Doing Business with BOC

Helping suppliers understand the procurement requirements and the necessary documentation and processes involved

Key Supplier Requirements

We ask our suppliers to comply with these five key requirements:

1. Open and honest communication and business

  • It is important that we know how you are performing and any issues you have so we can alleviate these where possible.
  • Let us know how you think we could improve. Constructive criticism is welcome and will assist in our continual development.
  • Suppliers shall comply with the requirements of the Linde Supplier Code of Conduct.
2. Proactive attitude towards improvement
  • Please do not wait for us to ask you for improvements, especially if it also benefits you; bring the ideas to us.
  • The key improvement areas are safety, environment and cost.
3. Product/service delivery
  • Products and services must be delivered in full, on time and to the correct quality.
  • Poor service and quality impact on us and will be taken seriously.
4. Supply chain and cost
  • We recognise that in business today products and services are often delivered by the supply chain rather than just the final supplier to BOC.
  • We actively seek ways to improve the supply chain relationship and cost.
5. Provision of high quality, timely management information
  • We require transactional documentation such as product certification and invoices to be submitted on time, in full and containing the correct information. Failure to do this will delay payment.
  • We are increasingly seeking suppliers who will provide us with management information which will allow us to improve BOC's use of the product or service

We recognise that in order to get the best from our suppliers we need to develop mutually beneficial relationships.  To this end we are reviewing our supplier base using Category Management principles with the full engagement of both the business users and our Procurement team.  

We are aiming to reduce the number of suppliers we have in addition to taking all forms of unnecessary cost out of our business, not just reducing unit price.  

Policy Compliance

BOC has two standard methods of purchasing goods and services from suppliers. These are either via a purchase order or via the use of a purchasing card

Purchasing cards

These are used for low value, low-risk purchases

The supplying company must then, in addition to supplying the order, send a VAT receipt and transaction slip to the BOC employee who placed the order.

Purchase orders

Purchase Orders will be sent either via email or via the Ariba Network.

  • Each order will have a unique order number which must be quoted on the invoice and delivery paperwork 
  • Invoices that do not quote the order number cannot be paid, as we are unable to identify which order to match it to
  • Please ensure that you receive a valid order number from BOC prior to supplying the goods and that you quote it on the invoice
  • BOC’s preferred method of Purchase Order transmission is email. Other methods include EDI and via the SAP Ariba network

Payment terms

BOC has standard payment terms with its suppliers:   

  • These are stated in the specific conditions of the contract or in our standard terms and conditions of purchase  
  • Amendments to these terms can only be agreed by a Senior Procurement Manager. Any discussion by others within the BOC will not be binding and may lead suppliers to consider that BOC is paying late.   Where this happens, we would remind you that without official approval our computer system will prevent payments being issued, except to our officially agreed terms.  

When you are submitting your invoice to BOC please be aware that we have specific requirements for this: BOC Invoice Rules and Standards

Confidentiality

Your contract and relationship with BOC is confidential:

  • as a member of Linde, BOC has a responsibility to ensure the BOC brand is protected and promoted appropriately in the marketplace
  • no details of your contract or relationship with BOC can be used for marketing purposes or publicised, internally or externally, without the express written permission of the BOC Communications Manager
  • should you wish to use BOC in any form of material produced by your company, please contact the Communications Manager directly

Gifts and Entertainment

BOC’s policy on gifts and entertainment is clear; we cannot accept gifts or entertainment as there is the possibility that a third party could perceive it as influencing decision making.

SHEQ Requirements

BOC considers Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) to be of vital importance

Our suppliers and contractors have a significant role to play in ensuring our high level of performance in each area.

The exact requirements we ask of you will vary, depending on the product or service you supply.  

Please understand that SHEQ is one of our principal drivers when selecting or managing supply to BOC.

All BOC suppliers must meet the following general requirements:

Safety

  • We expect you to operate a business which, as a minimum, complies with all applicable safety standards and legislation
  • When you are on a BOC site, or working with BOC equipment, we expect you to have the correct skills, training and procedures to perform in a manner which minimises risk
  • Where BOC has a particular work instruction, policy or process you must ensure it is understood by the appropriate personnel in your company and that it is complied with at all times
  • If you are uncertain of what is expected of you, please ask a BOC member of staff
  • All suppliers coming onto BOC sites to perform works will be required to provide signed copies of our SHE Agreement and Minor Works Contract. They will also be required to provide Insurance details and an SHE Prequalification Form on a yearly basis. These documents will be held on our system and updated copies requested upon expiry.

Health

  • We expect that all members of your company working on behalf of BOC are appropriately monitored for health risk
  • You must seriously consider whether it is appropriate to supply an individual to work on a BOC site, or to work with BOC equipment if that individual has a medical condition which could affect their ability to perform their job safely and effectively. If such a person is supplied to BOC, then BOC must be made aware of the matter.

Corporate Responsibility

All BOC vendors will be sent a Corporate Responsibility Questionnaire prior to set up. This combines 3 important documents that we ask all of our vendors to complete. Please see below for a brief description of each:

  • Supplier Code of Conduct – We ask that suppliers sign to confirm their agreement to the Linde Supplier Code of Contact
  • Environmental Questionnaire – A short questionnaire to be signed and completed with details of the environmental impact of supplying products to BOC
  • Modern Slavery Questionnaire – 8 questions regarding modern slavery and trafficking within your supply chain. Note that this questionnaire is also periodically resent to existing suppliers as part of BOC’s responsibility to produce a yearly modern slavery statement.

Quality

All goods and services must be supplied to the appropriate specification.  If you are in any doubt, please ask the appropriate BOC Technical Contact for clarification.

Terms and Conditions of Purchase

Please refer to The Linde Group General Terms and Conditions of Purchase for more details.

SAP Ariba Network

Ariba Network makes it easy for buyers and suppliers to collaborate on transactions, strengthen their relationships, and discover new business opportunities.

This will enhance the nature of our collaboration with you as our supplier.

As a supplier, you benefit from faster, more transparent and more efficient processing through:

  • Eliminating manual errors and corrections
  • Paperless transactions, electronic data
  • Faster cycle times
  • Higher on-time payment rate
  • Document status transparency
  • Lower process and administration costs due to automation and digitization
  • Growth potential through access to numerous customers in the Ariba network

If you have any questions, email: ARIBA.RUI@boc.com

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