Jobsite Material Orders

[Flex]

Id like to know how some of the larger companies manage their material and tools. How do the foreman in the field order things? I wonder if they have specific company numbers for say a 4' square blank. I mean there has to be some efficient way of doing this. Especially considering all the different trade names for any one specific thing.

 

[chris kennedy]

I always use the manufacture and number to make it clear for the supply house.

100 Arlington SG38 for example.

When I came to this company 6 or 7 years ago and started dealing with new supply houses, I was quite surprised they didn't know what certain things were. I would get a 'whats that' when I ordered FMC or LFNC.

Edit: I usually call in my own orders for delivery, but very large orders and all wire orders I have my office shop it.

 

[laketime]

I have worked for several large companies and we always would order directly from a purchasing agent employed by the company. We wouldn't really use part numbers or manufacturers, we would just write down "4s deep". Then the order was either faxed/emailed or called into the companies purchasing department. They in turn would order through their suppliers and magically the next morning the material would be delivered to the project.

 

[stevebea]

Id like to know how some of the larger companies manage their material and tools. How do the foreman in the field order things? I wonder if they have specific company numbers for say a 4' square blank. I mean there has to be some efficient way of doing this. Especially considering all the different trade names for any one specific thing.

Our company has a six digit number for every part that we stock. The job foreman has a binder with all parts stocked that he uses to make out a requestion that gets turned into the purchasing agent. Any non-stock items to be ordered simply involves making a call to the purchasing agent. This system seems to work pretty well..... everything having a part number eliminates the confusion.

 

[Flex]

Thats exactly the kind of system i am trying to put to use in our company. All of our material gets called into either the shop foreman or the guy in the office who is our bosses understudy. Neither are totally familiar with the electrical products. But even before them there has always been miscommunication's with material. Thats why we have a new shop foreman. Just trying to come up with a way to remedy the situation.

 

[stevebea]

Thats exactly the kind of system i am trying to put to use in our company. All of our material gets called into either the shop foreman or the guy in the office who is our bosses understudy. Neither are totally familiar with the electrical products. But even before them there has always been miscommunication's with material. Thats why we have a new shop foreman. Just trying to come up with a way to remedy the situation.

The system works very well, all things considered. If guys need to pull material from stock we use a pull ticket to enter item, quantity, and stock number.