I have been exposed to large capital projects for 20 years. When I was in my late 20s, I identified drastic inefficiencies that cost the owner or contractor tremendous amounts of money for manpower and material costs. I wanted to help solve this challenge then; however, I didn't have a lot of influence to help because I was still fairly new to the industry at the time.
In 2008, Troop Industrial started as a primary supplier for bolts and gaskets on a billion-dollar megaproject; it was an internationally recognized event. This was a huge deal because there weren't a lot of projects this size going on in the U.S. Today, there are several multibillion-dollar megaprojects in the FEED process, under construction or near completion.
Troop Industrial has had the opportunity to participate in numerous megaprojects throughout the past decade. These jobs all had a common scenario that is toxic to any job, especially a megaproject. These are:
- Losing material that was already procured, received and assigned to an ISO.
- Losing manpower due to the discovery of lost material.
As we get older and more experienced, people start listening to us more. I'm fortunate enough to have the experience to be out in the field, where I can work hand-in-hand with Troop Industrial's clients. But I don't just consider these individuals clients; we worry about these jobs together, and we share the same frustrations about how these megaprojects are run. We trust each other, and we are trusted partners who share a common goal: to mitigate the inefficiencies of megaprojects in the areas we specialize in.
Troop Industrial was recently invited to participate on-site as a supplier of bolts, gaskets and small-bore fittings on another megaproject. We placed a store on-site, complete with temporary warehousing and an office with all the necessary technology and manpower. The client and Troop Industrial closely monitored performance, comparing the traditional procurement and material management methods with Troop Industrial's methods on-site. We monitored wait time for items that were "known" and "unknown." In a 10-month timeframe, we documented $6 million that went back into the project because the amount of time manpower had to wait on materials was drastically reduced.
This also led to workers' attitudes and morale improving. If workers start their day with a mission and they can't complete their mission because the material is lacking, it negatively impacts their attitudes. However, when they have the tools and resources to complete their jobs, it positively impacts their attitudes. Workers on this megaproject were elated they could get materials within minutes or hours instead of days. They insisted Troop Industrial needed to be on the next job and Troop Industrial's services should be the "new normal."
Troop Industrial recently created a separate team, the Projexx Group, within our company that only focuses on more complex projects. The Projexx Group manages our participation in megaprojects, consignment, technical bills of material and details like Positive Material Identification color coding, special color-coding on gaskets and special labeling. If you don't have a dedicated team looking at the details and reading the specifications, you will have problems later. The Projexx Group has also developed software that provides a website we call a "hot board," displaying live job-specific info such as requests for quotes, estimated times of arrival, proof of deliveries, mill test reports, current spend, etc., which is available 24/7/365 and anywhere you can open a web browser.
We also have Projexx Group off-site warehouses available in Pasadena, Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas, and Sulphur, Louisiana, that are dedicated to megaprojects, large capital projects and turnaround management. They are used to process the orders and ensure all materials are job-compliant prior to shipping.
If you are an owner or in EPC management and would like to see how we can drastically reduce costs and improve efficiencies, we would love to discuss this with you. We are passionate about what we do and would love an opportunity to team up with you on your next project.
For more information, visit www.troopindustrial.com or call (713) 475-6100.
