How to Improve Materials Management for Your Contracting Business

For most projects, you’ll need to order a variety of construction materials. If you’re smart, you’ll have a system for handling those materials when they go in and out. That way, you always know what you have and where it is. Here are a few tips that you can use to improve your management of construction materials.

Use Technology
Many people go into construction because there’s a focus on doing work with your hands, instead of standing behind a computer all day. However, inventory management is so much easier when you have access to technology. For example, you can buy material management software that will keep track of what you have, as well as its location. In fact, you can set up a system wherein each material has its own QR code for easy scanning in and out using devices. If you’re trying to avoid missing inventory and you want a system that can be updated in real time without a lot of extra work, this is definitely the way to go.

Choose a Scalable Inventory/Ordering System
In the early years of your business, you may start building records that give you a handy way to determine how much you need to buy of any particular material for a project. It’s a wise idea to keep those records from the very beginning. You should also document if you had a lot of excess or had to make a sudden, additional order. You’ll also want to use a system that allows you to scale it based on size. That way, if you start out with smaller projects and build your way up into something bigger, you’ll have a sense for how much you need to order without having to make an expensive guess.

Make Transport Efficient
The way that you transport materials depends on how you order and house them, but there are ways to make it more efficient. For example, if you’re moving a lot of materials from your warehouse to the jobsite, you may want to coordinate them based on location. It makes it easier to avoid arriving at the jobsite and having to start over with the process of organizing and moving them to the appropriate spot.

Coordinate Delivery
Coordinating the delivery is as important as planning out the shipments. It’s better to choose a time when there are not as many workers trying to perform tasks on the jobsite. You may need to schedule deliveries after regular business hours. Make sure that you have someone who can oversee deliveries and confirm that everything has arrived, and ensure that the shipment goes to the right location. Make a note of any deliveries that arrived much later than expected, or contained partial or damaged shipments.

Double-Check Inventory
Having an electronic system that allows you to scan in and scan out is extremely convenient, but it’s not a complete replacement for a human eye. You’ll still need someone to double-check your inventory, especially if you aren’t the only company going to and from the jobsite. It is a good idea to designate someone who can count the inventory upon each delivery, so that you are sure that each item is onsite and in good general condition. You should also perform regular inventory checks, particularly as you start to use supplies. You’ll have an advance notice about possible theft or damaged materials that way.

Managing materials for your contracting business is a way to avoid waste and save time. To learn more about running your own contracting business, visit CSLS today!