Over the last 5 years, the demand for developing construction inventory management software has been noticed over 4 times increase on average. And that’s no wonder since more and more businesses from different industries have realized the importance of proper inventory management.
For the construction supply companies, construction inventory management is simply the must, when it comes to dealing with lumber, flooring, steel, concrete, mortar, or other construction supplies - tracking all these materials can often impact the success of any construction project.
In this article, we’ll go deeper into construction inventory management systems and why it’s important for any business. As a part of our discussion, you’ll also uncover the main benefits and core features to include in the inventory management system to make the most of its performance within the scope you’re working in.
Let’s get it started!
What Is the Inventory Management System?
An inventory management system is the specific type of software that allows tracking the goods throughout the supply chain, from purchasing and production to the final product release. In other words, it governs how you approach inventory management for your business.
Inventory Management System in the Construction Industry
The construction inventory management software is the technology that enables inventory tracking within the construction industry business.
Simply put, it has purposes similar to listing the various building materials in an Excel spreadsheet but is interpreted in a more time-efficient and search-optimized way. For instance, it can generate reports of the construction materials used, alert when the stock is low, supply detailed inventory history, and more.
Thus, the business can quickly experience the enhanced visibility and smart automation of the specific sorts of materials that are in stock or require replenishment.
Main Benefits of Construction Inventory Management System
After we know what an inventory management system is and how it works, it’s now important to uncover the core business benefits of inventory management system within the construction industry. Below you’ll find the main advantages of implementing this technology.
#1 Update Anytime and From Any Device
Inventory tracking on different remote building sites is often challenging: it usually occurs on multiple conditions and in nearly any location, that is usually placed far from the main offices.
With having the inventory management software for construction downloaded, the employees can easily track any kind of inventory, assets, and work tools. All they need is just to scan the barcode labels on the items, no administrator help is needed!
Additionally, this software enables checking the activities of the different teams and provides the most important project updates in real-time.
#2 Track the Equipment and Tools Maintenance
Needless to mention, the tools and equipment for construction are always in heavy use. To track how often each piece of them is applied to the specific process and
how much costs you’ll need to maintain them, managers can also make use of construction material inventory management software.
With the assistance of that type of technology, it becomes easier to schedule upcoming maintenance activities and regularly keep the equipment in good condition.
Furthermore, the proper implementation and use of an inventory management system allow companies to plan the new projects from both logistics and financial points of view, ensuring that all the tools can be used for as long as it’s possible.
#3 Make Reservations and Manage the Tools’ Usage
After the project is finished, construction managers still need to run the internal documentation regarding the tools’ utilization, their conditions, where it is, and who used them. This information is exceptionally important for the detailed planning of the upcoming projects, enhancing the workflow, and identifying the possible bottlenecks.
#4 Keep the Documents Organized
Since the construction managers usually work with various systems when supervising their projects, it’s also important to obtain a united system that provides the access to uploading and managing project documents.
The feature-rich inventory management system for construction company enables keeping all the certifications, permits, sitemaps, etc within a single system.
This feature allows not only optimizing the entire workflow but also significantly reduces the paperwork and eliminates the time needed to move from one site to another within a few clicks.
#5 Simplify the Procurement
As you’ve already figured out, inventory management in construction industry is all about planning, project management, and working with materials. The supply of critical materials and tools that are out of stock is another factor that can result in huge timing delays.
Applying the specific inventory management software for construction can easily resolve this problem, as it allows ensuring all the tools and materials are ready for use. For instance, you can:
- Receive alerts when the inventory goes below the reorder point
- Create the purchase orders
- Auto-populate the inventory with the new items ordered
- Save the specific notes to the tools or materials you’ve supplied earlier and more
Thus, this feature of the construction inventory management system enables automation of the major purchase orders required for your employees. Easy, fast, and stress-free!
The Most Required Features of the Inventory Management System in the Construction
For most businesses, developing customer management software is more cost-effective and beneficial rather than implementing third-party technology. And, when it comes to creating the inventory management software for the construction industry, it’s significantly important to define the main features this system should possess for a convenient yet productive workflow.
Let’s now define what features should you include in the upcoming construction inventory management system for your business:
- Stock alerts and reminders scheduling - for the timely supplies of construction materials and tools
- Check-in/out equipment and supplies with the in-built system scanner - to easily track the inventory, and add the new tools and materials supplied recently
- Multi-user access - for updating the inventory information anytime and within any location
- Activity history tracking - to assign, manage and track the employee performance
- User permissions management - to ensure the employees are authorized to access only the specific sorts of data
- Tracking across multiple locations - to rapidly locate and trace the inventory regardless of its location
- Bulk import of CSV tables - for effective yet quick inventory data import
- File export (using CSV, PDF, and more) - to easily generate the reports and get the documents ready for the further work
- Adding tags and notes - for the advanced inventory management (for instance, to add the critical information regarding the supplier or material, specific equipment utilization notes, and more)
- Cross-platform interface - to access the system from different devices
All these features allow creating a powerful construction inventory management system that can significantly enhance the core processes of construction inventory management, from the material and tools tracking to its further utilization and additional supply.
Get Your Custom Feature-Rich Solution from Intellectsoft
The developers from Intellectsoft are aware of the latest trends in the construction industry and are always ready to provide you with the best technological approaches.
The ideal inventory management system software must not only include the main construction inventory management features but also provide a user-friendly interface, feature-rich toolbar and be easily employed in the key workflow processes of your organization.
Are you ready to create one for your business? Our experts are here to deliver the best IT solutions for you!
Conclusion
Now that you know that construction software development is simply the must-have technology for any business within the building industry. The inventory management software for construction allows optimizing the workflow, getting the most updated inventory information, and keeping all your documents organized within a single system.
Our professional team of dedicated developers at Intellectsoft knows how essential it is to create powerful software solutions that will enhance the construction inventory management of any business.
Are you planning to develop custom software for your organization? Talk to our experts today and uncover the best software solutions that ideally fit your business goals!
