How to Prevent Construction Material Waste

The construction industry is currently facing a material crisis. There is a shortage of construction materials around the world related to many different contributing factors but largely due to the increase in material costs globally. That is why it is so important now for contractors to make sure that they do not waste any material during construction. However, preventing construction material waste is no easy task. It is very challenging and often costly for the contractors. 

Since there is so much happening at a construction worksite, it is very difficult to keep track of everything present on site, including the materials being used. Despite the difficulty, since there is so much uncertainty in the supply chain of construction materials, it is important that you pay special attention to your material process so you can better manage your inventory. This essentially means that you need to keep track of your construction materials. Tracking materials is extremely important for inventory management when you have a construction business. There are a few different strategies that you can use to track your materials.

Real-Time Tracking 

A lot of people in construction have adopted modern technology to better carry out tasks. One such solution provided by modern technology is real-time tracking. With the help of real-time tracking, you will be able to know the movement of your material when it is being transported. With the integration of real-time tracking, you will see that the productivity of your construction business also improves significantly.

Unique Tracking Identifiers

There are a few different tracking identifiers, such as barcodes, that you can use for your materials. These identifiers work as a sort of security code for all the materials you have available in your stock. The most commonly used tracking identifiers by people working in construction are barcodes, QR codes, and RFID. Most big-name construction companies around the world today are using these tracking identifiers. Managing inventories without barcode and construction technology is not practical anymore.

Inventory Management System

It is extremely important that you carefully design and plan your construction inventory management system. You need to ask some important questions before you start planning. For instance, you need to know where the main delivery and central storage points are going to be for the inventory. You need to know details about the jobsite. If it is outside the primary coverage area, you need to know where the secondary points are located.

It is essential to have these details when you are designing your inventory management system. Apart from that, you also need to make sure that your team is aware of the company’s storage and warehouse locations. If you have a CAT 160H motor grader and other equipment or materials in your inventory, your team should be aware of it so they can maintain the equipment and keep track of the materials.

Key Components

There are a few key components that are involved in planning an inventory management system for a construction business. First, you need to plan for the procurement, scheduling, and purchase of equipment and materials. You also need to know about the quantity you need to buy and get an estimate to see if it fits the company’s budget or not.

Next, you will need to plan for receiving the goods and inspecting them for damages. Make sure that you have a plan in place for the on-site handling and transportation of the equipment and materials as well. You also need to plan ahead for stock control, storage, and warehouse placement in order to improve the efficiency of the whole operation. 

Lastly, you need to design a plan for waste management. If you want to prevent construction material waste, you need to make a plan that will allow you to monitor your inventory closely. This will improve the overall efficiency as well.