The procurement philosophy has been reinvented for sustainable growth and profitability. The priorities of project procurement have evolved considering the decrease of supply chain complexity viz. products marketing, encourage supplier innovation, enhance operational security, the social and environmental impact of the supplier in sourcing decisions.

Changing project procurement
According to Subhajit Chaudhuri, Vice President- Sales & Projects, MMD Heavy Machinery (India) Pvt Ltd, “Environmental awareness and sustainability are crucial parameters for the procurement process nowadays. Sustainable procurement is the value for money, sourcing of products and services and taking into account environmental, social and ethical aspects over the whole product or service lifecycle.”

Strategies need to be reviewed and revised to reflect changes in circumstance and focus as priorities in project procurement change over time. This includes the following points:
• Operating structure: It is fit for function and role, the procedures benchmarked against best practice, reviewed and updated as required.
• Expenditure analysis: The project expenditure on bought-in goods and services needs to be analysed.
• Maximising value: This strategy includes maximising the value through procurement activity, the use of competitive tendering and established collaborative contracts and the deployment of procurement professionals.
• Supplier strategy: Whether the project has a strategy for dealing with suppliers and markets, such as buying local and compliance with relevant regulations.
• Social responsibility: Project plan needs to take account of its social, economic and environmental responsibilities through procurement e.g. sustainability, health, safety and welfare, environmental management, equality, ethical procurement, working with the local business.
• The use of procurement tools: e-tendering, e-auctions and an e-procurement platform are the benefits of such use – reporting, planning, measurement and cost control need to be adopted.
• Supplier or contract management: Potential suppliers need to be evaluated and proper contract management should be put on place for monitoring supplier performance and managing improvements.
• Performance reporting: Procedure should be adopted for performance monitoring within the procurement process is routinely reported to concerned department and Management.
• Risk management: Risks and dependencies relating to procurement process, legislative and regulatory non-compliance are identified, clearly understood, monitored and communicated across the project effectively.

Chaudhuri says, “The fundamental of value-based offering lies with ‘fit for purpose’ and the purchaser is highly happy to pay.”

Fully Mobile Surge Loader
The company’s latest technological solution Fully Mobile Surge Loader helps maximise the productivity of truck and shovel fleet. With almost 40 years’ experience of innovating reliable material processing equipment, the company has developed a mobile feeder solution that overcomes the inherent problem of intermittent loading typically seen in truck and shovel operations. Accepting direct loads from excavators, screens or mobile sizing equipment, the product stockpiles material and delivers a regulated flow to the truck fleet. This increases truck and shovel utilisation and provides a system capacity improvement of up to 25 per cent. The product optimises shovel production capability, increases truck utilisation, improves truck fill factors,reduces truck body wear, lowers cost per tonne,small capital investment for high reward.

MMD Atlas Transporter
The MMD Atlas Transporter is another technology from MMD, enabling heavy semi-mobile structures to be relocated in a safe and controlled manner. A single transporter can serve many units and structures around the mine. A range of MMD transporters are available from 200T to 750T carrying capacities. Following are the features:

• Compact and low profile: The design of the transporter has been optimised to fit within compact dimensions and low height. This provides the ideal foundation for lifting large heavy structures.
• Lift and rotate payloads: The driven slew canopy has unlimited rotation independent of the crawlers. Unique payloads can be lifted and rotated at any height for optimum travel.
• Automatic payload levelling: Utilising over 80 sensors the MMD Atlas Transporter has the unique capability to monitor and maintain the payloads centre of gravity automatically while travelling over different terrain and gradients. Inline and cross gradients of up to 10 per cent can be accommodated for providing uncompromised portability.
• Safe operation: For safe operation, the transporter is controlled by a fully featured wireless unit which provides live feedback and maximum control while travelling, lifting or slewing.
• Fully mobile sizer units: Maximise the potential of efficient conveyor haulage. For the ultimate in cost savings, environmental mining and portability, fully mobile sizer units enable the use of efficient conveyor haulage directly from the mine face. They move frequently to work directly with the excavator, whilst sizing and delivering conveyable material onto the conveyor haulage system, eliminating trucks and their associated costs, safety risks and environmental impact.
• Efficient and safe: Fully mobile sizing units enable efficient conveyor haulage directly from the mine face maximising the economic, environmental and safety advantages of installing an IPSC system.

Advantages
• Throughput capacities up to and over 10,000TPH.
• Automated material handling.
• Low carbon emissions and environmental impact by using all electrical power.
• Operates in extreme weather conditions.
• Maintenance friendly.

Organisational changes are important to initiating an effective procurement by the below points:

• More cross-functional integration in the organisation.
• Strong supply networks.
• Effective collaborative supplier relationships.
• Supply chain resilience and risk management.
• Proper evaluation and audit at supplier place at regular intervals.

Imposing high-quality manufacturing standards
The government launched‘ Make in India’ initiative with the primary goal of encouraging multinational and domestic companies to manufacture their products in India. It also seeks to facilitate job creation, foster innovation, enhance skill development and protect intellectual property. Chaudhuri suggests,“The government should link the price and purchase preferences to the policies such as ‘Make in India’ and ‘Startup India’ initiatives and should relax some norms especially with regard to prior experience and financial capacity.”

‘Zero defect, zero effect’ is a phrase that ‘Make in India’ campaign has brought in. According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Let’s think about making our product which has ‘zero defect’ and ‘zero effect’ so that the manufacturing does not have an adverse effect on our environment”. Thus, sustainable development in the country is being made possible by imposing high-quality manufacturing standards while minimising environmental and ecological impact. This can be achieved through value-driven project procurement.

Sustainable procurement is value for money, sourcing of products and services and taking into account environmental, social and ethical aspects over the whole product or service lifecycle.
Subhajit Chaudhuri, Vice President – Sales & rojects, MMD Heavy Machinery (India) Pvt Ltd