Many construction processes include installation of unique materials in specific locations in the
facility being built: materials and locations must match before installation can take place. Mismatches due to
delay and uncertainty in supplying materials or completing prerequisite work at those locations hamper field
productivity. This is illustrated here using a model of a materials-management process with a matching problem
that typifies fast-track process-plant projects. The uniqueness of materials and locations combined with the
unpredictability in duration and variation in execution quality of various steps in the supply chain allow for
different ways to sequence material delivery and work area completion. Several alternatives are described. Their
impact on process execution is illustrated by means of probabilistic process models. One model reflects total
lack of coordination between delivery and work area completion prior to the start of construction; a second one
describes perfect coordination. The corresponding materials staging buffers and construction progress are
plotted based on output from discrete-event simulation models. A third probabilistic model then illustrates the
use of the lean construction technique called pull-driven scheduling. Real-time feedback regarding the status of
progress on site is provided to the fabricator off site so process steps can be re-sequenced opportunistically. This
yields smaller buffers and earlier project completion and, when properly accounted for, increased productivity.