Choosing suppliers for timely project completion
The role of suppliers is crucial in successfully meeting commercial engineering project completion dates. Their contribution is central in manufacturing specific designs to match the expectations set by the end users. Unfortunately, not all suppliers can be trusted to carry out project work like they first guaranteed, leaving contractors and consultants frustrated as well as suffering lost time and added costs.
When choosing suppliers for a project, it’s worth taking the time to make sure you’ve made the right decision before there’s no turning back. While it’s tough to overlook suppliers you have worked with in the past, they may not be the best choice when it comes to reliability and timely completion. So, how do you recognize when a supplier is the correct partner?
We’ve highlighted five valuable traits that make for a trustworthy, dependable supplier...
1. Manufacturing ability
With tight time-scales in place to complete large scale engineering and construction commercial projects, each section of the overall plan has to be carried out on time. Manufacturers lacking adequate facilities will be highly likely to fail in meeting the present delivery deadlines. Alternatively, partnering with a manufacturer that has a highly skilled team, sufficient manpower and superior equipment, will be able to cope with the pressure and work the necessary hours to meet the demands, benefiting both the contractor and the end user.
2. Skilled engineers
When deciding on the best fit electrical engineering company for your project, you are putting your trust in their engineering team. An engineering team with a wide array of knowledge covering mechanical, industrial, commercial and electrical issues, assures the contractor that the supplier will be proficient for the job. It’s a good idea to research the companies that are considered to be the best in the commercial industry, as they will undoubtedly have employed the most talented engineers to secure a job well done.
3. Health and safety
Ultimately, choosing suppliers will reflect on your contracting firm. Employee safety in the workplace is fundamental and it is a responsibility that a supplier needs to take seriously. By working with a manufacturer that fails to comply with safety regulations, employees are left endangered. Look out for suppliers with safety equipment, efficient policies and safety regulations implemented and you’ll find they will have the lowest level of accidents in the workplace.
4. Clear work practices in place
Choosing suppliers with limited or no practices set in the workplace should set off alarm signals for contractors. Off-the-cuff promises can’t be relied on and it leaves contractors and consultants unable to hold their suppliers accountable if they fail to finish the work on time. There are a number of important practices that should be adhered to by manufacturers, including document management systems, a risk management system and of course completion of the project on time.
5. High quality standards
The contracting firm is held responsible for the entire project by the end user. When a supplier fails to carry out work on time, it is the contractor who suffers the most. Choosing a supplier with a sufficient quality system can better assure contractors that they will be able to meet the required quality levels. It’s also advisable to access current audits from suppliers before making your final decision.
Contractors and consultants in the commercial industry are well aware of the importance of choosing reliable and trustworthy suppliers when undertaking project, the challenge often lies in knowing who is suitable and who is not? Taking a step back and overcoming bias from previous partnerships before analyzing supplier quality, engineering and manufacturing capabilities and efficient work and health & safety practices should determine a valuable supplier from one that will only delay timely project completion.
