Stories

​KBR’s Procurement team leverages its vast market knowledge and supplier relationships to source just about anything our customers require for any project in over 100 countries. From purchasing compressor sets and turbines to transporting thousands of tons of freight around the globe, KBR’s team of approximately 190 procurement personnel implement the most efficient and cost-effective procurement strategies to deliver project materials of all shapes and sizes for our customers.

KBR Procurement oversees purchasing, expediting, inspection, logistics, materials management and supplier relations services for projects across all business units. At the onset of any project, contracts are reviewed and analyzed to create a plan ensuring the appropriate execution strategy is in place taking into account the project’s location, budget, client and logistics requirements. Engineering personnel then create a list of specific items and materials that need to be purchased for the project. Regular requests include small items such as toiletries, nuts, bolts and other miscellaneous building materials but there have also been some unique and difficult to source items such as incinerators, process reactors and columns weighing up to one million pounds.

KBR’s market knowledge and top-class supplier relations allows our procurement team to source items and materials from all corners of the globe.

The KBR team uses its market know-how and relationships with suppliers around the world to gather quotes and bids from a number of suppliers who source the materials. By working closely with top class suppliers, KBR is able to match project requirements and objectives with the right contract and remain within budget. After a bid is selected, the supplier receives the purchase order and begins expediting the material. No material will be released for shipment without an inspection by a KBR inspector. After the successful inspection, KBR’s logistics professionals ship the materials to the project site everywhere in the world.

“The biggest challenge in procurement that we always have to keep in mind is that the lowest price may not be the best deal in the long run,” said Carsten Bernstiel, Vice President, Procurement & Materials. “At the end of the day, we did a great job if we purchased the right material and delivered it to the project site on time, with zero defect and within budget.”
KBR’s Procurement team is often hard pressed to deliver items and materials to project sites on short notice and under hard conditions. Last year, KBR’s ability to support a large-scale mission was on display during a mission to haul 302 pieces of military stock via rail in Germany. For this project, KBR was to provide 24-hour rail operations support to from Bremerhaven Port in Germany, to the staging yard at Bergen-Hohne LSA and on to the railcars at the Bergen Hohne Railhead. Prior to the project start, inclement weather from hurricanes Harvey and Irma in the U.S. Gulf Coast region delayed the vessels’ port departure dates and arrival dates in Germany. Shortly thereafter, KBR also received client directives to increase cargo count on two separate occasions, nearly quadrupling the total cargo count to 1,108 pieces. At the project site, conditions also changed frequently and unexpectedly. Gate closures at the Bergen-Hohne LSA forced the team to adjust its operational plans.

“Thanks to our team’s outstanding communication and exceptional flexibility, KBR successfully completed this mission despite the unforeseen circumstances,” said Sam Simmons, Director, Procurement, KBRwyle. “Time and time again KBR continues to deliver even when it seems the odds are not in our favor.”

From small, everyday materials to unique, hard to source materials, KBR has delivered thousands of items around the world of all shapes and sizes.

KBR Procurement specialists are always looking to stay up-to-date on the latest procurement practices and procedures through a variety of means like using the latest technology and networking with industry peers. In addition, KBR partners with multiple Houston area universities by participating in case studies and supporting internship programs as a means to recruit young professionals eager to learn the industry. “KBR’s growing relationship with Supply Chain Management programs at nearby universities is a testament to our presence in the industry,” Bernstiel added. “Through our internship programs, young professionals are able to gain hands-on experience of working in supply chain management and learning the most advanced procurement principles. It’s also a great opportunity to win talent for KBR”

KBR Procurement is committed to delivering on projects no matter the conditions by efficiently sourcing anything our customers require through longstanding alliances with suppliers in all corners of the world.