Specification and Standard Drawings in Technical Procurement
Technical procurement can be complex. In most cases you are not purchasing simple widgets. More often than not, the engineered components you are sourcing require strict adherence to Specifications (technical requirements, technical standards, ‘specs’), and Standard Drawings (standards) which describe everything from material types and tolerances to the rules testing requirements, safety certifications, layouts, and more.
Current SCM already makes the process of defining the applicable Specification and Standards painless. So, we asked ourselves:
“What else can we do to optimize the workflow for users in the Engineering and Manufacturing space”?
We quickly realized that defining, controlling and selecting the correct specification is important. But communicating and distributing these documents to the selling party is equally or even more important.
This week we extended the application to automatically package all applicable Specification and Standards into a single PDF document, with a document index, and easy PDF navigation for specific transactions. All with a single press of a button. This will remove a huge administrative burden within the normal EPC / Engineering Procurement process.
We believe this new feature will significantly reduce the time spent compiling documentation packages when preparing material requisitions, bid documents, and purchase orders. All while boosting the quality and auditability of the outputs.
In the legacy world of a procurement, a normal activity of this type for an engineer, or a member of the supply chain team, was much more tedious:
- Reference the documentation requirements for different types of purchases from a matrix
- Select the applicable types
- Then seek out the underlying document
- And then manually compile a package (or packages) of PDFs to be attached to the purchase order or agreement
In some cases, this process could take hours or days depending on the complexity of the purchase. Like most human based processes, this was also at the whim of human error. Did the buyer select the correct specification? What about the correct revision? A single misstep means time and budget loss that could be spent on other projects.
Below is a quick introduction to our new feature.
Generating Automatic Specification and Standard Index for your transactions
To get started, simply navigate to your Team Settings and open up the Documentation Module settings. From there, simply define the applicable Specification or Standard, and using the on-screen prompts attach the Print Version of the document.
Once this is complete, the system will take over, and each time the Specification or Standard is utilized by a transaction, this provided document will be added automatically to the generated index for distribution to relevant stakeholders.
It’s as easy as that.
Engaged in Complex Procurement?
Let’s face it, not all procurement is created equal. There’s a world of difference between ordering office supplies and purchasing materials and services with sophisticated technical requirements or managing the procurement for complex industrial projects or expediting materials from vendors across the globe.
Complex procurement demands more than standard solutions.
Current SCM is a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) that was purpose-built for complex procurement. We were born from the real-world experience of a leading industrial engineering firm who couldn’t find a procurement system that met their complex needs. So, they built their own.
Current SCM was explicitly designed to reduce errors between Engineers & Buyers by ensuring procurement professionals have access to the resources they need, including centralized procurement catalog(s), centralized procurement documentation, and centralized vendor management.
Current SCM encompasses activities that occur outside of the typical procure-to-pay process, and offers robust toolsets to support project procurement, third party procurement, technical procurement, and strategic procurement.
Current SCM provides a unified platform for procurement and materials management, offering comprehensive support for the planning, purchasing, and management of materials & services. With material and document tracking integrated into the Order and an Expediting dashboard within each Order, Current SCM provides a unique platform for Buyers and Expeditors.
And Current SCM was designed to drive collaboration among all procurement stakeholders.
Experience the difference. Contact Current SCM today to streamline your complex procurement processes.
