Effective Material Management in Building Construction Site

1.0 Introduction

Material as the general term is used to connote raw materials, spare parts and components, consumable stores, packeting materials, subassemblies etc. use to produce a good or services. For many manufacturing firms, materials account for more than half (1/2) of the production cost. As production activity becomes more highly automated, materials proportion of the project cost tends to increase. On the other hand, for a services outfit, the proportion of materials cost is lower.

The use of these materials and their control involves cost and could influence profit. Therefore, their efficient management is vital to avoid delays through storage, acquisition of goods unfit for their intended purpose, or serious expenditure and erosion of profit which is the basis for material management. With this integrated approach to material management, all jobs encompassed by these activities would be under the overall direction of a material manager whose responsibility is to manage the procurement and delivery of material for company use.

Material resources are the heart and life wire of any construction industry. This is because the production and distribution activities as well as the general overall performances of any construction organization will be shaky in the case of under stocking or poor management of material. Such materials are the gravel, sand and other aggregates which are found in building construction site. This materials if there not properly manage will lead to poor extension of building work.

1.1 Background Of The Study

With the past (2) decades, a lot of laudable government programmes in Nigeria aim at the provision of physical infrastructure including private development schemes have remain largely unrealized. It is usually during the implementation (construction period) that most project fail in their goals forward realization.

The moment a building project has been conceptualized and design, the implementation of the design is usually the next phase. It is during this phase of implementation that a lot of vital decisions would have to be made which can either lead to the successful completion of the project on schedule or hinder it.

This phase puts into rest the managerial skills and ability of the project team in successfully executing of any building project, care must be taken to achieve the client's requirements of early completion of works on schedules at an economic cost keeping the quality of job high.

The clients requirements listed above are inextricable linked together and are affected by the same factors. For instance an elongated project period would lead to increased building cost, which is completed undesirable. This is because machinery and labour would be employed for longer number of days than earlier budgeted for.

Unnecessary and frequent suspension of work on site due to the non-availability of building materials must be guarded against if building projects are to be successfully executed on schedules. Improper handling, storage and lack of adequate security for the building materials that result in damage and theft also contribute to the non-completion of project on time. Other reasons that leads to the non-completion of building construction work on schedule are :

1. The inability/refusal of the construction team to meet the labour requirement in the use of the building materials with a view of maximizing the use of time. This particular attitude of contractors tends from their yearning for increased profit margin. And thereby reducing the number and quality of materials rendered.
2. Frequent accidents occurring on site as a result of loose safety guidance in the construction industry also attributes to the non-completion of project due to ineffective material management on building construction site.
3. Bad management of human resources also hinder the early completion of project on schedules. This is manifested in the lack of attention being paid to staff involved in the handling these building materials and the frequent hiring and firing of personnel. Lack of motivation and incentives also constitute a problem to the smooth flow of building operations.

With an effective material management system would go a long way in addressing these problems. Other factors which may not necessary elongate the project period but lead to increase in building costs are as follows:

1. The choice of building materials to be purchased with respect to strength, durability, and recycling.
2. The estimation of the exert quantity of building materials to be purchased for a work section is dicey issue and can easily lead to wastage and increased building cost. Because buying these material in little bits can lead to increased in overall cost and also buying excessive quantities that can also lead to wastage.
3. The provision of competent supervisor can help check building cost as wastage; theft and non-adherence to specification are avoided, thus ensuring quality control.

An effective material management system cannot be evolve without basing it on an overall work programme. One of the basic rules of management is that no project is likely to be successful unless the objectives are adequately defined and the necessary allocation made to labour and materials.

This rule is no less true when applied to the economy of a country. It is imperative for the government to decide which object are to be met within its program — choosing between a number of conflicting and overlapping social needs and laying down the proportion of the nations resources that is to be devoted to each.

According to Hersey and Blandard (2003) Management is “working with and through individual to accomplished organizational goal”.

Bladdle and Evander (2000) defining management in terms of the purpose also stated that “it is the efficient and effective use of resources to achieve objectives and achieving results with and through people”.

A common trend that appears in the definition is the manager's concerns for accomplishing organizational goals and objectives. It can therefore be said that the achievement of organizational objectives through leadership in management.

Armed with the better understanding of management concepts, the production of the building can be approached bearing in mind the importance of the effective material management to the entire building project. To achieve this, objective must be clearly define, which within the construction industry is usually aimed at the completion of the project on schedules at the lowest possible price, keeping the quality of building work standard as specified.

