Maintaining Quality to keep profitability intact
Project Manager, Sudheer Rayapureddy is crystal clear on what he wants to achieve at his Bhatni-Aunrihar Package 2 Railway Doubling project. “We are committed to deliver our project in good time and with a fair margin,” he declares, “and having already travelled a fair distance (70%), we are confident of achieving our objectives.” To remain competitive and keep efficiency levels high, the project team has been paying special attention to Quality that has won them L&T Construction’s Quality Award 2023.
Sudheer Rayapureddy
Project Manager
Our objective is very clear, to exhaust all the available work fronts, keep material and manpower ready in advance by planning meticulously to maintain both financial and physical progress.
By targeting high value items with shorter delivery timelines, the team has maintained their cashflow, like for the supply of Ballast that constitutes almost 28% of the project value. In fact, the team has improved their margin in Ballast supply by transporting it on railway rakes in long lead areas and by road in short lead areas and have reduced wastage by giving back-to-back orders to vendors, in line with their sales BOQ. Ensuring timely procurement of materials by fast tracking approvals of proposals, HPCs, Pos have helped the team maintain their cashflows. Additionally, timely and effective material planning has ensured smooth commissioning and 72% of the invoicing has been completed against material delivered till date.
Majority of their works involve OHE and to accelerate progress, the team finalized the OHE drawings to initiate OHE foundation and mast erection work early. “We have meticulously planned each OHE activity including manpower and materials, before and during NI,” remarks Planning Head, Ravi Mehrotra. During critical OHE works such as OHE wiring, bracket adjustments, OHE modifications and ATD adjustments, the team takes extra precautions like using 25 kV discharge rods, anti-fall arresters, and full-body harness belts.
With their relationship with the client, RVNL, on a steady wicket, Sudheer is delighted with a Client’s Appreciation Certificate the team received in July 2023 for ‘Maintaining Quality Works in Execution’ and then again in December 2023, for completing 2 sections of CRS.
Building on this goodwill, Sudheer is pushing forward with parts of his project already commissioned, while work continues in full swing at all other available stretches. “Our objective is very clear,” Sudheer emphasizes, “to exhaust all the available work fronts, keep material and manpower ready in advance by planning meticulously for material planning is key, considering that our project involves Pway, OHE and S&T works, to maintain both financial and physical progress.”
With a Quality Audit score of 94.21%, Quality is top of the pops for Sudheer and his team.
For a more in-depth look at the Birsa Munda Project, read our recent coverage in the April–September 2023 issue of ECC Concord.