Page 48 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 5/2017

INSIGHT RECENT CHANGES contractor. If he does a very spe-
Insight find. Because of this collabora- of economic downturns, reces- cific task, with unique skills, and
necessary, he was often hard to
In the last decade, as a result
a different task for many clients,
tion between user and supplier,
sions, (and even depressions),
then he may be a consultant. In
not many could earn a living
solely as a refractories’ consult-
companies have had to dispense
many cases he may be doing ele-
ant. Generally, they were found
ments of both.
with the services of person-
nel they would otherwise have
The consultant’s current role
in the offices of one of the large
multinational engineering/pro-
described above have opened new
ject management firms.
the user has also forced similar
opportunities for the consultant.
action onto the supplier and the
More often than not, the prob- liked to keep. This downturn for is very complex. The events
lems requiring consultants were installer. His role can now embrace the
caused by the use and applica- Severe rationalisation has been entire scope of the refractories
tion of new technologies, perhaps forced upon the producers and engineering/project spectrum.
those with limited local examples, installers by way of takeovers Not only is there a wide lack
imported from USA, Japan or and mergers, to bring supply and of technical understanding of
Europe. The consultant would demand for product and services refractories, as untrained disci-
be called in at the design stage to back into balance. This ration- pline engineers take over these
overview the refractories’ com- alisation has led to a huge loss responsibilities, but there is a lack
ponent, and to assist with mate- in skills to the industry, often in of understanding of other periph-
rial specification, purchasing and the critical middle management eral issues like Health and Safety,
installation. In the days before areas, playing havoc with any installation practices, storage
ISO 9001, he would also preside succession planning. The state requirements, and even down to
over the QA procedures. of the industry has not improved the everyday 'buzzspeak’ of the
A second role con- sufficiently for these skills to have refractories industry. All of these
cerned ‘Original Equipment been recovered, and the progno- issues must be addressed.
Manufacturers’ (OeM), who may sis is that they will be lost totally. Some of these areas are dis-
have numerous mechanical, elec- While it is still fairly safe to rely cussed here.
trical engineers etc., but would on suppliers for (free?) advice, as
not keep a specialist, such as the rationalisation of the industry PROJECTS/TURNAROUNDS
a refractories engineer on their continues, the number of special- t 2VBOUJUBUJWF FWBMVBUJPO PG QSF-
books. They would bring him in ists employed by these companies vious lining performance(s)
at a certain stage of each project, has deceased significantly, and t "TTJTUBODF JO UIF QSFQBSBUJPO
to make sure that the refracto- the view offered by individual of the Request For Quotation.
ries’ requirement and the basic suppliers has become increas- t $IPJDF PG TVQQMJFST GPS UFOEFS
mechanical design were not in ingly narrower. t 5FDIOJDBM &WBMVBUJPO PG UFO-
conflict, or more correctly, not ders
fatally in conflict. THE PRESENT t %FUBJMFE UFDIOJDBM EJTDVTTJPO
The last traditional role of the Many of the experienced per- with suppliers/contractors
consultant was as expert witness sonnel who have been on the t 4JUF NBOBHFNFOU PG TVQQMJ-
in dispute settlements. For this, receiving end of 're-engineering' ers/contractors, QA of perfor-
a totally independent person was have made themselves available for mance.
generally sought, and this was consulting, to try and fill this void. t .POJUPSJOH PG DBNQBJHO QFS-
often the sphere of the retir- They are now used more as con- formance.
ee, with some reputation in the tractors, doing their old job under t (FOFSBUJPO PG SFGSBDUPSJFT
industry, who brought his years different conditions of employ- based standard procedures for
of experience to the issue. ment, but some have become true QA manual.
consultants, either for specific In effect, a good consultant
industries, or in a more would be a part time member of
general role. The line the maintenance/asset manage-
between a consultant ment team, called upon at the
and contractor is worth appropriate times to add his/her
clarifying. If an engineer skills to the project.
does the same job, on an
hourly rate, as he would EXPERT WITNESS
as an employee, then he This is a traditional role of
should be classed as a consultants. Unfortunately, it

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