Nothing is more frustrating than sitting at a job site, stalled, waiting for a late delivery. Every builder and contractor in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut knows that time is, quite literally, money. When a builder wastes time on a job site, profits go down the drain. That’s why it’s so important to keep the project moving, and on-time deliveries are an essential part of profitable jobs.
Any profitable construction project has managed to balance the costs of labor, materials, and equipment. But what if you want your projects to be more profitable? While many builders try to increase profits by reducing labor costs, better material management strategies may actually be one of the best ways to improve your margins. Metro has spent a lot of time on job sites in the last 30+ years, and we want to share some of the ways we help our customers get their supplies delivered on time and even save money in the process.
Tip: Share Your Construction Schedule
A lot of time and energy go into creating detailed construction schedules. But it’s impossible to meet your deadlines unless your suppliers and subcontractors are working with you. Sharing your entire timeline with your building materials distributor allows them to work with you to plan ahead, phase orders, make recommendations for efficiencies, and show up when and where they are needed with materials intact.
Suppose you’re not sure exactly when you’ll need supplies. In that case, Metro can help develop a timeline by reviewing other construction project sites in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut that are similar in size and scope. Our sales team knows construction inside and out. They often help our builder clients understand what worked in the past and how other projects went awry.
Tip: Don’t be Afraid to Repeat Yourself
If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: repetition is the key to good communication. And communication is one of the best ways to run an efficient work site. Sharing schedules, delays, delivery requirements, and scheduling information early and often with your team and your building supplies distributor is the best way to prevent missed deadlines, order errors, or, worst of all, no delivery.
At the beginning of the project, agree on scheduled check-ins and include all your supervisors and stakeholders. Scheduling times to check in, again and again, is key to spotting problems early, making adjustments at the right time, and ensuring your project’s success. Don’t be afraid to repeat your goals, timelines, and needs in every team meeting and on every vendor call.
Tip: Embrace Teamwork
One of the most important jobs of the site supervisor or superintendent is keeping a project on schedule, but they shouldn’t have to do it alone. Supervisors must make sure all stakeholders, subcontractors, and suppliers are working together harmoniously. When teams are at their best, they coordinate to identify potential problems, create contingency plans, and avoid delays.
Tip: Optimize Your Inventory
We’ve all been to those worksites where materials are scattered and not adequately protected from the elements. It throws the site into disarray. Not knowing where supplies are or how much is available often leads to over-ordering. However, when you work with an experienced distributor, you can create a method that keeps your materials convenient to the installation area and delivered on time. A good building supplies distributor can also help by working with supervisors to divide deliveries into manageable increments that allow for better inventory organization without forcing workers to pause to accept constant deliveries.
Tip: Stage and Storage
Bulk shipments may seem like a time-saver upfront. But if those bulk shipments contain building supplies needed at different phases of the job, they can end up taking more time sorting and staging and even increase the risk of damage to the supplies. It’s a smart idea to talk with your building supplies distributor to set up deliveries as product kits, delivering supplies when and where the contractor needs them.
Some sites order too much at one time, making it difficult to store and stage effectively.Tip: Get Familiar With Phasing
When you’re working in limited spaces, as many builders do in New York City, phasing can be a great way to save time and money. A good building supplies distributor can create customized “bundles,” or deliveries, containing the supplies you need for a particular phase, floor, or area of your build. The contractor and distributor work together on the pre-work. Phasing orders makes it easier to organize your worksite, keep track of inventory, and reduce the amount of waste that needs to be carried away.
Metro Interior Distributor’s large warehouse means we can handle big orders for big jobs.Tip: Get the Right Building Supplies Distributor
If your distributors are just taking orders, you may be wasting time and money. Good partnerships make every job more manageable. Find a building supplies distributor who understands how to help contractors make the most of their time, materials, worksite, and budget. An experienced building supplies distributor understands how materials will perform in transit. They can just as easily deliver to an undeveloped pad site or a neighborhood full of high rises.
At Metro, each of our sales reps are expert in the materials they sell. They can help builders choose the best products for their job and often save them money through value engineering strategies. Contact us today to find out how we can help you feel more confident in your timelines and material delivery schedules.
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