As we continue to navigate through the daily challenges surrounding us with the COVID-19 virus, it is important to understand the impacts it is having on our industry. Most notably there has been volatility with pricing, most well-known with the lumber markets, labor shortages, and extended material procurement. The material procurement issue much like the labor shortages is not a new issue upon us in the construction industry, but lead times have certainly changed from previously known and reliable durations during this pandemic. Some examples of extended material procurement issues that we are experiencing across our projects include:
- Lumber
- Siding
- Windows
- Doors
- Shingles
- PVC pipe and pre-molded showers
This is something that will most likely continue until a vaccination is developed, as manufacturers work through social distancing, sanitizing efforts, and infected personnel which all have an impact on productivity and their ability to fill orders timely. It’s important to stay in close contact with Subcontractors and Suppliers through this difficult time to understand lead times and get orders placed timely to not impact construction schedules. One of the ways that we execute on this at The Douglas Company is through our detailed material status report, which is where we track all key components needed to build our jobs, whether it be lead times, when they are needed onsite, order dates, supplier information, to name a few, this tool is updated on a weekly basis all the way until the items arrive onsite. This tool is just one of many that we utilize to fulfill our Core Value of “Keeping our Commitments through proactive attention to detail and execution” which allows us to live out our Core Purpose “To contribute to the success of our Clients and Associates.”
Andrew Rahrig, LEED AP
Vice President, Construction
The Douglas Company
