How to Make the Most of a Shop Inspection

Preparation and Planning for Your Visit

Do Your Homework Beforehand

One of the most important things to do before your visit is to do your homework beforehand. Review specs for fabrication tolerances, weld types, finishes, equipment manufacturers, and models; review reference codes if necessary; review fabrication quality control provisions, and so forth. Print plans, shop drawings, and specs to bring along (or save to your phone). If you aren’t familiar with the supplier’s work, research and think of some informed questions you can ask.

For foreign trips, do some additional homework to help bridge the cultural gap. It’s not only polite, but it also benefits to research their customs, learn some words like “hello” and “thank you,” and learn their form of “cheers,” which will show respect and benefit your relationship in the long run. The same goes for business etiquette for the country you are visiting. You may think business cards are old-fashioned, but Asian countries, for instance, have formal rules for exchanging business cards. In many cultures, exchanging gifts at the start of business is traditional. Make sure you give the right impression and respect their culture and practices.

Finally, if you do business with supplier reps, they likely speak English, but in some situations, you may need a translator or the presence of your intermediary contact.

Bring Your Safety Gear

Be prepared for the shop’s safety requirements and bring your own PPE (personal protective equipment) if travel arrangements allow.

Time Your Visit Carefully

Plan your inspection timing carefully and coordinate with the supplier. Ideally, all parts would be on hand, fabrications and assembly would be complete or nearly complete, and paint or coatings would not be started yet. Consider that galvanizing and sometimes coatings can be done at a different facility, and you want to see the fabrication of items before blasting and painting/coating cover everything up. Sometimes, it’s necessary to have complex items assembled for shop inspection and taken apart for shipping (write this in the specifications).

Things to Remember While Onsite

While onsite, observe the shop and workers’ safety, cleanliness, and organization (calibrated for the country or culture). This is a leading indicator of quality, precision, and pride in work. Of course, look for and point out obvious deficiencies or corrections that must be made, that’s the primary purpose of your visit.

Communication is key here: don’t be overly critical of small or inconsequential deficiencies. If you can respectfully point a few out and offer that you aren’t worried about them, you will bank some goodwill points.

It’s also important to form a relationship with your supplier because, in the end, it’s important to convey that your visit is not just a compliance inspection. Get to know the company and its business. Ask about other projects or items in their shop.

Use this time to build personal relationships, too. If you aren’t familiar with the town or city around their shop, get to know it. Budget some time and expenses to spend a little time where they live and work, even if you have to use some personal time off.

Ask questions about their process and business beyond your items, and ask for a tour of their whole operation if they’re willing. The information you gain may help you on future projects.

Regarding design, onsite visits are a great place to ask if any aspects of your design made things difficult to fabricate or assemble and learn from that insight. It’s also OK to ask if any modifications were necessary and request updated shop drawings.

Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery Checklist

Questions regarding packaging, shipping, and delivery can be done through email and phone calls, but discussion during the site visits can alleviate miscommunications and fill in gaps between the written requirements and real-world execution for complex fabrications and equipment that is difficult to deliver to project sites.

Timeliness

Evaluate if your fabricator is on track to meet your delivery schedule. Check to see if all the parts are on hand or get a confirmation for items shipping from separate origins. Additionally, determine if they provide adequate spare or extra parts, like extra nuts and bolts, keys, fuses, extra touch-up paint, etc.

Packaging Methods

Ask about how they propose to package, load, and transport your items. This is standard practice for some shops, but others require specialized packaging. Are they planning for any special cradles, supports, spiders, softeners, wrapping, or anything else required for transport or storage? Will loose items be bundled or packaged securely and tagged with legible identification, like rebar bundles? For those shipments requiring on-site assembly, make sure they are clearly identified and have legible match marks or tags. Check that shop drawings identify corresponding item numbers or match marks and items with signs or labels (like electrical enclosures) are worded correctly and match the drawings. If anything doesn’t match up, now is the time to ask the shop to update this information so installation and assembly later is straightforward and efficient.

International Shipments

For parts from foreign countries, ask about the port of entry. Some are busier than others or may be better suited for certain items. It’s a good idea to know beforehand if they provide customs brokerage and what company they use. Ask about the time it will take to clear customs and for the shipment to be transloaded for ground shipment. Sometimes, international shipments also have additional special requirements, such as certified and bonded wood for crates and pallets, so knowing these requirements beforehand is a good idea.

Trucking and Ground Shipment

Will the supplier perform shipping themselves, or will it be a separate company? Has the supplier used the trucking company before? Will transloading be necessary, and will that location have the right equipment to do it safely? Will there be a risk of bad weather or road salts you’ll have to deal with, and who will be responsible for that cleanup? How long will it take, and will you be ready for offloading with personnel and equipment at the delivery location?
Do you have a particular order for shipments required, and how will they accommodate that? Do you need certain items before others? Do you have enough space on site for all items, or do you need to stagger shipments?

Storage Considerations

Ask about your on-site storage conditions. Does the equipment require inside storage? Do items require climate-controlled spaces? Will the items that can be used on-site have dunnage attached, or do you need to provide additional dunnage? Will the items be wrapped or tarped sufficiently for storage, or will you need to provide that on-site?

A Final Word About Relationship Building

Hopefully, these suggestions will help with your next or first shop inspection. The most important thing to remember is that creating a relationship with your supplier will pay dividends for your current project and maybe future projects or inquiries. Show appreciation for their care and hard work, even if the items they are supplying won’t be a visible part of the finished project.