For those of you who peek at a construction site from afar, erecting a building may seem as simple as putting one brick over the other. However, only seasoned construction contractors understand the headache involved in turning worthless raw materials into remarkable phenomenal structures. From record-keeping to material handling, equipment dispersal, machine maintenance, regular inspections, and labor management, there are so many elements that need to be taken care of.
Many less experienced construction contractors who doesn’t have accounting services from Logidrive or any other system falsely believe that the more generously they inject money into a construction project, the more it will thrive. In truth, excessive investment in any construction project does not ensure that the project will be a success. Besides, the diligent handling of all construction site activities and tasks such as material management, labor and equipment monitoring, and task progression is what guarantees a project’s prosperity.
Consequently, the importance of adequate material management can not be emphasized enough. As a project owner or construction contractor, you surely understand the sensitivity of the matter. If there is any delay in material dispatch or mishandling of raw materials, you as a contractor are likely to incur massive losses.
To save you from such a situation, today’s blog will reveal some of the best industry material management practices and procedures. But before we do that, let us see where a poorly formulated material management strategy and inadequate material handling technique can land you.
The Drawbacks Of Poor Material Management
Material management is an integral part of any construction project. If you fail to pay the needed attention to this aspect, the results may be quite detrimental. Therefore, you should never regard this task as trivial. The construction industry has witnessed numerous project demises resulting from inadequate material handling practices. To be honest, the effects of poor material management are not independent of each other. In reality, it is simply a chain of adverse events in which one mishap paves the way for the next.
Some of the most harmful effects of poor material management practices include:
- Upsurge in material waste, which ultimately increases material costs.
- Deviations from budgets result in numerous uncertainties for the future.
- Increased risk of material loss and theft.
- Substandard record-keeping, which leads to poor accounting records
- Poor handling and dispatching of materials to the construction sites. The latter results in project delays.
- The carefree approach of the material manager induces a lack of responsibility amongst employees, which leads to further carelessness in other areas as well.
- The latter, accompanied by project delays, leads to dissatisfied customers.
- All of the above result in an overall loss of trust in your company in the industry.
- In the end, you endure high costs and reduced revenue.
Material Management Best Practices
Evidently, you wouldn’t want any of the above to happen to you. So, how do you avoid it? Just incorporate the following simple practices:
Hire A Material Manager
Assigning responsibility for each facet of the construction site to a specific individual is always a good idea. In this way, you will not have to ask each and every person about the handling of particular site material. You can hold one person questionable and accountable for every material-related task. Of course, you need to help the manager assemble a diligent team for further responsibility sharing.
Segregate Duties And Isolate Responsibility
Speaking of responsibility, you must also ensure that material management tasks are adequately divided amongst team members with no conflict of interest. For example, the person responsible for picking materials from the warehouse should not also be responsible for signing the dispatch slip. The latter increases fraud and theft risk. Thus, segregation of duties and isolation of responsibility is important.
Emphasize The Importance Of Material Handling Amongst Employees
In order to instill a sense of responsibility in your employees, you and other managers should frequently enlighten them regarding material waste reduction and proper material handling.
Evaluate Potential Suppliers
When it comes to uncontrollable material costs, you need to start from the root of the matter. If you purchase high-quality material from reliable suppliers, chances of incurring material waste and replacement costs will be significantly diminished.
Ensure Storage Facilities Are Up To The Mark
Apart from material handling on the site itself, their proper storage is also crucial. Thus, you must ensure that your storage area is suitable to the material type and is safe enough.
Delegate The Responsibility To Material Management Experts
We understand that material management is an overwhelming task, and you already have a lot on your plate to worry about. Thus, we recommend that you delegate this aspect of your construction project to the most reliable material management professionals in Edmonton. Taurus has a profound understanding of every construction site service and knows what is in the best interest of every project owner. Contact us now to learn more.