Expediting activities were born in the 1960s from the need to monitor the suppliers of large construction sites. Before this change, checks were carried out by internal technicians directly during the testing phase or in a non-systematic way.
Companies begun to have the need to choose external partners to rationally manage resources and risks, structuring each phase of the supply chain together with the expediters themselves. Industrial development has therefore led to the emergence of the Expediter, who as a professional figure must have adequate training and a qualification of his/her skills.
In fact, this type of activity focuses on the verification of suppliers and compliance with contractual requirements, as well as quality control of industrial products according to international standards.
Expediting activities in detail
Expediting covers the different phases of the supply chain for large projects such as the construction of industrial and production plants. These activities are used to streamline and engineer the supply chains of components and services that contribute to the functioning of all production processes.
- Management of the project and its timing, with the administration of deadlines and milestones by monitoring the entire supply.
- The control of production processes against the quality and environmental standards of the country to which the products are destined. Some areas, such as engineering and food, have greater restrictions for example.
- Control of the quality and functioning of the components, based on the technical requests from the customer.
- The control of packaging and shipments, with a visual verification of both the goods and the specifications that can guarantee the correct transport of the supplies.
The entire expediting activity has one main objective: to carry out preventive checks to anticipate potential delays and risks that could slow down the project. From order verification to shipment validation, each step is monitored to reduce costs and meet schedules.
