Due Diligence questions to ask specialty manning companies

How long has the service provider been providing these services?

A manning services provider with an established track record within the industry is preferable. A focus on one specific industry service will tend to strengthen that niche. Companies providing services to a diversified list of skill sets run the risk of losing focus, hindering the ability to provide the required skilled expertise.

What sort of experience do your men and women have?

Be sure to ask about the experience they can provide with specific pieces of remotely operated vehicle kit that you are planning to use. The advantage of securing manning and equipment from the same provider is that the operational team will likely have previous experience working together as a team on that specific equipment.

Can you document the technical background of your personnel?

Request sample CV’s of the subsea personnel they are proposing. There should ample industry experience for the operational and maintenance candidates including a range of supervisor, pilot, hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical skill sets.

How long have your employees and contractors been in the industry?

Can they provide specifics of who has done certain tasks (Oil and Gas well intervention, trenching, ploughing, salvage, wind farm, visual inspections, manipulator work?)

Can you provide CV’s of your men and women with experience in X?

The company should be able to provide CV’s for some example personnel who fit your needs. The CV’s should include:

• Specific equipment they have worked on
• Years in the industry
• Qualifications
• Other companies they have worked for
• How long has he has been with the current company
• Don’t expect to have the individuals names, address and phone numbers

Do you have a systematic training and assessment system in place?

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) provides a protocol that has become the standard competency scheme. Often, companies will have additional unique information they need managed or tracked. Each individual contractor should be required to maintain a logbook of their experience that needs the project supervisors sign off for verification. Manning companies should have records of past experience for their men and women.

Does any of your office staff have offshore experience?

Office personnel and operation managers who have personal offshore experience are better equipped to find the most qualified people. They may have even worked with them and can more quickly and accurately establish relevant experience in candidates.

Is providing manpower a problem in any specific part of the world?

Some companies will focus on one specific region while others may have difficulty providing services in certain areas in the world. It is critical that manning service providers can navigate the Visa and work permits regulations that will be needed for your project. This also incurs additional administrative and management time and resources, which can become significant as a result of the locations involved and the nature of the project.

Who handles logistics for the contractors traveling to and from jobs?

Flights and ships can be delayed. The travel arrangements for contract personnel to and from jobs should be taken care of by the manning company. This includes flight reservations, airport pick-up, hotels, work Visas, work permits and invitation letters and emergency medical plans are all in place.  Again, all these things require the use administrative and management resources that need to respond quickly and efficiently to minimize disruption to projects.

Do you handle the tracking and logging of medicals?

Manning companies should be actively tracking the expiration dates of required credentials like survival training, physicals and medicals. If the contractors don’t have these requirements, they shouldn’t be sent to the job.