USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN MATERIAL TRACKING IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY BUSINESS

Abstract

Construction industry consumes tons of material each year. A single project requires different types of material at different phases of construction. During each phase, the material needs to be tracked for a variety of reasons. Although several material tracking technologies are available that have gradually improved over the past decade, their application to construction industry is limited. Lack of proper construction material tracking on site, significant time, monies and efforts are wasted in counting, documenting, identifying and locating the required materials and thus decrease in efficiency and productivity. The objective of this paper was to review potential application in construction material management, identify current practices and developing industry wide standards for harnessing the benefits of implementing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technique as material tracking technique. RFID technology has been successfully used in construction (and several other businesses). This technology has a promise for extensive application to construction industry. A review of literature indicates that RFIDs have been used for material management and small tool management on construction projects and also discussed the barriers to its application. By using the experiences from other industries using similar technologies, combined with the expertise of suppliers within the RFID industry with experience of the distinctive needs of construction, it soon becomes clear that RFID has an important contribution to make to the performance of contractors, component suppliers and other players in the construction industry.