Page 55 - IEC Insights Sept-Oct21

a contractor can reduce their material
handling time by up to 40% when they
collaborate with a single distributor

a huge monetary impact on the end users. #4: A SMARTER WAY TO
Having materials stored locally at Graybar MANAGE INVENTORY
gave us more flexibility to schedule
deliveries at a time that didn’t interrupt With proper planning and coordination,
their business.” Graybar can significantly improve your
project efficiency by making sure you have
the right parts, at the right time, in the
#2: SPEED UP WIRE PULLS right place.
Traditional wire pulls use heavy reels, Once you have the material you need on
maneuvered by multiple people. Graybar’s site, the Graybar mobile app makes it
SmartReel® portable payout system can easy to manage. Using the app, you and
drastically reduce the labor required while authorized members of your team can
improving safety.
review existing orders, place new ones,
manage inventory and access reporting on
Using SmartReels, one contractor was material usage – all from a smartphone.
able to complete wire pulls in 35 minutes –
down from 3-4 hours. These faster pulls
also required half the number of workers #5: ALL OF THE ABOVE – OR
to complete, allowing the contractor to SOMETHING NEW
redeploy those electricians to higher-
value tasks. Every project is unique, and we have
found the best collaboration starts with
“Between the hours we save per pull and a conversation. To explore how we can
Five Ways Graybar Can Save the fewer employees needed, we can gain help you boost your productivity and
You Time on the Jobsite almost one percent of the project back,” profitability with tailored solutions, click
the contractor says. here to contact a Graybar representative.
#1: PRE-JOB PLANNING
Every jobsite has unique considerations – #3: SIMPLIFY MATERIAL
from storage space to traffic flow – and HANDLING WITH CARTS AND CAGES 1 U.S. Department of Labor
it’s important to plan logistics in advance. When material is delivered in piles of boxes 2 Daneshgari, P. “Agile construction® for
the Electrical Contractor”. Jones and
on pallets, electricians spend valuable time Bartlett, 2010.
Graybar can help you identify time- unpacking and moving inventory around 3 Simonian, Lonny, et al. “Agile Procurement
saving prefab opportunities, consolidate the jobsite – as well as risking slips, trips and its Role in Adding Value.” ELECTRI
SKUs, schedule deliveries to improve and falls on the leftover packaging. International – The Foundation for
efficiency and help you achieve closer Electrical Construction, Inc., 2016.
to zero waste. When one customer Instead, Graybar can sort inventory into
installed communications equipment cages and carts on wheels, positioned within
in a governmental facility, Graybar was 30 feet or 30 seconds of points of install.
able to deliver materials outside of peak
business hours to keep the project running Material staging helps electricians work
smoothly without disrupting operations. more efficiently and safely. According
to an internal Graybar study, carts can
“In one location, there were concerns eliminate over 80% of the packaging from
about too much noise in a call center a lighting fixture delivery, saving valuable
area,” the customer says. “Another [part of electricians’ time and reducing fall risks
the] facility was operational 24/7. If there from clutter.
was downtime at either, it would result in

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