Materials Management Practices in the Construction Industry
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 20, Issue 3
Abstract
Materials management is an integrated process that consists of the people, organizations, technology, and procedures used to effectively identify, quantify, acquire, expedite, inspect, transport, receive, store, and preserve the materials, equipment, and associated information across the life cycle of a capital project. The goal is to ensure that the correct quality and quantity of materials and equipment are procured in an effective manner, obtained at a reasonable cost, and available when needed. The implementation of a comprehensive materials management program contributes to more-predictable project outcomes, reduced costs, improved productivity and quality, and a safer working environment. This makes the early and comprehensive involvement of materials management in capital projects very important. This paper describes a study in which the purpose was to identify materials management techniques that reflect current and emerging practices in the capital projects industry. Surveys, interviews, and case studies involving 54 organizations were used to accomplish this purpose. The study clearly shows a dramatic increase in the maturity, formality, and systematic approach to materials management.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Construction Industry Institute and the members of the RT257 Global Procurement and Materials Management Best Practice Refresh for their support.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 20 • Issue 3 • August 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 5, 2014
Accepted: Jun 20, 2014
Published online: Jul 9, 2014
Published in print: Aug 1, 2015
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