What are the best practices for evaluating equipment vendors and suppliers during FEED?

Equipment selection is a crucial aspect of Front End Engineering Design (FEED), as it affects the cost, performance, and safety of the project. Choosing the right equipment vendors and suppliers can make a big difference in the quality and reliability of the equipment, as well as the delivery and installation time. In this article, we will discuss some of the best practices for evaluating equipment vendors and suppliers during FEED, and how to avoid common pitfalls and risks.

1 Define your requirements

Before you start looking for equipment vendors and suppliers, you need to have a clear idea of what you need and what you expect from them. This includes defining the technical specifications, performance criteria, quality standards, delivery schedule, warranty terms, and maintenance support for the equipment. You also need to consider the environmental, regulatory, and safety aspects of the equipment, and how they align with your project objectives and constraints. Having a well-defined set of requirements will help you narrow down your options and compare them objectively.

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2 Conduct a market research

Once you have your requirements, you need to conduct a market research to identify the potential equipment vendors and suppliers that can meet them. You can use various sources of information, such as industry databases, trade publications, online platforms, referrals, and previous experience, to find out who are the leading players in the market, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and what are their track records and reputations. You should also look for feedback from other customers, such as testimonials, reviews, ratings, and references, to get a sense of their satisfaction and performance.

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Karl Carey

Instrumentation and Control System Lead Designer and Smartplant Instrumentation Administrator/Superuser
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Rarely would "testimonials, reviews, ratings, and references, to get a sense of their satisfaction and performance." be applied during FEED, nor would a Contractor go searching the Internet for information at this level as they should all be big established companies, not companies needed review data published on the Internet!

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3 Request and evaluate proposals

After you have a shortlist of equipment vendors and suppliers, you need to request and evaluate their proposals. A proposal should include detailed information about the equipment, such as the technical specifications, design features, quality certificates, compliance documents, and test results. It should also include information about the vendor or supplier, such as their company profile, financial status, organizational structure, quality management system, and project management approach. You should evaluate the proposals based on how well they match your requirements, how competitive they are in terms of price, quality, and delivery, and how responsive and flexible they are to your needs and requests.

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4 Negotiate and finalize contracts

The final step of equipment selection is to negotiate and finalize the contracts with the selected equipment vendors and suppliers. A contract should cover all the aspects of the equipment procurement, such as the scope of work, the payment terms, the delivery schedule, the warranty conditions, the maintenance support, the risk allocation, and the dispute resolution mechanism. You should negotiate the contract terms in a fair and transparent manner, and seek legal advice if needed. You should also monitor and document the contract performance and compliance throughout the project lifecycle, and address any issues or changes promptly and professionally.

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Karl Carey

Instrumentation and Control System Lead Designer and Smartplant Instrumentation Administrator/Superuser
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Iso 9001 and other pertinant quality requirements should be included to define the companies status should be included........

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What are the best practices for evaluating equipment vendors and suppliers during FEED?

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1 Define your requirements

2 Conduct a market research

3 Request and evaluate proposals

4 Negotiate and finalize contracts

Front End Engineering Design (FEED)

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