FAQs

Our thorough inspection service takes the stress away from your project, as you will get what you ordered first time, every time.

At Turner & Coates, we offer the following inspection services:

• Verification of Materials - through a detailed review of material certificates and quality records.
• Inspection of Work In Progress - examining in-process products to ensure compliance with contract / approved drawings / specifications.
• Inspection of Finished Products - running the rule over the finished product to ensure compliance with contract / approved drawings / specifications.
• Witness Test(s) - witnessing selected tests during / post manufacturing. See the Witness Test procedure.
• Stage Payment Verification - confirmation that progress, as defined in the contract / purchasing documents, has been reached.
• Inspection of Packaging & Marks - verification of packaging and marking compliance with customer specification / requirements and / or Turner & Coates' packaging specification.
• Pre-Shipment Verification - authentication that all goods are as per contract / purchasing documents in nature / quantity and that documentation is in order.
• Loading / Unloading Supervision - witnessing operations to ensure that goods are transferred into suitable transport, in sound condition.

For any project, the ideal solution is a combination of the two. In-process inspections allow Turner & Coates to verify what has been made and, if any problems / issues are uncovered, these are fixed much quicker thus minimising delays and maintaining the integrity of the design. Our thorough final inspection service gives you total peace of mind that you will get what you ordered. Bear in mind also that, for any equipment, witness testing is also highly recommended.

Would you recommend in-process, or final product inspection?

No problem. We've got experts in fields as diverse as power generation and pulp / paper manufacture, as well as covering all points in between. Please see our experience list for further information.

Paired with Inspection, it's one of the world's most potent and widely-used Project Management tools. All expeditors working for Turner & Coates, are trained to dissect information and data analytically, to ensure that your supplier has both the resources and capabilities to meet your needs.

An initial visit would generally cover:

• a review of the suppliers' project and manufacturing schedules.
• analysis of supplier design and engineering progress.
• examining the suppliers' Quality Assurance program.
• reviewing welder certifications, procedures and codes.
• studying the fabrication program and control of sub-suppliers.
• checking raw material certificates (depending on equipment to be inspected).

Each shop visit would include thorough inspection of the following:

• Quality of manufacturing in the suppliers' own workshop.
• Checking documentation relating to non-destructive test (NDT), i.e. hydro test, welding test, etc.
• Conformity of welding procedures and NDT to the specifications.
• Assessing physical progress in manufacturing versus the schedule.
• Witnessing specific manufacturing tests, on request.
• Reviewing records of activities defined on inspection and test plans.
• Undertaking in-process and final inspection prior to delivery.

Our vast experience in the field tells us that, regular expediting throughout the project, keeps the supplier focused and minimises delays, whilst maximising quality.

Why pay twice for the same job? Your internal personnel would be neglecting their day-to-day duties, meaning somebody else would have to cover for them. At Turner & Coates, we have experienced expediting professional located across the globe, enabling us to act as your independent local eyes and ears. This reduces your travel expenses and eliminates hassle. Our expeditors are specifically trained to spot potential issues and problems. In many instances, they have been to the supplier in question, and seen it all before.

To us, expediting is so much more than just a box-checking exercise. All of our expeditors are trained to look at the details of your order, to ensure you receive exactly what you order.

For any project, we would recommend employing our inspection and expediting services in tandem, as well as utilising our witness testing service. This total approach ensures that your equipment is made on time, and to exact specification.

Our expert local engineers visit your supplier, to certify that testing is carried out to your exact requirements. This direct approach ensures valid and meaningful results.

Getting Turner & Coates to witness the testing of your equipment, enables you to evaluate how it will perform at your company's site, by simulating real-life conditions. If any issues do occur during testing, these can be fixed at the supplier end, thus minimising any potentially costly delays and giving you complete confidence in the equipment you're purchasing.

Most definitely. By complementing our inspection and expediting services with witness testing, you're ensuring that the equipment you're buying will be delivered on time, to exact specification and, most importantly, that it will perform as your business demands.

Yes. Here at Turner & Coates, we always recommend inspection, expediting and witness testing for complete project management. Without inspection and expediting, you may find your supplier fails to meet your specification and required delivery date.

A Quality Management System (QMS) - such as ISO 9001 - gives you the necessary controls to address risks and monitor/ measure performance in your business. It can also help you to maintain and enhance your industry profile and reputation. Moreover, a QMS enables you to look for improvements through internal and external communications.

Of course you can. A QMS is relevant to all business and organisations, irrespective of their size or industry sector. Likewise, it can be applied to a single department, right up to a large multinational. That said, the best returns are realised when a company is prepared to implement a QMS throughout its entire operation, rather than particular sites, departments or divisions.

The benefits of implementing a QMS throughout your organisation are manifold:

• i. Competitive advantage
  ISO9000/ISO9001 is senior management-driven. This ensures that business objectives are constantly fed into your working processes and practices, thus helping you maximise your assets.
• ii. Improvement in business performance and risk management
  ISO9000/ISO9001 helps your managers raise the organisation’s performance above and beyond that of your competitors who aren’t using Quality Management Systems.
• iii. Commitment to quality
  ISO9000/ISO9001 enables your company to send out a clear message to all interested parties, that it's committed to the highest possible industry standards, as well as continuous operational improvement.
• iv. Cost effectiveness
  Creating a QMS that complies with the standards set down by ISO9000/ISO9001, affords you greater control over your business processes, providing benefits such as increased operational efficiencies, higher return on assets, enhanced profitability, lower waste production and reduced customer complaints.
• v. Increased customer satisfaction
  The ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act’ structure of ISO 9001, ensures that the needs of the customer are always being considered and, most importantly, met.

Of course. Here at Turner & Coates, however, we've helped to successfully implement over 500 Quality Management Systems worldwide, which gives us a pretty impressive global track record across a wide range of different industries. What's more, with our five-stage approach to QMS implementation, we can have your system ready for certification within approximately 12 months.

The short answer is Yes. It is a requirement of ISO9000/ISO9001 (statement 8.2.2) that internal audits must be carried out at planned intervals.

Our IRCA-certified auditors will leave no stone unturned, and are trained to get to the details quickly. They know the ISO9001 standard inside out, and understand how it applies to all businesses. What’s more, our audits are of greater value than those carried out by internal personnel, as we ensure our auditors uncover the major issues, without getting sidetracked by more minor points (although these are still reported).

Yes, very! The cost of auditing your own site would be comparable to training just one person internally, and that’s without the associated costs of them being away from their regular job for training, as well as carrying out the actual audit.