We have to balance the situation between the cost of the business and risk of not getting financial rewards.

  Mc-Bauchemie (I) Pvt Ltd has been a leading name in the area of construction chemical industry for the last 25 years. Team B2B Purchase has a word with Sunny Surlaker, Head Admixtures Division about the company and its procurement practices.

Range of products for the industry
In a response to what are the products offered by Mc-Bauchemie Surlaker said, “We have specialty-coating and waterproofing systems that ensure waterproofing as well as special applications such as protection of concrete in sewage treatments plants, where pH levels are extremely low. We now have material systems that can take care of concrete in exposure levels where pH is from 0 to 14.”

Throwing some light about the other products of the company, he said, “Some of our most popular product lines include Integral waterproofing additives, niche admixtures for special concretes, curing compounds, tiling systems, grouts, floor hardeners and waterproofing systems. The companty is looked upon for highly durable and top end concrete repair and protection systems.”

The company also has  specially formulated breathable, crack bridging, UV resistant, anti-carbonation protection systems that help improve life of repairs,  and also can beused to extend the life of new structures. These materials provide a cover factor to the reinforcement in excess of 50cm of standard M30 Concrete. This kind of protective quotient helps to improve the service life of new structures dramatically.

These materials find application in all types of rcc construction, deep basements, wet rooms, swimming pools, water tanks, sewage treatment plans, industrial and commercial buildings, schools, hospitals etc.

Why Mc-Bauchemie?
“The Mc brand is built on trust for last 25 years in india and over 50 years in Germany and is honoured in the market for a technical professional approach and ethical practices. Based on the quality of the completely executed works, our products have long been popular and accepted readily into the market,” says Surlaker when asked what makes Mc-Bauchemie a stand out in the area of construction chemical industry.

He further added, “With over 50 years of innovation in building chemicals, Mc-Bauchemie is one of the leading international manufacturers of building chemical products and technologies. With more than 2,000 employees, the company group headquartered in Bottrop, Germany, is active in over 40 countries around the world. This philosophy extends to India as well, where we have been collaborated technically and financially for over 26 years. The technical setup and quality consciousness, keeps us a step ahead in the industry.”

Recent innovations in construction chemical industry
Surlaker feels that the construction chemical industry is more about “Evolution, rather than revolution”. The product range that has cropped up over the years is now being segmented and reformulated for specific end uses. Newer chemicals and raw materials available help us improve properties of the materials we manufacture. In support of his thoughts, he says,”The innovations in the industry are coming by way of how we are using the materials, instead of focus on the material alone. Innovations today make easy work of application, are targeting more robustness in the products and are looking at cost effective solutions.”
Procurement practices and credit concerns
Surlaker speaks at length about the procurement practices and his views about it. He states,“Many organisations, by and large, break down the procurement into cost per unit of the material. This may not be the most effective way to compare and procure materials. What should be evaluated is the cost per unit consumption, cost per year of life the material provides and so on. For e.g. a coating system that lasts 5 years costs 100 units, and a coating lasting 15 years would cost 150. In this case the second material is more effective in cost over its life cycle. Often times, decisions are made to procure the 1st system based on initial cost alone.“

“This practice is slowly changing for the better, with most top companies looking at life cycle costs rather than a cost per kg. However, this ideology has to become more popular among the general construction industry. This shift in the thought process will truly bring value to our product systems in the procurement process,”he says.

 When asked about dealing with the credit concerns with the client, Surlaker agrees that payment and credit are an area of concern these days. He says, “While a certain credit facility can always be arranged for, unlimited or unusually long credit terms are a worrisome part of the business today. Here again, we can resort to the older system of payments. Since raw materials and construction chemicals are physically traded goods, the payments for these segments should be on priority. The running account bills can be settled at an agreed credit term.”

Speaking about the system followed by Mc-Bauchemie Sulaker said, “As far as we are concerned, we do have a set credit policy, which depends on the history, number of transactions and value of transactions with a customer. Based on these parameters, each customer is assigned
a credit limit both in terms of time and amount. Good interaction and mutual trust with our clients helps us deal with credit limits to ensure smooth operations and liquidity for the company.”

Crossing hurdles
When asked about any situations where the project was completed irrespective of the breakdown, Surlaker said, “In our line, there are many instances where projects are executed irrespective of financial breakdowns. We understand it is a challenge and work closely with our partners and clients to ensure; we take all steps possible to keep the execution continuous.”

“We have to balance the situation between the cost of the business and risk of not getting financial rewards. This philosophy helps us address concerns over credits and payments,” he signs off.