Comparative Study of Material Management in Public and Private Building Construction Project Inside Kathmandu Valley

Abstract

Material management is crucial to timely and cost-effective project delivery. Material management was key to every building job. Material management tasks slowed project delivery. This study compares material management in public and private building projects. The study aimed to improve material management in Kathmandu Valley development projects.The study used 34 projects. DUDBC and NRA executed 16 of them. 18 were by private developers. Primary data was collected by questionnaire and key informant interview. Secondary data was collected using desk study. Relative Importance Index ranked Likert questionnaire responses (RII).The study indicated that the public and private sectors have comparable views on material management in building construction projects. Both sectors agreed on the presence of a material schedule in their respective project, but are unsatisfied with their material management method. They also agreed on the delay in their respective project owing to late materials. Both sectors demanded a separate material schedule for successful material management and favoured the ABC classification approach for inventory planning and material classification. Both sectors insisted on a joint visit to find the material source.The study finds discrepancies between public and private sectors. The public sector highlighted "The source must be able to offer materials that fulfil project specifications in the quantities" as the best guideline for locating material purchasing sources, while the private sector emphasized "The supplier must always be honest." Public sector material management focuses on inventory control, while the private sector prioritizes planning and programming. Public projects use pricing performance to grade vendors, while private builders emphasize quality. The public project emphasizes timetable adherence over quality schedule as the key to delivery performance.The analysis showed severe weaknesses in material management in both industries. In the public sector, material procurement delays, wastage, and quality and specification problems are important material management deficiencies. For the private sector, late supplier answers, transportation, delivery, and stock management challenges.Possible solutions include preparing a material schedule in line with the construction schedule for material requirement planning, verifying materials and locating sources, purchasing required materials in advance before work begins, classifying materials and managing inventory based on usage value, and eliminating and reducing wastages during overall material management. How to cite this article: Shahi S, Shreshta HM, Bhattarai SK et al. Comparative Study of Material Management in Public and Private Building Construction Project Inside Kathmandu Valley. J Adv Res Prod Ind Engg 2022; 9(3&4): 1-11. DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.24321/2456.429X.202202