Assessing the impact of material management practices on project delivery attributes

Abstract

The construction industry is the economic prime mover and the bedrock of the survival of nations. The rate of economic growth and development of any nation is measured by the available infrastructure and these include roads, buildings, and bridges (F. H. Ahmed, 2017). Construction is a very diverse industry that includes activities ranging from mining, quarrying and forestry to construction of infrastructure and buildings, the manufacture and supply of products, as well as maintenance, operation and disposal (Mordor, 2022). African cities are changing and bringing up construction on a round table, there are over 570 construction projects in Africa worth USD 450 Billion, energy has projects worth over 370 billion, followed by transport projects which include roads, airports, railways worth USD 280 Billion (Mordor, 2022). With the construction industry being among the economic prime movers. Construction Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) in Uganda are increasingly becoming the backbone of the economy. In Uganda, SMEs employ more than 2.5 million people, making up 90 per cent of those employed in the private sector (Asiimwe, 2017). In Uganda, the construction industry contributes over 12% of Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) and has witnessed steady growth for the last 20 years and despite the recent upsurge in inflation, the sector has remained on a steady path of growth and development (UNESCO, 2021). However, their rate of survival and competitiveness are a cause for concern because poor performance of SMEs would jeopardize the livelihoods of the many Ugandans they employ. Initiatives to improve the survival rate of SMEs, so that they can offer greater opportunities for business competitiveness, locally and globally are needed (Asiimwe, 2017). These construction SMEs have one major problem known as ineffective material management. This reflects in the persistent delays, wastage, cost overrun, quality issues, low productivity often experienced during construction of a project.