Global Procurement & Materials Management: An eGuide to Effective Project Execution

Materials management in the construction industry has received significant attention over the past 30 years. In the early 1980s, the Business Roundtable Construction Industry Cost Effectiveness Project identified materials management as a critical element of the construction industry. Subsequently, in response to the final recommendations of the roundtable project, the Construction Industry Institute (CII) was established; once in operation, the institute commissioned a series of landmark studies on the materials management process. As a product of CII’s research, the Materials Management Task Force developed Special Publication (SP) 4, Project Materials Management Handbook, in 1989. This comprehensive study was succeeded in 1999 by Implementation Resource (IR) 7-3, Procurement and Materials Management: A Guide to Effective Project Execution, to address changes in the industry and the materials management response to them.

To keep abreast of the changes in materials management that have occurred since 1999, CII sponsored a research study to update IR 7-3. The specific objectives of this research included the following:

• Identify materials management techniques that reflect current practices, including modern methods that have replaced previous practices.
• Identify materials management practices that have become mainstream and are strong candidates for streamlining or possible archiving.
• Identify emerging practices and procedures that have influenced the materials management process in recent years, including global procurement, the outsourcing of logistical functions, and comprehensive supplier involvement.
• Investigate functions that have become more integrated into the materials management process, such as supply chain processes or supplier integration techniques.
• Identify efficient technologies for managing the materials acquisition and management process.
• Interface with prominent industry consortiums such as the Procurement Executives Group (PEG) to incorporate the most current practices for materials management.