Sourcing and purchasing genuine spare parts
How to navigate the global sea of parts providers and choose wisely.
With a drive to reduce net zero emissions by 2050, alongside the need to find economical, sustainable and cost-efficient solutions to the sourcing of genuine spare parts, how can procurement and vessel managers ensure that the parts they are buying are high quality, appropriately priced, compliant to NOx, SOx, CO2, and methane technical documentation, and will maximise the efficiency and longevity of their equipment?
In the worldwide market of sellers, how do you know who is bone fide? How do you choose the right provider, and avoid costly mistakes?
Mark Dean, Managing Director, Marine Turbo Engineering (MTE), suggests some key questions purchasers should consider and draws on his experience in the turbocharger industry to provide examples of good practice.
How experienced is the supplier?
It is important to find out how long a company has been in the market and what experience they have of the parts that are being sourced. With a company like ours, we are in the unique position of celebrating 55 years in the turbocharger industry this year. It is a very niche sector but the fact that we have remained the same registered company, doing the same thing, over many decades, means that we can be trusted to have an inordinate amount of experience and knowledge in our field.
Do they have any technical expertise?
Does the company have any real knowledge of the parts they are selling? Can they offer you independent unbiased technical advice? Being a longstanding turbocharger service provider means that our team really does know about turbochargers. Decades of attending emergency breakdowns and planned maintenance mean that our team knows everything there is to know, not just about the individual parts, but why they need replacement in the first place. We have extensive experience in understanding what the most trusted cost-effective options are.
Do they have detailed knowledge of material specifications?
- Material analysis
In order to trust a supplier to supply reliable parts with the correct specification, check whether they have the facilities to analysis the chemical makeup of a part, to ascertain its authenticity? At MTE we have a long history of using spectrographic analysis of parts materials. We can survey and provide our customers with Positive Material Identification Reports which record accurately the chemical composition. - Measuring
Exact measurements are key when fitting spare parts and at MTE our measuring equipment is calibrated in line with ISO 9001 guidelines.
MTE uses coordinate measuring machines, or CMMs for short, for a reliable high degree of precision.
Do they have manufacturer’s certification?
It is important to check whether a company is an authorised supplier of genuine and OEM parts. All official suppliers and partners are certificated and they should be prepared to share their accreditation with you. These days the major providers carry out audits of their suppliers to ensure that their exacting standards of quality are upheld. Although MTE is a supplier of all makes of turbocharger spare parts, a very recent example of this auditing process was our reaccreditation by KBB, where after a visit to our headquarters in the UK, not only was the 5-year Certificate of Authorisation issued, but we “received an A in the evaluation with no critical deviations”.
Being an authorised dealer also means that a supplier can offer other services, for example as one of KBB’s official stockists MTE is part of the KBB Knowledge 2 Swap (K2S) programme. In this case existing cartridges or turbochargers can be exchanged swiftly, ensuring that the vessel’s downtime is reduced to the minimum.
Genuine OEM parts will usually carry a logo and an ID number. Can your supplier send evidence of these?
What are their standards of quality assurance and are they a member of a professional body?
Having an International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) accreditation is a key indicator of how important maintaining and improving quality, along with enhancing efficiency is to a business. As an example, in 1993, MTE was one of the world’s first independent turbocharger companies to attain ISO 9001 and since then has added ISO 14001 and 45001.
Belonging to an authentic professional trade association or institution will demonstrate a company’s standing in the industry. As well as being a member of IMPA, MTE is an official marine partner of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST), a long-standing supporter of the Liverpool Marine Engineers & Naval Architects Guild and a member of EMISA.
Do they offer Guarantees and Warranties?
The purchasing of spare parts can be a costly business, and it is imperative that a supplier not only offers guarantees and warranties but can demonstrate evidence of these. At MTE our guarantee is a promise of worldwide warranty coverage of £10 – 20 million for a minimum of 12 months, with 5-star London underwriters. We also offer extended warranty.
Are they who you think they are and do they have references from existing or former clients
In a world of AI and new companies springing up all over the globe, are you sure that the company is who you think they are? Marine Turbo Engineering Ltd has been around for 55 years however, it is clearly such a great name that you may find similarly named companies, who have nothing to do with us and will not have the longstanding reputation we have earned. Check the logo a company is using, check their website, their LinkedIn page, the syntax of the email address or simply call the company you know and trust. Ask them for references or referees, a longstanding reputable company will be able to provide you with these.
Do they have a worldwide network and offer a dedicated account manager?
To avoid the expense of global transit charges it is wise to choose a company with an established worldwide network. This can reduce costs considerably. MTE has stockholding locations around the world.
Having a reliable, dedicated account manager is important to build up relationships and to plan forward especially in line with budgets and planned maintenance schedules. A good account manager will be able to offer 24-hour support and work with you on strategic sourcing and advise on logistics. They will know where your vessel is and have a clear insight into the most cost-effective options for your needs.
Do they offer a rolling programme of training and mentoring to their staff?
Ask about a company’s rolling training programme. Do they ensure that their team are up to date with the latest innovations and technical details? As an example, being an authorised Mitsubishi service and parts provider, members of our technical team were able to fly to Nagasaki in November for rigorous training at their head offices. This new knowledge was then disseminated to the whole team.
Do they demonstrate a commitment to strong ESG practices?
Are they committed to reducing their own carbon emissions and energy consumption and developing greener operations and services? Have they switched to sustainable packaging for transporting goods around the world, for example? Are they encouraging their team to commit to the IMPA Save Pledge of reducing the use of water bottles on vessels?
The EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan is promoting ‘repairability, upgradability, durability and recyclability’ however in precision engineering, exacting high standards are crucial. Only highly qualified and trained professionals should carry out repairs. At MTE we have decades of specialist experience in remanufacturing turbine and compressor blades and base our qualifications and processes on several testing standard codes which include BS EN 15614-2:2005, ISO 10042:2018, and ISO 23277:2015 2X. We also use state of the art equipment for analysing, testing and measuring and offer detailed test reports and inspection certificates.
Do they seem to encourage a positive workplace culture? Do they show an interest in the world beyond their business by contributing to the wider society? Do they actively support local charitable organisations? How can you tell? Check out their website and their social networking platforms or simply ask.
Are they the complete package? Having considered all the above, are they a company you feel are reliable and you could do business with? Would you trust the spare parts they are selling to keep your crew, passengers and cargo safe and your vessels running at prime energy efficiency?
Source: IMPA Supply Chain and Sustainability Magazine