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Material Supply Automation

7 replies [Last post]
Bogdan Leonte
User offline. Last seen 8 weeks 4 days ago. Offline
Joined: 18 Aug 2012
Posts: 291

Vladimir,

Spider has the functionality to create and asign users in order to distribute projects and send notices before the execution of the workpackage will begin.


I am interested in something that I don't know if it is capable, such as:
Similar to the mechanism of creating users in order to send notices toward managers of workpackages I would like to know if it is possible create users (a user would be a material vendor) and send notices to material vendors for material quantities that should be supplied the next week/month.

Best regards,
Bogdan

Replies

Of course no, I did not mean procurement automation.

But procurement schedule for long-lead items shall be included in the project schedule and supply delays shall automatically delay those activities that depend on supplied materials.

Anoon Iimos
User offline. Last seen 2 years 47 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 22 Sep 2006
Posts: 1422
Vladimir, Yes I understand, but I don't see any problem with locally available materials except for financial constraints. The schedule itself shall depict when you need such materials, and of course most organizations have its own logistics department which shall control supply and deliveries. However, for your "procurement schedule" (long-lead items for example), of course you have to include in your overall schedule. This I guess would be very difficult to automate, as procurement is always dependent from your engineering and quality assurance. The process itself is a chaos (as you know). Just imagine from pre-qualification of suppliers and requesting for data sheets just to find the right specifications as engineered plus FAT etc. etc. Do you think you can automate procurement (even without financial constraints)?

Anoon,

the title was incorrect.

We discussed automatic informing of supply managers about ther planned activities in the project schedule (what shall be supplied and when).

Anoon Iimos
User offline. Last seen 2 years 47 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 22 Sep 2006
Posts: 1422
I guess nowadays, you can only able to perhaps "automate" the material supply if you pay the suppliers in advance. Otherwise, I guess no software is able to automate material supply (just being pragmatic).

First of all we recommend to include in the project schedule only those materials that are most expensive and those that shall be ordered in advance to be delivered on time. Materials that can be bought at any time are managed using inventory management methods. Supplies of the materials that shall be ordered in advance shall be included in the project schedule. For such materials supply is not one time events but the schedules that include many stages and delays at any stage may lead to delay of material delivery. It may cause the changes in construction schedule delaying activities that need corresponding materials.

Vendors responsible for material delivery shall present the schedule of delivery process and report on current status of material delivery similar to reports delivered by Amazon (your order was assembled, shipped, reached this point, etc.) that help to forecast the time of final delivery.

Bogdan Leonte
User offline. Last seen 8 weeks 4 days ago. Offline
Joined: 18 Aug 2012
Posts: 291

Yes, I am aware of the material supply functionality of Spider, however Civil works usually have hundrets of materials which have different vendors.

How would you suggest to create the material supply schedule? By material (for each material, supply milestones), for each period 1 milestone with multiple materials and how would you include the vendor in such a scenario?

Bogdan,

we recommend to include material supply schedule in the project schedule model.

And so supply managers get the same notices about their work packages and plans about what and when their materials shall be delivered.