procurement

Why do production engineering and procurement often clash? This article examines equipment lead-time delays in chemical plants and discusses practical actions for both engineering and procurement, including early purchasing, delivery buffers, supplier risk management, alternative equipment, progress tracking, and cross-functional communication.

A chemical plant production engineer shares 20 years of experience working with procurement, explaining why engineering and purchasing often conflict over cost, schedules, suppliers, equipment standardization, and long-term plant operation.

Oil shortages impact more than feedstocks. Learn how lubricants, gaskets, consumables, and polymers affect plant equipment and operations in chemical facilities.

A practical guide for chemical plant engineers on evaluating new equipment vendors. Learn why fabricated equipment is a safe starting point, key evaluation steps, and how to build reliable supplier relationships.

Discover why equipment cost estimates in chemical plants often fail. Learn 5 common pitfalls of using past data and how to build more reliable budgets.

Discover how to account for labor costs in Owner’s Engineering. Learn why man-hours matter, how to estimate engineering fees, and strategies to link project investment with staffing needs.

Learn how chemical engineers use the Six-Tenths Rule to quickly estimate equipment costs during early project planning. Includes formula, step-by-step example, and practical limitations.

Estimating piping costs is critical in early project budgeting. Learn practical methods used by chemical plant engineers, including dia-inch metrics and installation cost considerations.

Learn the differences between General Contractor and Separate Contract models in EPC projects. Ideal for plant engineers handling chemical plant construction and project execution.

The Lang Factor is a classic shortcut for estimating total plant CAPEX. Learn how chemical engineers apply it in early project stages, with formula, worked example, and practical limitations.