What GOSTs does a purchasing manager need to know?

Why does a procurement manager need to know standards?

Knowledge of standards for the supply manager is the key to successful procurement and smooth production.  These are both general standards of technical documentation and also GOSTs for the company's own products and for components for these products. These regulatory documents set clear requirements for the quality, characteristics and compatibility of items and parts. In particular, our industry's purchasing specialists need to know the GOSTs for industrial hardware for electrical cabinets and other metal enclosures. This enables the following objectives to be achieved in the procurement department. 

• Ensure component compatibility. Items manufactured in accordance with uniform standards can be easily integrated into the company's existing systems and equipment, which significantly reduces the number of failures and downtime.
• Improve product quality. Component conformance to common standards has a positive impact on the quality of the company's final products.
• Reduce costs. The use of standardised goods allows you to optimise inventory, simplify logistics and reduce the cost of purchasing and maintaining equipment.
• Improve communication between manufacturers and suppliers. The common language of GOSTs facilitates interaction with suppliers, allows for more precise formulation of technical requirements and thus speeds up the process of searching for the required products.
• Ensure production safety. Standards often contain safety requirements. Therefore, compliance with them helps minimise the risks of accidents and injuries.

       At what stages of the transaction you need to know industry standards

Where can a purchasing agent use knowledge of standards in his work?

• First of all, when forming the terms of reference for the supply contract. Standards help to accurately formulate the requirements for the components to be purchased, eliminating the possibility of errors and misunderstandings. For example, the TOR contains a specification. The specification, in its turn, should be drawn up in accordance with GOST 2.106-96 «Unified system of design documentation. text documents», as well as and in accordance with standards for your company's products and those of your supplier (see below for a list of GOSTs for industrial hardware). That is, already at the first stage of preparation for the transaction, you cannot do without such regulations.  
• When evaluating and selecting suppliers. Knowledge of standards allows you to assess the compliance of the supplier's products with GOSTs and technical requirements and select the most reliable partners.
• When negotiating with suppliers. Standards serve as an objective basis for discussing the terms of supply of locks, handles, hinges, seals and other products. And the position of a confident and knowledgeable negotiator increases the purchasing specialist's chances of getting the best quality products and achieving more favourable terms.
• When accepting goods from a supplier. Standards are the benchmark for assessing the quality of purchased components. Their knowledge helps to identify the causes of defects faster and find optimal solutions.

What GOSTs are maximally important for industrial hardware?

• National standards of Ukraine: DSTU.
• International: ISO, IEC, DIN.
• National standards of other countries: ASTM (USA), BS (Germany).
• Standards of manufacturing companies: there are often corporate standards that define the requirements for the products of a particular manufacturer. They can be formalised in the form of TU or other regulations. 

       What a procurement specialist needs to know for the job

List of national standards of Ukraine

Table 1 GOSTs of Ukraine for industrial hardware

List of international standards and regulations for industrial hardware

Table 2 International standards and regulations for industrial hardware

How do you keep track of standards updates?

It should be noted that standards are constantly being updated. Therefore, it is necessary to follow the appearance of new regulatory documents of Ukraine in the field of construction and industry of building materials. Industrial hardware belongs exactly to these regulations.

Note that in this article we have not considered all standards. Some of the products refer to DSTU for furniture fittings, but this should be the subject of another publication. 

Thus, knowledge of regulatory documentation in their industry is an integral part of the professional training of the procurement agent. This allows you to improve the efficiency of your purchasing department, ensure product quality and reduce supply risks.

Work with suppliers who are competent in government and other industrial hardware standards. We make it easier for you to find common ground and conclude a supply contract. Contact us!

Author: Andrey Alekseev    

The topic of standardisation in the industry is also touched upon in our other article:

Industrial hardware: main types and selection tips