5/FR/6/2022]; BRIN Postdoctoral Fellowship [15/II/HK/2023].

Notes on contributors

Buana Ma’ruf

Buana Ma’ruf is a Professor in marine technology at The National Agency of Research and Innovation of Indonesia (BRIN). He graduated at the Hasanuddin University (Indonesia, 1986), Master’s degree in ship production technology at Strathclyde University (UK, 1992), and Doctoral degree in marine technology at the Institute of Technology Sepuluh Nopember (ITS, Indonesia, 2007). He has 11 years working experiences in state-own shipbuilding companies (1992–2003), senior lecturer in post-graduate studies at ITS since 2009. He has been a member of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects (RINA) since 2005. He certified as Executive Professional Engineer from the Institution of Engineers of Indonesia (PII) in 2020, and Chartered Engineer (CEng) from the UK’s Engineering Council in 2021.

Mohamad Imron Mustajib

Mohamad Imron Mustajib is an associate professor at the Department of Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Trunojoyo Madura (UTM), Indonesia. He is currently post-doctoral fellow at BRIN.

A. Bisri

A. Bisri is a senior engineer at BRIN.

Suwahyu Suwahyu

Suwahyu is a senior engineer at BRIN.

Endah Suwarni

Endah Suwarni is a senior engineer at BRIN.

Nurcholis Nurcholis

Nurcholis is a senior engineer at BRIN.

Rina Rina

Rina is a senior engineer at BRIN.

Syaiful Bahri

Syaiful Bahri is an engineer at BRIN.

Moh. Muria Armansyah Sugiarto

Moh. Muria Armansyah Sugiarto is an engineer at BRIN.

Bagus Fadhilah Nur Imani

Bagus Fadhilah Nur Imani is an engineering at BRIN.

Shinta Jihar Akif Rahadi

Shinta Johar Akif Rahadi is an engineer at BRIN.