How I Streamline Epiroc Equipment Orders: A 7-Step Checklist for Admin Buyers

This checklist is for anyone who handles purchasing for a company dealing with Epiroc equipment—drill rigs, hydraulic breakers, rock drills, parts, and attachments. If you're juggling orders across multiple departments or vendor contracts, this is for you. It's a 7-step process I built after a few (expensive) mistakes.

When to Use This Checklist

Use this when you're preparing an order for Epiroc mining equipment or industrial tools and attachments. It's designed for the initial procurement cycle—from identifying the need to confirming the delivery. It's not for complex project management or long-term service contracts. Think of it as your pre-flight check.

Step 1: Get the Exact Part Number

This sounds obvious, but it's where most of my early errors happened. The Epiroc catalog has many similar-looking parts, especially for hydraulic breakers and rock drills. Don't rely on verbal descriptions. Get the part number from the operator's manual or the Epiroc Parts Online portal.

Checkpoint: Do you have a clear, official Epiroc part number? If not, stop here. Request a photo of the part's ID tag.

Step 2: Verify Stock and Lead Time

Epiroc equipment availability changes fast, especially for underground mining components. Check with Epiroc Industrial Tools and Attachments LLC or your authorized dealer directly. I've learned the hard way that “in stock” on a screen doesn't mean it's physically ready to ship.

My experience: In 2023, I ordered a drill rig part that was listed as “available.” Two weeks later, they told me it was backordered for 8 weeks. That delay cost us a week of downtime. Now, I always ask for a confirmation of current stock and a realistic lead time.

Step 3: Clarify the Pricing and Isolate Hidden Costs

The quoted price is rarely the final price. Ask for an itemized quote that separates the unit price, shipping, handling, and any potential duties. For large orders, like a new drill rig, ask if there are setup fees or training costs. Don't assume anything is included.

Checklist item: Get a written quote with all line items. Ask: “What is not included in this price?”

Step 4: Confirm Shipping Terms and Insurance

For heavy mining equipment, shipping is a major cost and risk. Clarify the shipping terms (FOB, CIF, etc.). Ask about insurance. Who is responsible if it's damaged in transit? I once had a hydraulic breaker arrive with a cracked casing. Because we hadn't clarified the shipping terms, it was a huge headache to file the claim.

Pro tip: Request a Certificate of Insurance from the carrier, especially for high-value Epiroc items.

Step 5: Check and Double-Check the Invoicing Process

This is the step I wish I'd learned sooner. Some vendors, especially for smaller parts orders, use a different invoicing system than the main dealer. I had a vendor who only accepted purchase orders in a specific format, and another who emailed hand-written invoices. Finance rejected both. Now, before placing any order over $500, I confirm their invoicing (e-procurement, PDF, etc.) and payment terms.

Hard lesson: A vendor who can't provide a proper invoice cost us $2,400 in rejected expenses. Verify invoicing capability first.

Step 6: Set a Clear Delivery Window and Sign-Off Process

Get a specific delivery date or window in writing. Don't accept “2-3 weeks.” Ask for a specific week or day. Then, create a simple sign-off process: who inspects the shipment, who signs the delivery receipt, and what to do if something is damaged. Our operations team now uses a 5-point inspection checklist for Epiroc attachments.

Checkpoint: Do you have a named person for delivery inspection? This prevents finger-pointing later.

Step 7: Save All Documentation in One Place

Keep the PO, the vendor quote, the shipping confirmation, the delivery receipt, and the invoice all in one shared folder. This saved my team hours when we had a warranty issue on an Epiroc rock drill. Having the original part number and purchase date ready made the claim go smoothly. A naming convention like “YYYY-MM-DD_Vendor_PartNumber” works well.

What Most People Miss (and What I've Learned)

The most common error I see is skipping the verification of stock and lead times before sending the PO. Everyone focuses on price, not availability. That one step has saved us from at least two major project delays.

Another thing: don't assume your internal maintenance team will tell you about a wrong part in time. Build a 48-hour inspection window into your delivery process. If they don't inspect it, the clock runs out, and you might be stuck with a non-returnable part.

One last warning: be wary of vendors who offer a “great deal” but can't provide a standard Epiroc warranty certificate. The aftermarket is full of non-genuine parts. Stick with Epiroc Industrial Tools and Attachments LLC or an authorized dealer for critical components like DTH hammers and top hammer drill bits.

This checklist has worked for me across about 50 orders of varying sizes. It's not perfect, and if your company orders in very high volumes (e.g., fleet-level parts), you'll need a more complex system. But for a mid-sized operation, it's a solid foundation. The 7 steps cut my rework rate from once every 5 orders to nearly zero.