Materials management: The key to successful project management

Materials management is a management system that integrates the traditional areas of purchasing, expediting and controlling the progress of the vendor. It is an essential part of project management and can be integrated with engineering to provide an end product that meets the client's needs and it cost effective. A typical engineer/procure/construct (EPC) project can be divided into seven distinct stages, during which the project manager must ensure a materials management focus among the project management team. The seven stages are planning, preliminary design, final design, procurement, vendor control, construction, and closeout.