SCS | Electrical Energy | Mechanical Equipment

Supply Chain Services

The success of The Online Group since its inception in 2012, has been due, in no small part, to its agility in the global supply chain. Our clients recognise the competitive advantage this gives them for the products we supply and are increasingly looking to take our procurement skills, knowledge, experience, resources and data into the heart of their own energy projects. Our ability to operate as an extension of our clients’ procurement team facilitates the seamless integration of additional resource that can be deployed exactly where it is needed.

Delivering measurable value back to end users

Our Supply Chain Services group is made up of versatile procurement professionals from a variety of technical backgrounds, mainly, although not exclusively from energy industries. They know their way around big projects, complex material requirements and understand well the pressure to deliver against non-negotiable deadlines.

The single most important feature of The Online Group’s Supply Chain offering is the flexibility for our clients to select exactly the services they require.
Whether they need us to:

Augment their existing function with additional resource or specific skills.
Provide a complete team across an entire supply chain.
Help them prepare and negotiate claims.
Or just to provide governance or guidance.

Our clients will get the same attention to detail and professional, approachable support.

Supply Chain Capabilities

Supplier lists

Every element of a successful Supply Chain depends on having in place the best possible supplier list. The Online Group has its own current comprehensive list alongside access to specialist data for almost any material type. If more suppliers are needed, we can swiftly investigate and prequalify further prospective manufacturers. We can tailor supplier lists to match any local content requirements and, if necessary, undertake local market appraisal and gap analysis to augment exiting data.

Manufacturing gap analysis

Have a local content requirement? The Online Group will perform market research and a GAP analysis on manufacturing capabilities for different product groups to ensure quality, reliability and authenticity in the supply chain from day one.

Budgets and Forecasts

The Online Group’s estimators can provide budgetary support for all different types of products and services using live in-house information supplemented by budget tendering if the required level of accuracy dictates.

Technical support

The Online Group has a deep technical understand of product groups within the scope of supply as such as part of our supply chain services, technical support, specification assistance can be provided when contracted to procure Electrical or Mechanical items minimising the input from the clients technical team on bulk tenders.

Procurement

The Online Group can help you determine your overarching procurement strategy, weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of competitive tendering for each material category and put in place safeguards if specific items are better purchased on a single source basis. We can provide guidance or, if preferred, take over the whole tendering process and awarding of Purchase Orders in the best format with appropriate Terms and Conditions. We will negotiate on clients’ behalf or provide support if they prefer to conduct negotiations themselves.

Expediting services

The Online Group has an enviable reputation for on-time deliveries of our own products which is only possible because our in-house expediting is effective and focussed. The same service is available to our clients. Its foundation is structured communication and meticulous record keeping but we believe strongly in “hands-on” investigation and never hesitate to use our own senior team for C-level intervention in supplier organisations.

Document control

Frequently overlooked, strong document control is fundamental to timely deliveries and, if it should become necessary, resolution of disputes. The Online Group has in place robust document control processes which we can extend to our clients or provide guidance on setting up their own.

Logistics

The Online Group is shipping materials around the globe on a daily basis. We can advise on delivery terms and provide an “end to end” logistics solution or alternatively assist with customs clearance documentation and interface with clients’ selected freight forwarder(s).

Inspection/Quality

Inspection is generally outsourced and is an essential component of assuring quality of purchased material and compliance with codes and standards. The Online Group’s experience in this field and established relations with inspection agencies will contain costs through efficient coordination of the quality function.

Governance

It is a fact that modern supply chains invariably impose strict ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria across all tiers. The Online Group can help with putting in place a Supply Chain ESG policy if required and undertake the due diligence of suppliers to demonstrate compliance.

Claims management

The Online Group promotes a “firm but fair” and non-confrontational approach to business but will fight hard to uphold its clients’ interests. Inevitably claims do sometimes arise and we can help in a number of ways such as by providing a second opinion, formulating negotiation strategies, conducting negotiations on clients’ behalf.

Engineered Components

The Online Group also has experience in providing engineered mechanical component products to OEM's, distributors and large industrial use markets. These products are unique by design and primarily for specialised or bespoke applications and engineered packaged solutions across a diverse range of industries.

our clients