69 “ Optimisation is in my DNA as a project manager” One of Herget’s latest projects has been onboard NeoNyx Cruises’ Goddess of the Night highly efficient in quickly delivering high quality work and ensures there is flexibility to face unexpected problems. I call it proactive problem solving. A project following the Lean methodology will also use just-in-time delivery for materials, which means that materials are only delivered when they are needed rather than being stored for several weeks onboard the vessel. Typically, materials will arrive between one and two days before they are used and stored in a location onboard that I call a ‘supermarket’. The logistic team working onboard go and pick the materials they need from there, while another logistics team keeps it constantly supplied. Nobody is running around in areas where they’re not supposed to be, which helps to reduce disruption and keep people focused on their tasks. This methodology makes planning more reliable and reduces waste, especially onboard the largest ships. I developed it together with Royal Caribbean International with the first Oasis-class vessels refurbishment in mind, because making a mistake on a vessel of that size could mean that you need to go back through thousands of cabins to fix issues. That does not only create a lot of waste in time of labour and material but also makes you fall behind and lose oversight. I have been called to troubleshoot such projects and that is something you would always like to avoid! Sustainability is a subject very close to my heart. Good project management should allow time for more sustainable design choices to be made. Optimisation is in my DNA as a project manager, and optimising the environmental footprint of a project has been one of the biggest challenges over the past few years. I have felt a responsibility to make use of more sustainable materials ever since working on my first refurbishment, when my client had to dispose of furniture from over 1,000 cabins but we were unable to donate any to people in need in the country due to tax reasons. As an ambassador of the Sustainable Maritime Interiors Declaration, I feel committed to not only talk about but also continuously and proactively take action to work towards sustainability and circularity in the cruise interior industry. I am especially proud to specify over 30,000 square metres of Radici Bloom carpet for my recent refurbishment project onboard NeoNyx Cruises’ Goddess of the Night, which is the pioneer vessel to sail with this circular carpet. The carpet is made using Aquafil’s Econyl regenerated nylon, which is manufactured from fishing nets, old carpets and industry plastic. It was simple and fun to design the carpet with the designers using an online tool, and if the owner decides to make a change in the future, the carpet can be returned to the manufacturer of the yarn and recycled to make a new carpet, making it a truly circular product. Specifying a product like this with the end of its life in mind shows that project managers are capable of making refurbishment and newbuild projects more sustainable. Daniela Herget is the owner of Cruise Quality Consult Photo: Daniela Herget
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