Improving Operational Efficiency in Construction

19/12/2022

At a time when many businesses have been getting back to normality after the effects of COVID-19, construction firms are facing further challenges. The construction industry supply chains have recently encountered many issues, stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war, to Brexit and a lack of HGV drivers. The introduction of new bills such as the Building Safety Bill and the Environment Bill also impacts the working processes of supply chains.

 

Construction projects are being delayed while companies wait for materials, increasing the overall costs and leaving companies unable to deliver projects on time. Small to mid-sized firms have been affected by increased materials costs the most, with profit warnings for public-listed companies increasing by 66% over the course of 2021.

 

Identifying ways to improve operational efficiency is vital for construction firms to be able to deliver profits in these challenging times and many companies are exploring digital solutions and more forward-thinking approaches compared to their traditional working processes.

 

Adopting LEAN principles

LEAN stock management and applying other LEAN principles across working processes can deliver many benefits to construction companies. Lean principles eliminate waste and reduce the need for storage space.

 

Just in Time is a supply chain model that is developed around LEAN principles, working towards an ordering and delivery process that supplies materials just in time for them to be used in the construction project. This means that there is no storage space required to store the materials for weeks or longer and waste is limited due to high-quality manufacturing and more accurate orders.

 

Procure-Site is an industry-leading tool developed by FixFirm which enables the procurement and scheduling of site-supplies as and when they are needed. Clients are able to improve their LEAN processes, save time ordering supplies and save space on site, allowing for improved workflows and a streamlined procurement process. Learn more here.

 

Harnessing the power of technology

Technology such as 3D CAD and Virtual Reality software has driven increased accuracy in calculating the volume of materials to order for a project. The Procure-Site platform developed by FixFirm integrates with LEAN principles to prevent project delays, with features such as the 555-delivery service model.

 

The 555 service is a promise, that when you are ordering anytime up to 5pm, products will be delivered within 5 working hours (before 12 noon), which gives you 5 hours to get the job done (working til 5pm).

 

Moreover, other off-site and many engineering companies benefit from our SlickStock management service which is another benefit of working with FixFirm designed to improve operational efficiency. SlickStock enables proactive stock management compared of reactive, eliminating delays in waiting for stock delivery and time and resource required to place orders. Learn more about SlickStock and how it can benefit your processes here.

 

How ProcureSite supports all areas of the business

The ProcureSite features have been developed to support all roles across a construction firm, from enabling the director & stakeholder oversight to make informed decisions based on accurate live data, to streamlining the ordering process, making it faster and more seamless for the team.

 

Companies can decide which personnel have access rights for tasks such as ordering or accessing financial information, and site managers can quickly log on from anywhere to see the delivery status of materials or to place a reactive delivery, benefiting from the 555 service to keep the project running smoothly.

 

Invoices can be easily downloaded by the accounts/finance team so that they can quickly and easily reconcile the accounts, so the system really does add great value for every area of the business to drive operational efficiency.

 

Contact our team today to discuss how we can improve your operational efficiceny.

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