My previous experiences as a paint consultant prompted me to set up Specter. I saw too many projects that failed to deliver even with the intermittent presence of a paint consultant during the ongoing preparation and paint work. Paint consultancy needed to change for it to really benefit a project. A change that I wanted to instill with Specter.
I am firmly convinced that working in harmony with all involved (owner, yard, applicator, paint manufacturer) is more conducive to a good result than judging the contractor’s work after it has been completed. ‘Policing’ the contractor, which funnily enough is still how many paint consultants operate, is counter-productive. It’s all about balance, managing people and expectations, basically managing the paint.
“I am firmly convinced that working in harmony with all involved (owner, yard, applicator, paint manufacturer) is more conducive to a good result than judging the contractor’s work after it has been completed.”
The term ‘independent surveyor’ gets coined a lot. Inaccurate, as a paint consultant first and foremost acts for whoever pays him. Notwithstanding, Specter can act as an outsider who brings all parties together so everyone’s on the same page. Conflict never leads to a good paint result! In an ideal situation there is a healthy tension between the paint consultant and the contractor and/or yard. A tension that has people achieve the best they can do. A competent paint consultant can help you achieve that delicate balance.
Paint projects need to be carefully managed to be successful. Such is the complexity. This management ideally starts well in advance, during the planning stages. This is where Specter starts assisting, getting the paper work in good order so the yacht enters the yard with all contracts, acceptance criteria etc in place. Clear expectations are set and all parties are aware of them.
“I noticed that paint inspectors were sometimes seen as the bad guys, showing up only to reject or accept paint work, completely oblivious to the bigger picture.”
Prevention instead of cure is important to me. I prefer pre-emptive advice over retrospective judgement. I noticed that paint inspectors were sometimes seen as the bad guys, showing up only to reject or accept paint work, completely oblivious to the bigger picture. This to the annoyance of either the owner’s side or the contractor/yard, who felt that the paint inspector was often throwing a spanner in the works through their actions. There is no benefit in that. It’s vital to understand the intricacies of the paint project and the roles, positions and (hidden) agendas of the people involved. Specter uses that understanding to the project’s advantage.
Flexibility that only a small (but beautiful) team can offer is another proposition I intended to offer. Sometimes you need to act fast and be in position at short notice. Forget about bureaucracy, unneeded fuss and slow response times, by engaging Specter you have a consultant on your side who can react swiftly if needed.
With Specter you won’t have any issues with strange faces on site. Paint consultancies often rotate their staff on projects. Not ideal, as the project needs to be handed over to another consultant who is probably not yet up to speed. In my experience a lot of knowledge gets lost during these transitions. There’s additional benefits to a compact team. The client knows who’s coming on site and this is the guy who they’ve dealt with all along.
Policing the paint contractor seldom leads to good results.
Technology can make a difference. Specter is at the forefront of new technological advances. But it has to make sense. A balance need to be struck between cold hard data and subjective assessment.
Specter intends to understand the bigger picture in order to maintain the long term vision that paint projects need. It’s easy to get caught up in day to day activities and decisions. Work becomes operational instead of tactical or strategical. A paint consultant can be the one that gets people involved looking a bit further down the road. You need a fresh set of eyes to make that adjustment sometimes.
Paint doesn’t need to be made any more complex than it already is. Let’s keep it simple and manageable and let’s all work together and strive for a project everyone proudly walks away from. That, in short, is my philosophy.
Written by Teun-Piet van Es