Relocation of a paper manufacturing machine from England to China
Location: England-China (approx. 10,650 km)
Execution time: 10 months
Number of containers: 330
Number of parts: 15,000
The project covered the disassembly and relocation of a paper manufacturing machine used for the production of newspapers’ paper. The machine was relocated from England (South London) to China. The main contractor for the work was Valmet, who is a paper machine manufacturer, and Pol-Inowex was its subcontractor. The main reason why the British company decided to sell its equipment was the change in market trends – fewer and fewer people in Europe read traditional newspapers, therefore the demand for such paper is declining. The situation in China varies as the country is in a slightly different development phase and the demand for the newspapers is stable.
The project lasted 20 weeks in total. About 90 employees participated in the project – 50 from Pol-Inowex and about 40 employees from other companies. Additionally, several employees from Valmet supervised the work. Furthermore, the project was also attended by a few representatives from the Chinese company, which bought the machine. These were highly qualified specialists, who carefully supervised the course of the project and constantly raised their comments or objections.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED AND HOW THEY WERE SOLVED
The main challenge in this type of projects is accurate planning. Working with a Chinese company is very specific – the capital is strictly controlled there, thus the change in the budget and the re-estimation of a work scope can be quite problematic. Sometimes it turns out that something needs to be done additionally and as a result, the costs of work are rising. A Chinese company must obtain permission from the government to purchase foreign aftermarket equipment for a certain amount of money. Therefore it is not possible to change this amount in the course of the project. In China, there are very strict regulations regarding the purchase of second-hand equipment, which is why it must be checked by government representatives before it can be purchased. The purchased equipment must be as up-to-date as possible and in excellent technical condition.
Discipline is quite a challenge when managing such a large project. It’s important to make sure that, at all times, all employees working on the project are able to perform at the same level of quality throughout the project. It is also essential to take care of the employees’ work comfort by providing them with appropriate tools and taking care of their other needs.
– Bill Woodburn, Sales Manager, Valmet