In construction, having a streamlined material scheduling process can make or break the overall success of your projects. Material scheduling plays an integral part in a construction business. For the record, a material schedule compiles all required building materials to complete any project and ensures everything is managed properly and smoothly. Hence, focusing on your material scheduling and creating an accurate material schedule will significantly help your entire processes and operations.
But how much do you know about material scheduling? We bet you do not know anything that much. Fortunately, we do, and we purposely put out this blog to help you understand and give an explanation. Read more to learn what material scheduling is, how to create a material schedule, and more.
What is Material Scheduling in Construction?
In construction, material scheduling is organizing and managing the necessary building materials for a project. This process will track all materials and their corresponding quantity, unit price, description, and total price. And this type of scheduling is such a big game changer in the sector, knowing that in construction, theft, poor delivery of materials, and so many losses is a normal and anticipated things to happen.
That is why material scheduling plays a great role in preventing certain losses and poor delivery. With this process implemented properly, there is no need to compromise the quality and delivery of construction materials.
Effective material scheduling is one of the best measures you should take advantage of firsthand, especially if you want to avoid any issues or delays in your next projects.
Benefits of Material Scheduling in Construction
Given its impact on workflow and processes, investing in improvements to your material scheduling can positively impact your entire construction management efforts. Some of the top benefits you will reap include:
1. Maximize worker productivity
Worker productivity is often overlooked in many instances. But in reality, it can keep your expenses down. Effective material scheduling plays a major role in maximizing productivity. It ensures that your crew will have the right supplies at any given time, helping them complete tasks and move to other activities faster.
2. Eliminate handling of materials
Another source of minimized labor activity and its related costs is material scheduling, which often accounts for up to 40% of the team’s working time on the job site. A great material scheduling system includes proper communication, scheduling, and tracking. With this, sites are prepared for all the materials and can be stored and deposited in the most ideal locations. This management level ensures your construction crew is not wasting time moving the materials and equipment when needed.
3. Lower the chance of weather damage and theft
Effective material scheduling includes the accurate acquisition of the correct quantity of construction materials. This results in a reduced time that these materials will sit at the job site unused. And it also means it reduces their exposure to harsh elements and potential weather damage. And most importantly, your materials will never be a subject of theft!
4. Reduce material waste
For sure, you have already experienced purchasing the wrong materials and excess materials. And it leads to many issues, penalties, additional costs, and even waste! Excess products result in material waste. And this is super costly on your part due to spending money on unnecessary materials and disposal and storage costs.
Material waste can easily be minimized when managing your material scheduling scheme’s construction projects, purchasing, and inventory stages.
5. Improved Budget Accuracy and Forecasting
Labor and materials comprise the largest portion of your project costs, even when things go smoothly. But these costs may explode when issues arise due to lower productivity and project delays. A comprehensive material scheduling strategy can help you prevent such issues from happening – which ultimately leads to more accurate prediction and budget.
6. Greater Opportunities to Project Milestones and Deadlines
You have already dealt with so many issues before due to a poorly implemented material scheduling strategy. And you have witnessed how it negatively impacts your construction activities. At the end of the day, when your construction crew has what they need, when, and where they need it, because of great material scheduling, they are capable of getting their work done on schedule.
As a result, this will keep your whole project on track. On top of that, you will continue to hit deadlines and milestones.
Ways to Optimize Your Material Scheduling
If you want to make your material scheduling workflow more efficient and convenient, make sure to apply all the tips below:
1. Right workforce training
You must train your construction workforce to navigate the material scheduling process properly. This is to ensure that every single one in the workforce can make their way to the entire workflow and prevent any inefficiencies along the way. Make sure the training provides hands-on experience to your crew. Giving one-on-one lectures and conducting seminars is a great way to start the training.
But having quality construction employee scheduling software can make a huge difference during training and introducing the new process. This all-in-one solution has the best features to keep everyone involved well-informed, communicated, connected, and engaged. Real-time updates are just one click away!
2. Use construction scheduling software
Technologies can assist you in managing your material scheduling system as best as possible. You can automate your materials’ entire scheduling process to ensure that everything falls in the right place.
Access to the best construction software in the market eliminates manual work because this software offers a more streamlined operation. Accessing real-time information about your inventory and scheduling process has been made easier anytime and anywhere. Getting updates and quick responses from your entire workforce regarding your materials and tools becomes quicker and more convenient, too – which resolves issues right away if they occur.
3. Material planning
Planning what materials and tools you need on a specific project, including the quantity, is daunting. However, when you have a great material scheduling strategy, you can make this task less intimidating. With so many factors you need to consider trying to plan the materials needed in advance, it is easy to lose sight of what is more important.
Moreover, if you have a great supplier of construction materials, material planning becomes way easier. In many cases, having a supplier allows you to set up pre-scheduled deliveries that usually come:
- Packaged: Everything needed for a specific project or task has already been supplied.
- Planned: This means that your crew does not need to leave their tasks to unload materials.
See how a reliable supplier and working material scheduling process can be perfect.
4. Optimize your construction inventory
Poorly managed inventory will lower your workforce productivity, usually leading to useless over-ordering. On the other hand, a well-optimized inventory will help cut down costs and downtime over time. Below are some areas in your construction inventory that you should pay more attention to:
· The materials were delivered on time according to the construction schedule but not sooner.
- Materials kept as close as possible to their respective point of installation.
- Every type of material is sorted into pre-packaged or packaged material kits.
A sophisticated construction schedule software like Pro Crew Schedule provides top features that help you optimize your inventory levels and the storage and space available onsite. Using this type of software with amazing features is one great way to incorporate this into your entire inventory and material scheduling process.
Pro Crew Schedule provides a one-stop solution with both scheduling and inventory features. Find out more about other features by requesting a demo for free.
5. Efficient Material Storage
Regardless of how you meticulously plan the construction materials for your next projects, you still need a better place to store them. Hence, an efficient material scheduling strategy aims to seamlessly tie the job site with all other factors involved in better material management.
The first thing you must do is clearly define where these construction materials will be stored. You also have to think ahead in terms of which of these materials are going to be stored together and which ones cannot be kept together under any situation.
Having well-organized material storage on your job site will bring many benefits, including enhanced site safety, improved workflows, and more effective waste reduction.
Top-tier Material Scheduling System with Pro Crew Schedule
A great and effective material scheduling system involves many moving parts, literally and figuratively! So, it makes sense to be in advance and not rely on pen-and-paper methods anymore, which often lead to many mishaps, errors, and miscommunications.
The first step to achieving a seamless and effective material scheduling flow is to turn to software solutions! And regarding construction software, look no further than Pro Crew Schedule.
Pro Crew Schedule is a quality cloud-based construction dispatching and scheduling software designed to take your material scheduling to the next level. The software’s new inventory management feature will help you digitize and automate your entire inventory of construction materials, tools, and equipment anytime and anywhere. It is built to ease the stress of managing your inventory and other parts of your business.
Pro Crew Schedule is not your typical construction software. In fact, the single one in the market offers a more centralized inventory control.
Get started with a 30-day trial for free and Schedule like a Pro with Pro Crew Schedule.
