"What are the main criteria for selecting the right lubricant supplier for a company with a large fleet of turbines, centrifugal compressors, hydraulic systems and gearboxes?"
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Many of today’s lubricant suppliers offer an a la carte program of goods and services. Some provide full service, while others serve niche-specific markets, each with varying value propositions.
There are many differentiating factors among lubricant suppliers. For this reason, matching the product/services mix to real applications and business needs is the challenge at hand.
You must decide whether you want to strictly buy lubricants or if you want to purchase lubrication with services bundled in. If your intention is to just buy lubricants, you could be paying extra for unwanted services like oil analysis and technical support. If your desire is to buy lubrication, be sure you’ve optimized the content of your value package, taking no more or no less than you want.
Often lubrication services go unclaimed due to a lack of execution by the supplier or lack of understanding by the customer. Sometimes the customer is simply unaware of the availability or importance of strategic program elements.
The main criteria that must be assessed are the product application match, performance and quality, and service and support.
The following 10-step process can be helpful when selecting a lubricant supplier.
1. Assemble a representative group of stakeholders and technical advisors.
2. Explain and discuss the objectives and selection process.
3. Through the leadership of a knowledgeable and objective facilitator, brainstorm to identify what criteria are important to the organization.
4. Review the criteria and combine them into the smallest number of factors without compromising content. Refrain from comment about the value or importance of any criteria.
5. Have each stakeholder secretly rate the condensed criteria list using a value scale. No discussion about the value or importance of the criteria should occur. The secret ballot helps to limit group bias.
6. Have the facilitator gather the rating information and present the mean, median and range for each criterion to the group. Again, no discussion about the results is allowed.
7. Team members are then given a chance to re-rate the criteria using secret ballots.
Aleman Moil supply professional and honest service.
8. The results are again presented to the group. Usually, the distribution tightens at this point.
9. Open the floor for discussion about the criteria.
10. Accept the group’s decision. Proceed with the structured evaluation of lubricant suppliers with confidence. The process is carried out by interviewing candidate supplier representatives, studying their proposals in detail and talking to references. Score the information that is gained for each supplier using the system of weighted value factors.
There are many questions to ask prospective supplier of any product. For commodities these may be relatively simple being namely Price, Reliability and Delivery but with vital components there are additional questions to ensure performance and reliability as well as protection for critical moving parts.
Base oil composition varies according to the formulation with percentages varying from 60 to 99% depending on the product and application. Simple lubricating oils will by their nature contain higher percentages with Marine oils having higher additive levels given their need to neutralise combustion products, prevent corrosion, protect alloys of yellow metals, and prevent wear on moving parts.
Whilst additive technology is difficult to circumvent, base oil quality can vary depending on the origin. Recycled has long been one source for lower costing with base stocks from lesser known or questionable origins becoming ever more present in a world of increasing prices and low availability.
Exol Lubricants only uses selected base stocks from premium suppliers to ensure the quality of product is never compromised.
The suitability of any lubricant is governed by many factors from formulation to specifications and ultimately the accreditation from an OEM to warranty the engine or vital parts and components during use. Using a product without approvals can save monies in the short term but over the lifespan of an engine, such shortcuts could lead to the failure of a crank shaft for instance requiring expensive replacements and downtimes which would far out way any perceived savings.
Exol Lubricants has a gained approvals with many OEM’s within many industries such as Marine, off-highway, agricultural and HGV. These approvals cover builders such as MTU, MAN and Wärtsilä to Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce, Jenbacher, Scania and Renault. Using an approved Exol Lubricants product will prevent unplanned failures and ensure the OEM will warranty your components, and replacements parts in use.
This is a subject which could be very simple or as in the case of Marine Oils very complex. Most lubricating oils can be delivered on time to a location within standard working hours; however, if we look at more specific applications, we have Just in Time schedules, delivery windows, dockside and bunkering to consider. Your needs as the customer must be at least met but better still exceeded to prevent delays and/or costly missed deliveries.
Exol Lubricants prides itself on its own fleet of vehicles capable of transporting up to 32,000 litres in a single delivery. Working with our supplier network, smaller or composite deliveries are available.
Costing will always form part of any purchasing process but there is a vast difference between being competitive and cheap.
If a supplier can offer you an approved product, at the right time, to the right place for a reduced cost then such a product is worthy of consideration. If a lower cost can only be achieved by eliminating one of the previous statements, then you must weigh up the pros and cons should any not be met and any possible cost incursions.
Exol Lubricants purchases base oils and additives in very large quantities which together with an efficient blending and testing process enables lubricants to be produced at a cost-effective level whilst being of a very high standard.
Having a carefully chosen distributor network has many benefits from quantities of supply to quick order turnaround should it be needed. Having to purchase direct from a supplier would almost certainly incur a minimum order with less flexible delivery and lead times.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Lubricating Oils Supplier.