|
‘Just-in-Time’ Deliveries Thwart Job Site Thefts
 While job site theft of appliances, fixtures, lumber and other equipment and materials continues to be an area of concern for the residential construction industry, it doesn’t have to be an inevitable cost of business, according to Frank Alexander, director of quality programs at the NAHB Research Center.
There are a number of crime prevention measures builders can take to combat the problem, he says, and being smart about delivery schedules is one.
“Just-in-time delivery is one of the most important things you can do to prevent job-site theft,” Alexander said. “The longer materials sit on a site, the more opportunities for them to disappear.”
Putting the risk of theft aside, ordering materials too early doesn’t make good business sense, he said. Early invoicing means paying for materials that aren’t being used, and the materials are more likely to sustain damage from exposure to the elements.
Materials shouldn’t arrive until they are needed, he advised, and they should be used as soon as possible.
The success of just-in-time delivery hinges upon field crews meeting job-ready requirements. Field managers should reinforce these requirements to prevent trade contractor overlap and limit the amount of materials left unattended. Hiring trades with a formal quality assurance process in place helps to ensure that job-ready conditions are met consistently.
The appearance of unsecured materials is a sure-fire lure for thieves, warns Alexander, so if receiving materials ahead of schedule is unavoidable, be sure to make arrangements with suppliers to leave materials boxed or banded.
|
