Just-in-Time Management of Precast Concrete Components

The just-in-time (JIT) philosophy has tremendous potential for managing the movement of precast concrete components from the prefabrication yard to, and within, the construction site. The space constraints for storage and the traffic congestion at the worksite can then be alleviated. By means of a survey and interviews, this paper helps a precast concrete supplier examine if contractors are ready to adopt the JIT philosophy for receiving and installing precast concrete components on-site. Lessons are drawn from the empirical findings to determine how contractors can prepare for JIT management of precast concrete components. The findings suggest that the contractors are, by and large, obscured by price and have generally overlooked the bigger picture of total costs. Only a minority of the respondents show an interest in JIT deliveries as a cost-saving management system. Conversely, the precasters are better prepared to provide logistical support for JIT deliveries. In this context, reimbursement of costs or sharing of the savings can help to motivate the precasters to commit to JIT deliveries.