Tools Missing from the Project Toolbox

Tools Missing from the Project Toolbox

Why capital projects continue to fail without the right resources (tools) on hand. Capital projects (projects) too often lack the full toolbox required for delivery as planned. The UNEZA report recommendations – long-term planning, programmatic approaches, and skills development – are necessary but leave gaps in communication, knowledge transfer, and supplier quality surveillance (SQS). KT…

Cracking the Code of Supplier Quality Surveillance: How SQS Can Prevent Delays, Frustration, and Rework

Cracking the Code of Supplier Quality Surveillance: How SQS Can Prevent Delays, Frustration, and Rework

By Roy O. Christensen, RET, Integrity Specialist at Christensen Qualityworks Inc. This article appears in the March/April 2025 issue of Inspectioneering Journal. Introduction Supplier Quality Surveillance (SQS), also known as source inspection or vendor surveillance, is a critical process in project and supply chain management that ensures equipment and materials (i.e., deliverables) meet specified requirements,…

Networking Made Easy: Share Your QR Code in Seconds

Networking Made Easy: Share Your QR Code in Seconds

This article describes how to share your LinkedIn QR code in seconds. The return of in-person events has been a breath of fresh air after the extended pandemic with a long road back to normalcy. These gatherings offer excellent opportunities to learn something new, foster meaningful conversations, and expand networks. For me, making even one…

Course Requires Welding Procedure Specification for Joining Clad Steel

Course Requires Welding Procedure Specification for Joining Clad Steel

Related: The Ultimate Skills Challenge – Pipe vs. Plate Welder Notes About the Author Roy O. Christensen is a Welding Engineering Technologist who has over 40 years’ experience with O&G, pipeline, and other projects. He has authored countless instructions, manuals, plans, proposals, reports, specifications, and other documents that continue to drive success for many projects….

Volunteering: How Helping Others Helps You

Volunteering: How Helping Others Helps You

Volunteering isn’t just about giving back—it’s also about what you gain in return, both for your personal enjoyment and your professional development. In this article, we’ll explore how volunteering can be a fun way to make a difference while offering a range of benefits you might not even expect. 1 Introduction Growing up, I watched…

Effective Final Review Strategies for Manufacturing Record Books and Turnover Packages

Effective Final Review Strategies for Manufacturing Record Books and Turnover Packages

How should final documentation for a project’s equipment and materials be reviewed, and by whom? Unless instructed otherwise, personnel may follow previous project methods. However, will those methods suit project needs? That is the question. 1 Introduction Final documentation for project equipment and materials, typically submitted as a Manufacturing Record Book (MRB) or Turnover Package…

Cake, Craps, and Quality

Cake, Craps, and Quality

How to avoid gambling with project success. 1. Introduction Craps is a game of chance played with two dice, where the outcome is unpredictable, much like a risky business venture—hence the term crapshoot. (Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary). In project management, Quality Assurance (QA) is crucial to ensuring that a contractor’s or supplier’s deliverables (equipment and materials)…

Understanding Quality Surveillance Assignments: Inspection Roles, Levels, and Activities

Understanding Quality Surveillance Assignments: Inspection Roles, Levels, and Activities

Introduction This article provides an overview of Quality Surveillance (QS) Assignments (QSAs) for capital projects, focusing on how inspection roles, QS levels, and QS activities differ based on work location at a: What is a QS Assignment? A QSA involves detailed production oversight in disciplines such as coating, concrete, electrical, mechanical, and welding. It is…

Elevate Your Career: Actionable Advice for Professional Growth

Elevate Your Career: Actionable Advice for Professional Growth

Today, someone reached out to me for advice on advancing their career in the energy sector. With their solid experience, certifications, and education, they’re already on a great track, but they wanted to know how to build on that success. I shared some straightforward advice that I believe can help anyone looking to elevate their…

Plant Your Flag: Job Search Pointers

Plant Your Flag: Job Search Pointers

Searching for a job can feel even more challenging than working. It comes with no guarantees and no paychecks! Yet, it’s a necessary task. And the sooner you find success, the better. Leveraging any available information and every available tool to your advantage is crucial for your success. 1 Introduction The moment has come: you’ve…