Case study: NASSCO and American Bureau of Shipping

Ship Shape

Thorough research and a partnering session resolved tension between the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company and the American Bureau of Shipping -- tension that had threatened to founder three new ships being built for the U.S. Navy.

By conducting in-depth interviews, Cook & Schmid partners Rick Cook and Jon Schmid identified several major problem areas in the working relationship between NASSCO and ABS. Once the disconnect was revealed, representatives from both sides were able to work together constructively in the one-day partnering session to establish systems to create greater harmony between the plan development and review phases.

Most important, over the course of the partnering session, the NASSCO and ABS personnel succeeded in overcoming feelings of distrust and frustration and were able to establish an effective rapport. In a follow-up survey, 75 percent of NASSCO and ABS participants said the working relationship between the two organizations improved significantly as a result of the partnering project.