Identifying local suppliers for a shipyard’s localisation drive

What is shaping shipbuilding

Shipbuilding and maritime services depend on a deep supplier ecosystem, skilled workforce and port infrastructure, with long project cycles and strict standards.

• Supplier capability limits how fast yards can scale
• Skilled trades are scarce and ageing
• Port users judge performance on turnaround and reliability

A commercial shipyard, working in Gujarat, Maharashtra & Kerala. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.

Organisation

A commercial shipyard

Sector

Shipbuilding

Team engaged

Market Research

Services

Business panel, Research consultancy, Data analytics & dashboards

The shipyard imported many outfitting components and wanted to source more locally to reduce costs and lead times. Its procurement team knew a handful of local suppliers but had no systematic view of who else could meet marine quality standards.

• Deliver on the brief: identifying local suppliers for a shipyard’s localisation drive.
• Understand the views, needs and behaviour of potential suppliers screened.
• Uncover the motivations and barriers people do not state in a survey.
• Give the client evidence it can act on within 10 weeks.

The work focused on 320 potential suppliers screened.

• potential suppliers screened320

Audiences we typically reach in shipbuilding

Shipyards and project managersMarine equipment suppliersSkilled workers and traineesPort users and shipping linesMaritime regulators

Coverage: Gujarat, Maharashtra & Kerala. Market: India.

• India

A qualitative design, built to uncover motivations, decision processes and the language people actually use.

1. 1Brief
2. 2Supplier identification
3. 3Capability interviews
4. 4Supplier database
5. 5Insight

We built a long list of potential suppliers from industry associations, trade directories and referrals, then screened them by phone. Promising firms were interviewed in depth about capabilities, certifications, capacity, marine experience and willingness to undergo qualification. Findings were organised in a searchable supplier database for the procurement team.

Business panelResearch consultancyData analytics & dashboards

potential suppliers screened

320

• Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
• Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
• Telephone contacts were dialled from verified lists, with quotas tracked live by the field team.
• Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.

interviewed

90

• Telephone interviews were run from our CATI centre, with calls monitored for quality.
• The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
• Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.

• Live call monitoring and recording review
• Call-back verification
• Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
• Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
• Review of open-ended answers
• Recordings and transcripts for every session
• Re-screening of qualitative recruits
• Logic and range checks on the final data
• Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures

• Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
• Journey and decision mapping
• Interactive dashboard for ongoing tracking

• It also learned which categories had no realistic local options, so efforts could be focused where they would pay off.

Knowing where localisation was not feasible was as valuable as finding new suppliers.

• Build on the core insight: knowing where localisation was not feasible was as valuable as finding new suppliers.
• Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: it also learned which categories had no realistic local options, so efforts could be focused where they would pay off.
• Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.

• The shipyard identified suppliers for several component categories that had previously been imported, and began qualification trials with a shortlist.

What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.

• Insight report and management presentation
• Cleaned data file and data tables
• Interactive dashboard

• Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
• A natural follow-on question: where are the gaps in the supplier ecosystem?