As part of its continuous effort to further develop local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Brunei Shell
Petroleum Co. Sdn Bhd (BSP) launched the Energy Business Academy (EBA) 2.0 this morning at the Cenderawasih Ballroom, Brunei Shell Recreation Club.
Present at the event were Daniel Leong, Acting CEO of Darussalam Enterprise, Hj Jaafar Hj Bakar, BSP Corporate Manager, Hj Osmera Hj Othman, BSP Head of HSE & Security, Hjh Rosita Hj Hassan, BSP In-Country Value Manager, Dr Hjh Siti Haziah Bte POKSMDSP Hj Abidin, BSP Learning and Development Manager and representatives from participating companies SPHI Marine, Esca Marine and Aziz Latif Company who have completed the EBA 2.0 pilot programme.
In her welcoming remarks, Hjh Rosita said that EBA 2.0 is part of BSP’s aim to develop the business competencies, capabilities and improve the competitiveness of local companies.
“Whilst celebrating these success stories, there are companies which have yet to be successful, and we should learn from their challenges and find ways to help increase their chances to succeed. This is the learner’s mindset that we want to develop; that everyone can grow their abilities, learn from success and failures and perform better than before.” added Hjh Rosita.
The pilot session of EBA 2.0 was launched in October last year, where 3 local companies were chosen to participate. Speaking at the launch, the pilot-participants shared positive feedback which centred on how the sessions helped them to look at their own processes from a different perspective with the tools and information available during the pilot.
“Each component of EBA has its own focus area. I remember the first question asked by the In-Country Value Manager, whether our company’s mission and vision are up to date. It made us take a step back, to reflect on the company’s current capacity and our aspiration to grow”, said Hjh Norain, a representative from Aziz Latif Company, one of BSP’s business partners.
The pilot EBA 2.0 also helped some participants recognise and address gaps in their organisations, enabling them to learn new ways of running their businesses and make more strategic decisions.
“When we attended the pilot EBA 2.0, we were astounded. Aside from finding out valuable information about the oil and gas industry, we found ourselves looking deep within our own company. The ‘Lego’ blocks, the foundation from which we built the company was further strengthened through EBA 2.0 and we discovered what we lacked; what could potentially go wrong and what our key strengths are” said Malai Masrhiem the Managing Director and owner of Esca Marine & Engineering Sdn Bhd.
Six companies have been selected as the participants of the EBA 2.0 Cycle 1 to work closely with experienced coaches. Moreover, they are also encouraged to find their own mentors via the ‘Mentor with Us’ app, a mobile application provided by BSP.
About the programme
The Energy Business Academy 2.0 is part of BSP’s In-Country Value (ICV) initiatives which aim to enhance competencies, competitiveness and capabilities of existing local BSP Business Partners. This is to enable them to meet the requirements of higher value business opportunities and compete for larger, more complex projects in the Core Local Business Development (LBD) Quadrant.
BSP launched EBA in 2014 as a classroom-based training targeted at local start-ups and companies venturing into the Oil and Gas industry. The aim of the training is to increase the success rate of local start-up companies participating in BSP tender bidding. Modules include Introduction to Oil and Gas, Ethics and Compliance, Introduction to Supply Chain Management, BSJV Tender Process, HSE Management, Quality Management and Introduction to Finance. Since its inauguration, EBA has completed 7 cycles and over 100 local companies have completed their programmes with 70 companies securing their first contracts with BSP.
This year, the EBA 2.0 has transformed into a targeted development programme which focuses on BSP’s business requirements and is catered to existing BSP Business Partners with work categories which fall under the Basic or Development LBD Quadrants.
The Basic LBD Quadrant comprises jobs for contractors who specialise in small routine services and the supply of items for general use which are readily available in local market and smaller capital and technology requirements, such as Air Conditioning or Estate Maintenance.
Progressing into the Development LBD Quadrant however requires more technical expertise and a proven track record, as these projects demand more complex services which are also resource intensive. Contractors from the Development LBD Quadrant are also required to provide after sales support and maintenance services such as After Market Instrumentation services or Fabrication services.
Further up the ladder, the Core LBD Quadrant comprises the supply of complex services or materials with high specifications that requires local service support involving a higher technological requirement such as Aviation Equipment and Services, Drilling Rigs & Crews, etc. What sets the Core LBD Quadrant apart is the opportunities it offers in technological scale, the transfer of know-how and the upskilling of locals.
The EBA 2.0 will be conducted with a two-pronged approach utilising a portal called Delta and a coaching session named Elite.
Delta is a common platform to provide all suppliers with requisite information whilst Elite is a face to face tailored development plan which includes coaching for the local Suppliers who meet the programme criteria. The EBA 2.0 Elite is supplier driven with support from a coach for a period of 12 months with key activities such as Supplier Assessment and Development Plan creation and implementation.
Carrying the goal of upgrading competencies and minimising barriers for local suppliers, EBA 2.0’s mission of promoting local economic growth is in line with one of the goals of Wawasan Brunei 2035 which is to ensure that the people of Brunei Darussalam are educated, skilled and accomplished.