Definition of Technical Requirement (TR)
As described in the definition of NonConformity, the requirements that should be complied with usually fall into three groups:
- International standards (like ISO 9001);
- National standards (like NORSOK in Norway);
- Company Technical Requirements (or TRs)
There can be many reasons why a company may have its own specific TRs. It might be that the company has proprietary technology that is not referred to in wider standards. It might be based on the long experience a company has in a particular technical discipline, in a specific climate or other environmental conditions.
Although these company-specific TRs may seem valuable and useful, they can also be confusing and complex for the contractors bidding for work.
If each company has its own - different - requirements, then contractors, plus their sub-contractors and suppliers may struggle to comply with - or even know about - all the specific requirements for the work they are bidding on. It may also mean that the “standard” equipment that they offer does not comply.
This may lead to a situation where contractors raise many exceptions to the technical requirements in an attempt to supply their standard equipment, rather than have to redesign and test new variants of the equipment.
If accepted, these exceptions are registered (after contract award) as Deviations.
Company-specific TRs may bring a better design definition - but may also lead to many exceptions and deviations instead. They certainly have pros and cons.
Thoughts on this? Let us know.