Methods to Ensure that we are Purchasing what we've Designed

H

High Fidelity

#1
Hello!

Do you guys have good tips or methods how you in your project environment ensure that your procurement department is buying everything that design department has planned?

I have been thinking about adding a review hold point between the purchase and design process'. The idea is that the purchaser and the plan's (I call the document that the purchaser is using when buying something 'a plan'. It can be drawing, mass list etc. etc.) designer would check the plan through and make sure that it is the correct revision and the specifications are ok, and by signing the plan the designer assures that the plan is valid.

Should the review document be a separate document or should the designers sign the purchase order and by that ensure that it is good to go? There must be a reference to the plan (drawing number etc).

What do you think about this method? I'd be more than happy to hear from you guys how you manage this problem. The validity of the purchased parts is very important in our way of operating because our sites are in places where it is very expensive to send parts afterwards.
 
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somashekar

Staff member
Super Moderator
#2
Re: Ensuring that we are purchasing what we've designed

Hello!

Do you guys have good tips or methods how you in your project environment ensure that your procurement department is buying everything that design department has planned?

I have been thinking about adding a review hold point between the purchase and design process'. The idea is that the purchaser and the plan's (I call the document that the purchaser is using when buying something 'a plan'. It can be drawing, mass list etc. etc.) designer would check the plan through and make sure that it is the correct revision and the specifications are ok, and by signing the plan the designer assures that the plan is valid.

Should the review document be a separate document or should the designers sign the purchase order and by that ensure that it is good to go? There must be a reference to the plan (drawing number etc).

What do you think about this method? I'd be more than happy to hear from you guys how you manage this problem. The validity of the purchased parts is very important in our way of operating because our sites are in places where it is very expensive to send parts afterwards.
Welcome here sir ~~~
The design output must be such that it can be purchased exactly as designed.
How ?
During the design review, you must involve the cross function team members from the purchasing who will feed inputs such that the design outputs meets purchasing requirements.
This is the process interaction required between design and purchasing in the design and development process. If this is not effective, your design outputs may be short of purchasing requirement or beyond economic purchasing.
 
#3
Re: Ensuring that we are purchasing what we've designed

Hi Fidelity... er...Hello, High Fidelity, and welcome to the Cove. :bigwave:

I think your method would probably work, and you could also put purchasers on the design team in order to close information gaps before they open, and among other things ensure that only "buyable" components are added to the design.

Added in edit: Ah. Somashekar beat me to it... :)


/Claes
 

somashekar

Staff member
Super Moderator
#4
Re: Ensuring that we are purchasing what we've designed

Know of a case where a selective gold plated part spec called out 5u (micron) gold thickness, and the supplier politely asked the buyer if he was sure they needed the 5u, giving the quotation. The purchaser (unfortunately not a techno-commercial executive) went back to the designers and enquired and the designer went about some research and found that what was desired is 0.5u gold.
A designer is not an expert in all fields, and they must not miss the opportunity to learn from outside, including suppliers and a good techno-commercial buyer comes in handy in the design review team.
 

Mikishots

Trusted Information Resource
#5
Re: Ensuring that we are purchasing what we've designed

Hello!

Do you guys have good tips or methods how you in your project environment ensure that your procurement department is buying everything that design department has planned?

I have been thinking about adding a review hold point between the purchase and design process'. The idea is that the purchaser and the plan's (I call the document that the purchaser is using when buying something 'a plan'. It can be drawing, mass list etc. etc.) designer would check the plan through and make sure that it is the correct revision and the specifications are ok, and by signing the plan the designer assures that the plan is valid.

Should the review document be a separate document or should the designers sign the purchase order and by that ensure that it is good to go? There must be a reference to the plan (drawing number etc).

What do you think about this method? I'd be more than happy to hear from you guys how you manage this problem. The validity of the purchased parts is very important in our way of operating because our sites are in places where it is very expensive to send parts afterwards.

Somashekar has it exactly right. The design review will show if the process has been successful (that Purchasing is buying what was designed and planned)
 
H

High Fidelity

#6
Thank you for your answers.

We have been facing issues mainly on site. On site 5000 km's away from our office and usually far away from civilization we have been facing problems that something is missing. Usually they are the small parts, nuts and bolts, but sometimes something that prevent the installation from going on. Some bigger parts or critical process components.

We need to straightforward our process', if something is planned in the design department it should be that way. Not only after revision p or something like that.

About the design review. Our purchase manager doesn't have competence in technical issues and I don't see any benefits for having her in the design reviews. What would she bring to the review? She is only buying according to the design plans (mass lists, drawings, component lists etc) which are made during the design process without questioning them.
This is where the initiating of the plans would come in picture, the purchase manager would ensure from the designer that the plan is valid and the revision is final. Often the plans change in the final minute and it can happen between the design review and purchasing.
 

Mikishots

Trusted Information Resource
#7
Thank you for your answers.

We have been facing issues mainly on site. On site 5000 km's away from our office and usually far away from civilization we have been facing problems that something is missing. Usually they are the small parts, nuts and bolts, but sometimes something that prevent the installation from going on. Some bigger parts or critical process components.

We need to straightforward our process', if something is planned in the design department it should be that way. Not only after revision p or something like that.

About the design review. Our purchase manager doesn't have competence in technical issues and I don't see any benefits for having her in the design reviews. What would she bring to the review? She is only buying according to the design plans (mass lists, drawings, component lists etc) which are made during the design process without questioning them.
This is where the initiating of the plans would come in picture, the purchase manager would ensure from the designer that the plan is valid and the revision is final. Often the plans change in the final minute and it can happen between the design review and purchasing.
Purchasing is a primary stakeholder in the process; it would be crazy not to have her there. To be clear, her responsibility is not just to buy according to design plans - her responsibility is also to ensure that the specified material/part is actually available, is not cost-prohibitive, whether or not it will need to come from a sole-source, etc. The design team depends on feedback like this.

If she is buying material without ever questioning it when an issue comes up, it's time to get another purchasing manager.

She may not have the technical knowledge, but in the same vein, designers don't purchase; that's why we stick to what we do best and collaborate during design reviews. That's what they're for.
 
W

Wilderness Woody

#8
Depending upon how your business is structured, the purchasing function may range from mostly administrative to a technical team advisor with qualified SQE's. The design outputs should be very clear and organized to allow for consistent purchasing of BOM items. Throwing a jumbled mess over to a buyer and expecting them to get what you need is not the way!
 

somashekar

Staff member
Super Moderator
#9
Usually they are the small parts, nuts and bolts, but sometimes something that prevent the installation from going on. Some bigger parts or critical process components.
Try to get from the designer the actual ordering part code of the required parts which has reference to the manufacturer's catalog. This will make the designers work more in depth and identify what exactly is required. Feed the designers as much of technical catalogs as you can fetch for them to make and take good decision or search for alternatives.
 
H

High Fidelity

#10
Try to get from the designer the actual ordering part code of the required parts which has reference to the manufacturer's catalog. This will make the designers work more in depth and identify what exactly is required. Feed the designers as much of technical catalogs as you can fetch for them to make and take good decision or search for alternatives.
We are doing exactly that. Designers plan the specifications and the purchaser only buys the products according to the specifications.

What do you do in your design reviews? We call up a meeting and the attendees are project manager, design manager, designer and quality engineer. We take the drawings and we have a check list. We go through the list and review the drawings according to the list. We make the markings to the drawings and the designer makes the corrections. Then we have a follow-up. The design review in our organization is for making sure the plans are correct, then we give the BOM's etc. to purchasing. Ideas how to make this different/more effective?

BTW, this is a great site, engineers helping each others!
 
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