Intellis Implements Mobile Inspections System Integrated with Supplier Qualification Portal for Engineering Firms

Client:

Chicago Bridge & Iron Engineering Firm

Challenge:

Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) acquires raw materials and finished components from vendors all over the world as part of their procurement process for global engineering projects. Each vendor or supplier specializes in the production and/or export of specific materials, and must be vetted appropriately by CB&I procurement managers for compliance and quality. CB&I needed a more efficient and streamlined solution to aid in their global procurement and inspection efforts, as well as a centralized location for suppliers to apply for qualification through an internally managed CB&I web environment.

Solution:

Intellis provided for CB&I a comprehensive Vendor Qualification System in tandem with FOUNDATION for field data capture to mitigate the problem of vendor qualification. The web-based Portal enables suppliers to complete applications for qualification to provide their product offerings to CB&I. These applications are then routed through a third-party security check and a compliance review by a CB&I Supplier Qualification Manager to ensure adherence to CB&I’s compliance standards.

The Portal facilitates the inspection process by allowing CB&I Managers to track and dispatch inspectors after receipt of Suppliers’ applications. The inspectors then gather data on-site at the potential Suppliers’ facilities, utilizing Mobile Validity on iOS tablets. The Portal then aggregates reports from those mobile inspections, increasing data visibility. These reports, along with the Suppliers’ submitted data, are then made available to CB&I Procurement employees to enable them to make informed decisions to select the most appropriate supplier or vendor for their specific project.

Since the introduction of the Vendor Qualification Portal and configured FOUNDATION modules to their offerings, CB&I has seen significant ROI in their procurement efforts and reduced travel costs for all inspectors designated to perform assessments of supplier sites.