ABSTRACT
Construction
materials are handled carelessly by members of the construction industry
leading to increment in construction cost. As a result of this, material
management has been identified as a critical component that improves
productivity in construction projects. It is therefore imperative that
construction companies involved in construction projects should understand the
effects of proper. The aim of this study is to identify the root causes of
ineffective material management and to itemize ways of achieving effective
material management in Oredo Local Government Area, Benin City, Edo State,
Nigeria. This study adopts a descriptive survey research design as well as
simple stratified sampling technique to collect data from the study area. The
generated data were analyzed using percentage and mean scores and presented in
charts and tables. The findings from the analyzed data showed that the root
causes of ineffective management are lack of communication between the clients
and suppliers, unrealistic delivery date and incorrect type of material
delivery as well as size of the material. The result also showed success levels
in achieving effective material management. Based on the findings, this study,
therefore recommends that site supervisors and management should adequately
handle construction materials and more awareness should be given to the
knowledge of material management on building projects.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Job
Description of participants. 28
Table 4.2:
Participants work experience 29
Table 4.3: Success
Level in Achieving Effective Material Management 34
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 4.1: Job
Description of participants. 29
Figure 4.2: Root
causes of ineffective material management in Material Identification Phase 31
Figure 4.3: Root
causes of ineffective material management in Procurement Phase 32
Figure 4.4: Root
causes of ineffective material management in Construction Phase 33
CHAPTER
ONE
BACKGROUND
STUDY
The Nigerian
Construction Industry has recorded some impressive numbers over the last few
years. For an industry that is still heavily dependent on government
expenditure, the Nigerian construction industry continues to occupy an
important position in the nation’s economy eventhough it contributes less than
the manufacturing or other service industries, (Aibinu&Jagboro, 2002). it
is no surprise that the industry is growing at the same time that the
government’s revenue is also growing. The building and construction industry is
one of the most important sectors of any given economy. The significance of
this industry is often measured by considering its impact on the economy
through quantities such as its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
and the amount of employment it creates.The construction industry plays a very
important role in the socio-economic growth of a country and is therefore
considered an agent for national development. It does this by increasing the nation’s
gross domestic profit.
Construction projects
are usually occurring in our daily lives from the construction of residential
buildings to commercial buildings. Despite its daily occurrence, it’s
considered as the most difficult of humankind endeavours. This is due to the
fact that different construction projects require different sophisticated and
complex processes for the successful completion of the project. Inorder to
successfully complete the project with the consideration of the expected
quality of the project, adequate time and money are required. The capital/budget
responsible for the duration of the project for the procurement of materials,
labour and equipment is to be effectively managed in order to prevent delays in
the project and cost overrun. This is where the concept of “Material
Management” comes in. Materials management is a process that coordinates
planning, assessing the requirement, sourcing, purchasing, transportation,
storing and controlling of materials, minimizing the wastages and optimizing
the profitability by reducing the cost of materials (Chetna, 2011).Materials
management involves the integrated coordination of all material related
functions. These functions can be carried out efficiently only when sufficient
emphasis is placed on early project planning, use of qualified personnel,
adequate personnel training and proper communication amongst those involved in
the process (Keitany &Mutwol, 2014).
The function of
material management begins with the planning phase which involves the
identification and determination of required materials that need to be
purchased and checking for the availability of such construction material in
the required quality and quantity.Construction materials are said to make up a
major portion of the total cost of the construction project. According to
Khyomesh (2011), 30 to 70 percent of the project cost is consumed by material
with about 30 to 40 percent of the labour. As a result of this, material
management has been identified as a critical component that improves
productivity in construction projects. It is therefore imperative that
construction companies involved in construction projects should understand the
effects of proper material management towards the successful completion of
construction projects.
The successful
completion of a building project is not totally dependent on material
management alone but also depends on having the right people who possess the
right skills and equipment that are able to deliver the project on time and
within the stipulated budget. It is the work of effective material management
to ensure that materials are in the right place at the right time and at the
required quality and quantity. But this cannot occur if there is no cash flow
and capital to procure the important labour and materials.Due to the lack of
material management, most contractors complete construction projects with
little or no profit. This is due to the fact that construction projects are
usually awarded to contractors with the lowest bid during the tendering process
leaving the contractor with little money to work with. With good material
management, construction cost overrun can be avoided, profits can be made even
with the lowest bid and hence help contractors keep away from fraudulent
practices. Ineffective material management for construction projects can lead
to significant cost blowouts and delays in project completion
This study shall be
of utmost importance to members of the construction industry as it would not
only shed light but also create awareness on the extent to which adequate
material management can affect the performance of a project positively. Hence,
this study seeks to examine ways of achieving adequate material management in
the Nigerian construction industry.
1.2.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Construction projects
success is critically affected by the capacity of the contracting firms, the
design variations, the nature of the contract and the economic stability of the
location of the project. The construction industry in Nigeria is faced with
certain problems ranging from the poor management of materials to misappropriation
of funds required for the completion of the projects. This has led to the low
productivity of workers in the delivery of construction projects. This study is
therefore focused on “Success level in achieving effective materials
management” in the Nigerian construction industry for the purpose of improving
productivity.Kontangora(1991), in one of his seminar lectures Daily Times
23/8/91,stated that unless the managers in our construction industry improve on
theircapabilities in terms of the management of materials, labour and
equipment, wewill always have low productivity in the Nigerian construction
industry. One of the major problems faced by the construction industry is the
construction delay. This may be due to material shortage on-site by unreliable
material suppliers. This can occur as a result of poor communication between
the supplier and the site supervisor. There are also other causes of delay for
instance; Aibinu and Jagboro(2002) argue that the maincause of delay is poor
planning. According to Frimpong (2003), poor riskmanagement is to blame while
Karimi (1998) argues that lack of experience andintellectual ability among
contractors as the main reason. Other causes that havebeen highlighted include;
poor organizational culture (Kagiri&Wainaina 2008). However, much research
has not been done on material management and its impact on project delivery in
Nigeria. Hence, this study, therefore, seeks to identify the causes of
ineffective management and ways of achieving effective material management.
1.3.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
What are the roots
causes of ineffective material management in Nigeria’s construction industry?
Is the poor
motivation of workers in the Nigerian construction industry responsible for
poor management of materials?