An Examination of the strategies for Effective Material Management in Building Construction Sites in Auchi, Estako Local Government, Edo State

Abstract

A lot of problems have been known to confront material management in building construction sites in Auchi, Estako local government, Edo state; one of the key issues is adoption of improper material management practices that don't take care of material requirements, vendor evaluation, purchasing, handling, storage and site distribution. This study therefore examines strategies for effective material management in the study area with a view to enhancing successful project delivery. This study adopted a mixed survey design approach (quantitative survey) in accordance with the research objectives. The sampling techniques adopted for the study were multi-stage sampling for non-probabilistic samples, whereas purposive sampling was used to select the area (Auchi). Overall, the findings indicate moderate adoption of project-decided material management practices, with greater emphasis on conventional methods rather than modern-technology-driven approaches; Stock and Waste Control (3.91), Just-in-Time Method (JIT) (3.80), Warehousing Management (3.54) etc.are some of the existing practices. The study identifies the need for a formal material management system (3.39) as the most effective measure for improving material management on construction sites. This underscores the importance of structured and possibly digital systems for tracking, monitoring, and controlling materials. Other highly ranked measures include material scheduling for contractors (3.36), training of management and staff (3.34), and effective site supervision and administration (3.30). Overall, the study concludes that the right selection of appropriate material management practice is a fundamental aspect of successful building construction project execution. Poor management of materials leads to cost overruns, time delays, and reduced quality, while proper choice of management practices ensures smooth project flow, reduced wastage, and improved profitability. Based on these findings , the study recommends that the selection of a material management practice should be based on the merits of the selection, not just on familiarity. The findings emphasize systemic, managerial, and capacity-building solutions over isolated site-level controls.