Material and Asset Management

The size and complexity of many construction projects often makes management of materials and assets on the projects difficult.  This task is facilitated through the use of technologies that automate the communication of material and asset information.  Use of these technologies relies upon effective cataloging of the products, much of which can be done in the design of the project.  Clearly identifying each design element and including this information in the design information passed on to the constructor greatly enhances the ability for constructors to use these labor and time-saving technologies.

Example Automated Technologies: 

The following are examples of automated material and asset management technologies that are currently available for use: 

Common Limiting Design Features

The following are examples of design features that often limit the use of automated material and asset management technologies during construction:

• A lack of electronically available design data for use by the constructor.

• Incompatibility of electronic design data with that required of automated technologies.

• Non-standard design elements that are not common to manufacturer and supplier databases.

Recommended Design Practices

The following are examples of suggested design practices that facilitate the use of automated material and asset management technologies during construction:

• Incorporate the use of barcode labels in the design information provided to the contractor.

• Develop and employ a coding system for each element; make the coding data available electronically to the constructor.

• Create designs with more interchangeable sequences of work.

Expected Benefits

The following are examples of benefits that have been realized from the use of automated material and asset management technologies during construction:

• Improved ability to track materials and assets during construction.

• Decreased chance of error in pricing and ordering materials and assets for a project.

• Ability to quantify and procure the necessary materials and assets faster and with greater accuracy.

• Ease of communication of material and asset types and quantities with subcontractors and other project participants.

Example productivity improvements that have been realized: