Nuclear Future Volume 10 issue 4
Volume 10 issue 4 Nuclear Future
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
Collaboration:
a non-zero-sum game
Agreeing common principles is the key to effective collaboration
A
zero-sum game is a mathematical representation of
a situation in which a participant’s gain (or loss) is
exactly balanced by the losses (or gains) of the other
participant(s). In contrast, non-zero-sum describes a situation
in which the interacting parties’ aggregate gains and losses are
either less than or more than zero. Through collaboration, all
parties gain by being able to deliver a greater scope of work than
the individual parties can do on their own. Tier 1 companies, tier
2 companies and SMEs can effectively use collaboration to break
the rules of the zero-sum game.
For a collaboration to be effective, the interacting parties must
adopt the following key principles:
• Purpose – We have a shared goal or interest
• Commitment – We are dedicated to achieving the goal
• Trust – We know who we’re dealing with and that it is safe to
do so
• Confidence – We believe in our own and each other’s abilities
• Reputation – We recognise and build status based on our actions
• Communication – We share information and ideas.
At NSG Environmental Ltd, the above principles are embodied in
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our core value of collaboration. This shapes the way we interact
with members of our team, our customers and our supply chain
partners, sharing best practice to provide the highest level of
customer satisfaction.
Our collaborative style means that we have trust and confidence
competing with, working for or subcontracting to our partners.
Since 2007, we have been engaged as a subcontractor to Nuvia on
the Silos Direct Encapsulation Plant (SDP) project at Sellafield Ltd by
undertaking development trials to underpin a proposed technical
solution at our purpose-built R&D facility in Lancashire. Throughout
the delivery of this project, we have been committed to supporting
Nuvia to ensure that works are delivered in line with an overarching
programme and that any learning can be effectively incorporated
into the design of the new facility and associated rigs.
This partnership approach, which sees NSG operating as part of
an integrated team, ensures that we are able to communicate to
overcome any technical challenges presented by the project in an
efficient and cost-effective manner. In order for an arrangement
such as this to be effective, it is important that all parties are
open and honest, acting with integrity and adopting a ‘right first
time’ attitude. During the project, the behaviours that have been
adopted by the core team have engendered an ethos of trust
and confidence that ensures that focus remains on efficient and
effective delivery.
Our experience and desire to continuously improve our
performance and our reputation for pragmatic delivery gave
us the confidence to challenge the proposed methodology to
decommission facilities at Low Level Waste Repository Ltd (LLWR) in
2011. Throughout the delivery of this Phase 1 project, we nurtured
a collaborative approach to delivery, working as an integrated team
with our key subcontract partner, AREVA RMC, and LLWR Ltd. This
approach facilitated a smooth delivery process and ensured that all
parties were focused on a common purpose throughout delivery.
Our innovative approach reduced cost and programme and gave us
our first experience of working with the LLWR team.
Following this success, we were appointed to undertake the
next phase of decommissioning at LLWR, which encompasses
the decontamination and demolition of a number of legacy site
facilities. During the tender process for this opportunity we were
careful in the selection of our partners, as it was important to
us that they shared the philosophy of our values. We made a
commitment to them to work together on an exclusive basis
and we expected that commitment in return. We also made a
commitment to one of our competitors, Nuvia, that if we were
successful we would use some of their pressurised suit workers
to supplement our skilled resources as we both shared a common
goal to succeed. As the preferred partner on this project, we have
honoured this commitment. The foundation of our successful
relationship with LLWR has been communication, exchanging
knowledge and ideas for the benefit of the project and ensuring
that the teams are on the same track.
In 2012, we recognised the benefits of pulling together a diverse
but complementary group of organisations that includes SMEs,
universities and international companies that had the experience
and breadth of capability to fully meet the scope of the NDA
Direct Research Portfolio for Higher Activity Waste Management
under the banner of the Unity team. In 2013, Unity were awarded
‘Best Example of Supply Chain Collaboration led by an SME’ at
the annual NDA Estate Supply Chain Awards for the delivery of a
strategic study to support a programme approach to the treatment
of High Active Waste (HAW).
Continuing this collaborative style of working, we were
successful in winning a place on the Enabling Innovation
Framework (EIF). The EIF consists of nine companies who
collectively provide early-stage project support to Sellafield Ltd.
At inception, it was established that for the framework to be a
success it was important that all members had trust and confidence
in each other’s abilities and that success on this framework would
be dependent on collaborative working. We were delighted when
our collaborative efforts were recognised by Sellafield when we
received the award for ‘Supply Chain Collaboration’ at the 2014
Sellafield Supply Chain Awards.
By adopting these key principles, we have continued to
demonstrate time and time again that the zero-sum game can be
beaten by effective collaboration. www.nsgltd.com
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