The Procurement and Subcontracts department at the Hanford Vit Plant continued its focus on improving quality through increased collaboration with supply chain vendors at the second annual Supply Chain Collaboration Event in Richland in September.
Representatives from 40 of the Vit Plant's key suppliers and subcontractors attended the two-day event along with Bechtel corporate representatives, managers from the Office of River Protection, and the Vit Plant's senior management team. Alex Smith, Nuclear Waste Program Manager at the Washington State Department of Ecology, also spoke to attendees about the critical mission of the Hanford Site and the important role Bechtel and its supply chain plays in the successful cleanup of Hanford tank waste.
“This event provides a forum to ensure the Vit Plant and its supply chain team members are on the same page when it comes to the importance of the Vit Plant mission,” said Project Director Peggy McCullough. “We are all part of an extended team focused on building a vitrification plant that will treat waste and protect the river and the public.”
Using feedback from the 2015 event, the Vit Plant incorporated interactive workshops into this year’s schedule that focused on the unique quality and safety requirements that come with working on the Vit Plant project. The workshops allowed suppliers to interact with project experts in targeted areas of importance, such as complex quality program requirements and the terms and conditions found in a lower-tier subcontract.
“The interaction among attendees was meaningful and focused on how to meet mutual goals through increased collaboration,” said Frank Salaman, Bechtel's manager of Procurement & Subcontracts at the Vit Plant.
The Procurement and Subcontracts team will continue to gather and analyze feedback from suppliers to identify areas for improvement in supply chain processes and the Vit Plant's competitiveness in the government market. The feedback also will influence future events.
For more information about the event, visit http://www.hanfordvitplant.com/2016-supply-chain-collaboration-event.