Buying mechanical plant for a commercial project is not the same as buying off a shelf. A tender package has dozens or hundreds of lines, a construction programme that dictates when each item is needed, and a warranty that has to survive years past handover. Project supply exists to turn that complexity into a single, priced, scheduled order — and to keep it accountable through delivery. For a main contractor, that removes a whole layer of procurement risk: instead of assembling a scheme from many small purchases, each with its own price, lead time and warranty position, the mechanical package arrives as one managed commitment.
Pricing to a bill of quantities
Project supply starts from your bill of quantities, priced line by line against genuine, authorised product. Every item is quoted with the manufacturer, model and specification named, so the estimator can compare like for like and the consultant can confirm compliance. Where a line allows an alternative, it is offered openly as an alternative, not substituted quietly. The result is a quotation that maps directly onto the tender, with no gaps to reconcile later.
Stock and scheduling to the site programme
A price is only useful if the goods arrive when the programme needs them. Project supply is built around the construction schedule: stock is checked and reserved against the order, lead-time items are flagged early, and deliveries are planned to the sequence of works rather than dumped on site to congest it.
For long-lead equipment — chillers, large air handling units, switchgear — that early visibility is what keeps a programme intact. Knowing at order stage which lines carry a manufacturing lead time lets the team order those first and phase the rest behind them.
One account manager, phased delivery
A project account runs through a single account manager who holds the whole order. That gives the site team one number to call for a delivery date, a technical query or a variation, instead of chasing individual product lines through a call centre.
Delivery is phased to the job. First fix, second fix and commissioning items arrive in their own windows, so the site is not storing and insuring plant months before it is installed, and nothing critical is missing when the crew reaches it. Phasing also protects cash flow and reduces the exposure to damage and loss that comes with holding valuable equipment on an active site longer than necessary.
Warranty administration that lasts
Because every line is authorised product, the manufacturer warranty is real and it is administered in-country. If a unit fails within its warranty term, the claim is handled locally against the manufacturer’s terms rather than stranded because the goods came through an unofficial channel. For a building owner, that is the difference between a warranty on paper and one that pays out, and it is one of the reasons a consultant will often insist on authorised supply in the specification.
From enquiry to confirmed order
The path is straightforward: send the bill of quantities or drawings; receive a line-by-line quotation with stock and lead-time visibility; agree the delivery schedule against your programme; and confirm the order to a single account manager who sees it through to the last phase. Priced, scheduled and warrantable, from enquiry to hand-over.
Learn how the service is structured on the project supply page, and open a trade account for ongoing project pricing and account management through ERAM Pro.
