Renovation of blast furnace 6 supported by PMC's expediting expertise
The challenge
Tata Steel, one of Europe’s largest steel producers, faced a significant challenge: the renovation of Blast Furnace 6. This project, occurring only once every 30 years, demanded meticulous planning and the timely delivery of thousands of materials and components. With a high dependency on external suppliers, the risk of delays was considerable, potentially jeopardizing the entire project timeline. To mitigate this risk, Tata Steel enlisted the expertise of Project Material Control (PMC) to oversee the expediting process and ensure all materials were delivered on time and met the required specifications. PMC played a critical role in risk management, allowing the project to progress without unnecessary delays.
The solution: PMC ensures seamless expediting
PMC played a pivotal role in managing the delivery process of essential materials, both from Tata Steel and its contractors. Through diligent follow-ups on orders, quality checks, and documentation coordination, PMC effectively navigated logistical challenges and minimized delays. Despite a later project delay, PMC’s approach added value and mitigated the overall impact.
PMC supported not only the expediting of Tata Steel’s orders but also played a significant role in tracking materials ordered and delivered by external contractors. This ensured that all components were available on-site as per the strict schedule, which was critical to the project’s success.
The expediting process within Tata Steel isn’t well-developed, so PMC provided excellent support,” said Marco Neerings, Project Manager at Tata Steel. “Thanks to PMC, we received the right materials on time, complete with accurate documentation and adhering to agreed quality standards.
PMC’s services
PMC was responsible for the entire expediting process, which included:
- Closely monitoring supplier orders.
- Inspecting deliveries for quality and completeness.
- Coordinating necessary documentation.
- Collaborating with external contractors to ensure their material orders, such as large pipes and essential equipment, were delivered on-site according to the tight schedule.
The result: Major issues prevented with PMC
Thanks to PMC’s support, the renovation of Blast Furnace 6 stayed on track. Tata Steel highly valued PMC’s professionalism, reliability, and expertise. The knowledge of Ronald, one of PMC’s expeditors, proved particularly invaluable.
Would Tata Steel recommend PMC?
Absolutely. I would recommend PMC to other companies for their reliability and expertise. You can count on PMC. They deliver as promised and provide dependable support. However, it would be beneficial if they shared knowledge more broadly within the team to better ensure continuity.
Ronald Kamies
Conclusion
The collaboration between Tata Steel and Project Material Control was a success during the renovation of Blast Furnace 6. PMC’s involvement enhanced process control, enabling timely mitigation of potential risks to ensure progress. While there is room for improvement in internal knowledge retention and flexibility, PMC has proven to be a valuable partner for large-scale projects like this.