The planning and control of all building materials resources for the realization of the building project is of vital important. Before commencement of work on site, ample time should be allowed for planning, while thought must be given to the way in which the building operation will be organized. Only by proper planning can aids to productivity, such as mechanical plant, incentives and efficient use of labour and materials becomes fully effective.

1.2 Statement Of Problem

Material manager have the most basic job of focusing the efforts of their subordinates on the objectives of the organization or enterprise. In the area of material management, this boil down to supplying materials at lowest possible total cost. To achieve this, the long and short term effect of the manager's actions will have to be considered.

This research will look on how to solve the problem of effective material management such as follows:

1. Reduce the cost of materials
2. Bring the inventory in line with demand on site and thereby reduced over investment.
3. Increase productivity to a maximum, so as to enhance profitability.
4. Make certain that finished product's were ready to satisfy customers order on due time.
5. Reduced wastage and reduce obsolesce to minimum.
6. Enhance the company corporate image at all times.

1.3 Aims And Objectives

Bearing in mind the possibility of an elongated construction period with the implication of increased building cost. There is need for the effective management of material resources necessary for the realization of a building project. The planning, organizing and controlling of material such as building materials is of extreme important to the timely and successful completion of the building project.

This research project shall therefore seek to elucidate the importance of effective material management on a building project site with a view to ensuring the completion of project on schedule, improving the quality of jobs executed and checking building cost.

The specific objectives include the following:

1. To evaluate the impacts of material management in our construction industries.
2. To determine the strategies currently in use in construction industries to manage materials effectively.
3. To determine the strategies currently in use in project delivery.
4. To identify the problems encounter by the construction industry in the implementation of the material management measures.
5. To recommend alternative solution base on the research findings.

1.9 Scope And Limitation

The scope of this research project is to critically examine: The principles of management in construction.

The evolution of an effective material management system through the following:

1. The choice of building material to be purchased with respect to strength, durability, recycling etc.
2. The timing of purchases to ensure the early arrival of building materials on site
3. The transportation of building materials on site.
4. The storage of building materials on site.
5. The security of the building materials on or off site
6. The handling of building materials

The researcher's intention to cover the impact of Effective Material Management in Building Construction Site in Imo State. And some of the construction industries visited are OK 2000, Zerock construction and AIM Consultant by the researcher and it sample size will be about ninety (90), also the number of variables to be examined will be close to twenty.

Limitations of Study

This study was supposed to cover all aspects of site management but inevitable constraints that besiege every human endeavor compelled this research to be limited to the importance of effective material management on a building project site. This research is also restricted building project alone. Significant among these constraints were:

Poor Finance: Lack of sufficient money for transportation and extensive exploration of libraries of other institutions of higher learning made this work deficient in rich literature

Insufficient Time: The specific time for completion and subsequent submission of this work made it difficult to be as thorough as it should be.

1.10 Justification / Significance Of The Study

This research would help curtail the incessant effective material in building construction site. The research work will also foster more important way of achieving work through planning and control of all materials resources necessary for the realization of the building project as a vital importance. And the reduction of wastage and reduce obsolesce to minimum. Finally it will enhance the company corporate image at all time due to their material management and project profitability.

1.11 Definition Of Terms

Material Management: It is referred to as the process by wish an organization is supplied with goods of services that it needs to achieve it objectives.

Structural Element: In this research work, structural work elements are refers as those element or parts of a particular building. Such elements are the roof member, walls, structural framing, beams, slabs, stairs and foundation.

Purchase Requisition: This is other words that refers to a situation where a company notifies the purchasing department on materials requirements

Requisition Form: This is forms that are use during purchase requisition. Its states the departments, dates, date ordered, supplier, ordered number, items, quality, quantity, description, whom to deliver to and signature.

Contract: It may be defined as an agreement between two parties which is intended by them to have legal consequences.

Client: It is the owner, instigator, initiator, promoter, employer and financier on capital project.

Contractor: He is a person who undertakes to complete a job in accordance with the contract document.

Construction Industry: It is generally regarded as a collection of client professionals and contractors who team up in making architectural and engineering designs and specifications and transforming them into real structures with same kind of technology expertise.

1.12 Research Question

In order to successfully carryout this research work to its logical conclusion, the following research questions must be addressed;

• What are the impacts of effective material management as regards to building construction site or project in Imo State?
• What are the strategies in use for building project as regards to effective management of materials on construction site?
• To what extent have these measures succeeded in improving the management of material in construction site?
• What are the problems encountered by the construction industry in the implementation of material management?