Some insights on contractor management at the production site
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Today’s production sites are no longer characterized by simple manufacturing processes; in the production workshops, managing the various contractors within those areas is a highly complex task. In the past, the production workshop was responsible only for manufacturing, while other collaborating departments performed their own duties and participated together. Things are different now; many tasks related to collaboration are entrusted to contractors, while infrastructure maintenance is handled by labor dispatch agencies. The department in charge of infrastructure management is only responsible for making the necessary connections ； Equipment maintenance is carried out by professional maintenance services or personnel sent by the equipment supplier; the company’s own technical department is only responsible for making the arrangements ； Insulation work is carried out by a labor service company, with the relevant departments merely responsible for making the arrangements ； There are even more forms of corrosion protection: corrosion protection for steel structures, fiberglass-reinforced plastics, fluoroplastics, as well as specialized lining treatments for specific equipment, and so on... It is the responsibility of the relevant departments that these contractors complete their tasks on site successfully; if the work is not done properly, or if quality or safety incidents occur, it is because the production workshop fails to manage things properly. After all, every task falls under local management, with the local authorities bearing primary responsibility. Everything done by these contractors is ultimately for the benefit of the production workshop! Therefore, it feels like one has to maintain stability in the production workshop, coordinate and urge various contractors to complete their tasks, prevent safety accidents, and resolve conflicts among different parties; having low emotional intelligence can indeed be very exhausting. Indeed, everything that contractors do is for the benefit of the production workshop, so the quality of their work directly affects the stability and sustainability of production. It is completely impossible if the process is not supervised or if reliance is placed on the relevant functional departments to ensure oversight. Some common tactics used by certain contractors: they delay things at the beginning, using various excuses to postpone completion, and later they rush the work while neglecting quality. You are willing to accept this because you need them to complete the work as soon as possible, otherwise it will affect your subsequent work plans. Therefore, supervision is relaxed in advance, and once things happen you end up completely passive and at the mercy of others :( In terms of safety, environmental protection, and occupational health, it is also the responsibility of the local production workshop; any violations or accidents are the fault of that local workshop. Some of our practices, such as winning bids at low prices or through connections, give rise to many irregularities. If oversight is strict, conflicts arise and progress is affected; if oversight is lax, the risk of accidents increases, and one might end up taking the blame.: Do frontline managers on the production site share these feelings? Do you have any good ways to deal with it? After all, we can’t complain; we just have to overcome the practical difficulties one by one
This post was last edited by “Hasty Passerby” on September 6, 2018, at 14:27. Managing transformation projects within operating facilities is extremely complicated. This isn’t just a perception shared by production workshops; departments responsible for project management also experience this difficulty. Particularly when the roles and responsibilities of the production and infrastructure departments aren’t clearly defined, it becomes quite challenging to proceed with the work. First, let’s talk about the experience in the production workshop: due to the system of territorial management, whenever a problem occurs within a particular area, the responsibility is first placed on the workshop in charge of that area. As a result, one is constantly on edge, fearing that if the construction team causes any problems, the entire workshop will have to face consequences. However, since the construction unit is under the management of the engineering department, the production workshop does not have direct control over it; as a result, both safety officers and workers find it difficult to know how to take action. At the same time, they are worried about potential problems if they do nothing, which puts them in a difficult situation. Let’s talk about the perspective of the engineering department: since the construction site is not in a new area, there are naturally many restrictions on the construction process. Both regular construction activities and special tasks such as flaw detection are affected by these restrictions. This is especially true when it comes to obtaining permits for working with fire, as well as having someone on site to supervise the work; this results in low efficiency. People have to go ahead and apply for those permits early in the morning, and it isn’t until around 8:30 that the permits are obtained. Additionally, they have to wait for someone from the workshop to come and supervise the work, so actual construction doesn’t start until 9 o’clock. The production staff do not work overtime at noon and can only start working again in the afternoon; as a result, both the construction team and the project department feel somewhat uncomfortable. The real issue is as follows: First, the construction team must be under the supervision of the workshop, which is responsible for providing safety training and explaining the main risks and precautions within the construction area, in order to prevent serious problems from occurring. Secondly, the hot work permit is obtained one day in advance, but sampling and analysis are carried out by the night shift on the same day; work can begin once the results are satisfactory, which **helps to improve construction efficiency and extend the working hours. Once these two issues are resolved, both parties, or rather all three parties, should feel relieved and at ease, as the concerns of everyone will be greatly alleviated!
Construction management at the production site is a challenging task; this isn’t just something said verbally by both parties – it’s indeed the case. Production managers consider that construction teams are difficult to control, exhibit a high degree of arbitrariness, and often violate regulations, with the potential for serious incidents to occur at any time, for which they would have to take responsibility； The construction team said there were too many issues in the workshop, with restrictions everywhere, making it difficult to carry out the work; they said they would never take on such projects again. What seems irreconcilable may not be so in reality: 1. Change the approach and assign a different management team: Have the production workshop take charge of project construction, being directly responsible for the construction work while also overseeing production. With direct management, responsibilities are clear; there is no separation between different departments, and authority to impose penalties exists, so the construction teams obey orders. Due to the tasks at hand, the workshop also puts itself in the project’s shoes and tries every means possible to speed things up; what was difficult to coordinate before becomes easier. 2. Temporarily assign project management personnel to workshop management and assessment until the project is completed. This type of management is direct management, with responsibility for both projects and production; ensuring safety is a common goal for both parties ； Completing the project on time is also a shared goal; with common goals, actions will naturally be coordinated, many conflicts will be resolved easily, and everyone can be satisfied. In the end, everything is completed safely and on time, and everyone receives a reward.
That makes sense. Sometimes there are really too many managers on site. Proper division of tasks is a good thing, but when there’s no cooperation among those assigned tasks, it becomes a problem
(1) Clearly define the scope of activities and access routes. (2) Mobilize employees from adjacent areas to supervise or monitor, so as to promptly identify any obvious violations of regulations. (3) Report to the supervisory department. (4) Define the scope of management authority and responsibilities before entry. (5) The construction unit should adapt to local practices and actively accept the supervision and constraints imposed by the client – only when the project progresses smoothly without any safety incidents can everyone be satisfied!
I share your feelings; sometimes there really is nothing that can be done in such situations, unless people decide to go to extremes. However, some issues can still be resolved through communication. It’s necessary to get involved as early as possible when signs of problems arise, and if needed, to report them to higher authorities. Additionally, strict standards should be applied during the inspection of work completed, otherwise similar problems will continue to occur in the future
Yes, clear standards must be established for work, and precautions should be taken at all times. Otherwise, it’s hard to know how much effort will be required for on-site coordination
After all, we can’t complain; we have to overcome one practical difficulty after another. Give the original poster a thumbs up – it takes effort to survive in tough conditions while still trying to live a decent life.