Procurement
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) is central to many large-scale and complex construction projects. Procurement involves the sourcing of equipment, materials and services required to construct and commission plant facilities. EPC projects obtain equipment, materials and services from multiple sources all over the world, involving legal, cultural and supply chain expertise and necessitating experience in fabrication management, quality control, heavy haul and transportation etc. The objective is to procure equipment, materials and services that meet engineering and technical specifications and customer requirements and are within quality and budget parameters, for safe delivery to site in accordance with overall construction schedules. Procurement and supply chain professionals strategically analyze requirements, assess risk and opportunities and collaborate with vendors and suppliers (fostering long term supplier relationships), third party export agencies and international transportation and heavy haul specialists worldwide.
Worldwide Purchasing
Plant procurement requires the global sourcing of equipment and materials requiring specialist storage and transportation, from sensitive electrical and instrumentation apparatus to large-scale prefabricated modules exceeding 1000 tons. Chiyoda maintains an extensive network of pre-approved domestic and international suppliers and vendors, compiled through exhaustive research from the successful completion of projects worldwide over many years, with the goal of procuring peak quality equipment and materials that surpass customer quality and financial requirements. Our extensive procurement databases include suppliers and vendors across the globe with whom Chiyoda have developed long-term robust working relationships through our ‘One Team’ project execution culture.
Delivery Schedule Management
International collaboration and close communication across geographical boundaries using common IT forums is required to manage the successful delivery of equipment and materials to site as and when required. Close company inter-departmental communication (eg: engineering, quality and project teams) is also imperative to effectively manage module and equipment fabrication across international frontiers and ensure the required safety, engineering, quality and schedule requirements are maintained. Stringent reporting procedures ensure that any delays are identified promptly and efficiently mitigated by sharing information across project, design, quality, procurement, transportation and construction teams.
Quality Control
Comprehensive quality assurance and control processes and procedures, including extensive Inspection and Test Plans (ITP), are implemented. Chiyoda quality personnel are frequently assigned to fabrication/vendor yards to ensure that material and equipment delivered to site is of peak quality through our ‘One Team’ project execution culture .
Importance of transport planning
Although Chiyoda remains responsibility for the transportation, delivery and placement of all procured materials and equipment, international heavy lift/haul and transportation specialists are employed at an early stage to manage the loading/offloading and delivery of modules, pre-dressed vessels and equipment to site. Preliminary transportation studies are conducted at an early stage during FEED, and regularly updated during EPC, to assess optimum lifting/transportation modes and routes and develop transportation plans, ensuring strict compliance with international export/import regulations and local codes and standards. Environmental considerations, such as weather, ground conditions and tidal movements etc are also evaluated to maximize safety, minimize transportation and schedule risk and reduce disruption to local communities to ‘as low as is reasonably practicable’.