Enough boards for Monday?
Two big jobs start next week. The yard foreman looks at the stacks and thinks there are probably enough boards, probably not enough of a certain tube length, and definitely a shortage of some fittings. He is guessing, based on what he can see and what he remembers is out.
Meanwhile a few sites have scaffolds that were struck weeks ago with kit still stacked at the side, waiting for collection, and one has more boards than the scaffold needs because the gang took extras.
Why stock figures are always a guess
Scaffold kit moves constantly between the yard and sites, in loads that are counted roughly if at all. Returns come back mixed, and damaged items are separated out without a record. Buying decisions and job planning are made on instinct.
- Wagons are loaded without a written count.
- Returns are unloaded and stacked without being counted.
- Kit stacked on sites after strike is not tracked.
- Damaged and scrapped items are not recorded.
- Nobody knows the total owned, let alone where it is.
What guessing costs
Shortages found on the morning of a job, which means cross-hiring at short notice or sending a second wagon. Over-buying because nobody trusts the stock figures. Kit lost on sites because nobody knew it was there. And no basis for knowing how much kit a new contract would need.
Stock figures also matter when you are asked to take on a big commercial package. Without knowing how much kit you own and how much is tied up in current jobs, you cannot judge whether you can resource it without cross-hiring, which changes the price.
The stock tracking we build
- Your item types are set up: tube lengths, boards, fittings by type, system components if you use them, extras such as sheeting and ladders.
- Each load going out is recorded against the job from the loading list, adjusted by the yard to what actually went.
- Returns are counted by type in the yard when unloaded, on a phone or tablet, and set against the job.
- Damaged and scrapped items are recorded as they are separated out.
- Each site shows what is out there, in total and by type, and what is expected back at strike.
- The yard shows a running figure by type, and upcoming jobs show what they need against what is available.
- Periodic yard counts are entered to correct drift, and differences are shown so you can see where kit is going.
| Movement | Recorded from |
|---|---|
| Out to site | Loading list, confirmed by the yard |
| Back from site | Yard return count |
| Damaged or scrapped | Yard entry when separated |
| Standing on site | Out minus back, per job |
| In the yard | Running total, corrected by counts |
The counts do not have to be perfect. Rough, consistent counts give far better figures than none.
What you can see afterwards
Shortages show up days ahead, with time to plan. Kit waiting on struck sites is visible and gets collected. Buying is based on what you actually have. And the figure for kit out on a site is ready if there is ever a dispute about what came back.
Is your stock picture this vague?
- Shortages are found on the morning of a job.
- You do not know how much kit is on each site.
- Returns are not counted.
- You buy kit without knowing how much you own.