In traditional construction practice, the material management process is decoupled from workflow [2]. Typically, the planning team creates baseline schedules that drive procurement and logistics operations, and buyers, members of another functional silo, ensure that materials are available for installation when scheduled. Moreover,construction materials management continues to rely heavily on information that is collected, recorded, and conveyed in a primarily manualfashion [3].
At each step of the material-handling process, from the fabricator's shop floor to the construction workface, there is specific information that must be accurately recorded and made available toothers.
Human errors and communication problems form an important part of problems that affect the process [4]. Lack of materials on site when required, lack of the ‘right’ materials on site, and accumulation of material inventories are just some of the types of problems generated by such practices, hampering overall project performance through delays, low quality workmanship, cost overruns, and poor safety levelson sites [2].