Construction projects can naturally be chaotic: delayed permits, employees not showing up on time or consistently, the goal posts for getting things done constantly moving in the opposite direction. These can be major setbacks for builders and construction companies’ overarching goals, especially when it comes to project success and metric calculations.
When and how products arrive at job sites affect both long-term and short-term strategies, especially with the proper resources and technology. Not only will the right delivery partner make a difference early on in a partnership, but they will also create more opportunities down the road.
From better inventory management to understanding the full scope of warehousing and fulfillment services, builders don’t have to constantly be in a state of flux. We’ve created this resource to outline how the right warehousing, fulfillment, and last-mile delivery partner can help reduce the noise.
The Real Cost of Jobsite Chaos in Construction Projects
Delayed material deliveries, misplaced supplies, and overcrowded work areas with unneeded products and materials can slow progress, increase labor costs, and lead to frustrating schedule changes for homeowners. And those products sitting out? They are more likely to become damaged due to exposure or even be lost when moved from one place to another within jobsites.
All these scenarios create delayed timelines for construction, ultimately leaving customers unhappy and expenses mounting. Millwork ruined by weather exposure or damaged during the delivery process will have to be replaced, driving up costs that were originally preventable.
We get it: sometimes accidents happen. However, some incidents are avoidable, or the conditions that cause them can be rectified, and the odds of something happening are lowered.
Fulfillment, Warehousing, and Storage: How Better Planning Keeps Your Construction Project on Track
One of the key ways to keep builders on track is to utilize fulfillment and warehouse services near your construction site. By storing products in a warehouse, which has regulated conditions and temperatures, rather than delivering them all at once to a job site, builders and homeowners can access the materials when they need it rather than creating risks and physically clogging up the jobsite.
Warehouse storage also allows builders to create delivery phases with materials. By spacing out the delivery phases, it not only makes it so that construction and jobsites are increasingly clutter-free, but also reduces the number of reorders and delays for more difficult materials prone to damage.
How Better Fulfillment Improves Labor Productivity on Jobsites
When products are delivered in a planned, organized manner, workers spend less time searching for supplies, moving materials out of the way, or waiting for missing items to arrive. This reduces downtime and keeps projects moving forward without unnecessary interruptions, especially when contractors and construction workers spend extensive time unable to locate the right materials for the current moment’s needs.
With fewer delays caused by material issues, workers can stay focused on the task at hand and not have to worry about the logistics side of things. Not having what you need when you need it can cause one of the biggest problems on job sites, leading to communication breakdowns, errors, and potential conflicts.
How Fulfillment and Warehousing Can Save Builders Money and Be a Better Strategy with Inventory Management
Overall, the warehousing and fulfillment approach means this for builders: less surprise expenses, increased use of expensive materials you’ve already paid for, and an ease of mind when it comes to getting products when you actually need them, not earlier or later. As materials are stored in a secure warehouse and delivered when needed, the risk of damage, theft, or weather exposure is reduced. It may seem like a strategy that requires more investment upfront, but it leads to more savings in the long run.
Having a technology-based inventory management system that tracks products in real-time can also be a critical difference in what elevates your strategy and tactics to the next level. Understanding the total number of products and materials you have and their location can optimize what’s being used where. Companies would no longer have to worry as much about over-ordering or know the moment when unexpected delivery delays may occur.
How To Find the Right Logistics Partner for Your Jobsite
It’s typically difficult trying to find a new delivery partner, let alone when fulfillment and warehousing are added into the mix. We’ve written blog posts and resources for how to find a good delivery partner for millwork before, but finding the right fit can be daunting and a seemingly impossible task in the beginning. Here are some key things to remember on your search:
- A delivery and fulfillment partner who is reliable, with their key metrics and numbers demonstrating a track record with high on-time and low damage rates.
- Clear communication is always a necessity with delivery partners, especially when dealing with fragile, big, and bulky items that require more care. Having flexible delivery windows that fit within your schedule is always something to examine carefully as well.
- A proven track record handling high-value products, especially big and bulky ones, to jobsites.
About CDS Logistics: Experts in Big and Bulky Last Mile Delivery
CDS Logistics is one of the largest providers of last mile delivery and fulfillment solutions in the United States. CDS’s headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland, with 182 hubs nationwide. Over the past three decades, CDS built expertise to make the company an industry leader specializing in big and bulky products. CDS’s proprietary, in-house technology and hands-on operational expertise provide results that are consistent, reliable, and proven to drive outstanding customer experiences.
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