Logistics Optimization in Road Construction Projects of Pakistan

Abstract

Road construction all over the world especially in the developing countries is considered to be one of the most important projects for a country. As important as they might be it becomes more important to execute them with utmost care as to optimize the logistics and minimizing the waste to optimize the cost and ultimately planning in such a way to maximize the productivity of the construction team which depends mainly upon different aspects relating to materials access to the workers on site, cost of them, choice of materials etc. Logistics optimization is one of the major factors for successful delivery of road construction projects. Logistics comprises the flow of information and material, optimization can be achieved through effective planning in terms of material planning, material delivery, material management and material handling. This research paper is aimed at studying the importance of material in logistic process of road construction projects in Pakistan. The study may be applicable to any developing or developed country as the logistics optimization for road construction remains same. A case study approach is taken to study two major road construction firms operating in Pakistan, the data is collected through observation and semi structured interviews of project managers, directors and on site managers. The in depth analysis presented with critical aspects of material management, as per MATRACON Pvt ltd and Marksons Pakistan. A comparative analysis provided us with a lot of components which are important for logistics optimization out of which this research focuses on the most important factor which is Material optimization in Logistics. Keywords: Logistics optimization, Road construction, Material management, Material planning.