Material handling can account for up to 40% of labor costs on your construction project. Take control of your labor costs and get more done with less effort by implementing efficient material handling processes into your workflow.
Implementing efficient and safe material handling processes
I first recognized the high cost of inefficient material handling when designing a new unit-based labor price book for our estimators. My definition of material handling is how many times an item must be handled, from receiving the material to placement in its final position. I had to strip our estimating process down and build it from the ground up with all new labor codes, production rates and efficiency variables in an attempt to tighten the gap on our budget versus actual labor costs.
Task Efficiency
Through this process I identified a key factor that would affect our production rates that were directly attributed to the material handling efficiency of the task. In our specialized industry, material handling options were limited, which prompted me to design new processes and equipment that did not yet exist.
Framing of our superstructures were optimized by developing early shakeout plans, using modular-framing and “Pod-Lift” techniques, which reduces labor required at height and is a more productive and safer method.
Sheet metal on the other hand has a totally different set of challenges. The material is pre-finished and somewhat delicate, is installed over great distances that are many times inaccessible with aerial lifting equipment, and generally cumbersome in nature to safely carry by hand.
Our first material handling system, The Panelizer System, combines both material handling and modular construction techniques into a sheet metal panelizing process that provides a ground-mounted work deck to build 18-footwide modular sections of wall or roof panels, and lifts them into place by machine, not by hand. This system allows erectors to produce more work by reducing the non-value-added labor or handling material by hand.
Our second material handling system, The MTX System, was developed to bring consistency and organization to large roofing projects. Having the ability to load material onto our cart and rail system, and push material to the leading edge with ease has greatly reduced the amount of effort and cost of handling materials on large roofing projects. There is no longer a need for long-reach cranes, rooftop access openings or pre-loading bundles of material on roof secondaries. Just place your material anywhere on our rail system and roll the bundle to the leading edge for installation.
Efficient Labor
It was not until I became a seasoned estimator that I began to recognize the value of efficient labor and the high cost of inefficient labor. The cost of an inefficient labor force is staggering. Invest in equipment and processes that maximize your time in the field and minimizes your risk of going over budget. Take some time and plan out the erection of your project and provide shake-out plans to your erectors. Provide weight restrictions of material bundles to your panel manufacturers that work best for your equipment. Schedule just-in-time deliveries on jobs to prevent excessive handling.
I have this thought about safety; no one really wants to work unsafe. People want to be productive, that drive to produce is the winning attitude to have. But when safety detracts from production and makes their job harder, it becomes more awkward to use. They will do whatever task that is, the fast way or the dangerous way.
That thought has been one of my design criteria for all the equipment I have developed and in the process of developing. Simplistic equipment speeds the job up, makes the job easier and in turn is much safer. When safety is a primary element for any specific process, it must be enforced. When safety is a side effect of a more productive or better method, it is more easily accepted.
Jared Bradford is owner of Panelclad, Visalia, Calif. To learn more, visit www.panelclad.us, email jared@panelclad.us or call (559) 358-0556.
