Why supply chain resiliency matters in construction
April 22, 2022
Insights from the Fastenal Construction Team
Insights from the Fastenal Construction Team
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Every job is different. Some are similar, but no two are truly identical. Plus, construction can take you from working in a remote location for a project to the middle of a city for the next one.
Construction isn’t static. That’s why supply chains need to flex and adapt no matter where the work takes you. Build supply chain resilience One of the biggest lessons COVID has taught us is that it’s hard to stick to timelines without a steady flow of materials. For that reason it’s important to make your supply chain more resilient. Unexpected situations are going to happen. But if you have a robust supply chain, one that can roll with the punches, your business can better adapt. An easy way to build resilience into your supply chain is to look for a strategic partner. You know your business better than any supplier will, but the right partner can help you try new processes and technologies. Any partner that you pick needs to be flexible and transparent. You’ll need to work with them to set goals that tie back to your main plan. Are you trying to reduce emergency orders? Make that a goal. Trying to cut costs? Ask your partner for purchasing data so you can fine tune your orders. Ultimately, you need a strategic partner who wants to take on and solve the problems that are going to come up. 
Know why visibility matters
Transparency is key. Keeping track of who has what at each jobsite can be tough, but it’s important to the supply chain. Why does that level of visibility matter? Because knowing where supplies are on a jobsite or in a fab shop is the foundation of your future success. Knowing what to expect is the path to cost savings, productivity improvements, and taking back your time. Planning for that inevitable inventory consumption – whether it’s at the point of use or via a tool crib – means you’re able to see trends in inventory usage. With that information, you can forecast for future work. An example would be if you have to ramp up man-hours on a jobsite, you need to be able to see what supplies are already out there and then know what to add on. This lets you notify all of the different inputs of the supply chain, whether that be a supplier, the folks working on the jobsite, or even a third party. In the end, visibility over jobsite inventory is key because it affects everything else in your business. Next steps Surprisingly, COVID has actually presented a unique opportunity to put a plan in place to build resiliency into your supply chain. You just need make sure you build a plan that you want to accomplish.
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What to look for in a Supply Chain Partner
A trustworthy distribution network. Your items need to arrive on time. Find a company that can tell you how and when things will travel to you. Point-of-use inventory. With vending machines and storage boxes already on your worksite, you KNOW you have what you need. Reliable data collection. Rely on reports to tell you what you are using. Then you can adjust your purchasing to avoid stock-outs. Like what you're seeing here? Subscribe to the Blue Print for FREE and get the magazine sent right to your address.
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