Digital Material Procurement and Inventory Management System for Construction Projects

Abstract

Efficient material procurement and inventory control are critical to project time, cost, and site productivity in construction. However, many construction projects in Malaysia still rely heavily on manual practices such as paper-based requisition forms, WhatsApp communication, and basic spreadsheet records. Despite the availability of digital technologies, these fragmented and informal methods remain common. As a result, material-related information is often inaccurate, delayed, or inconsistent, leading to poor coordination among project teams. These weaknesses frequently cause material duplication, wastage, stock shortages, and avoidable construction delays. This study critically examines the limitations of manual material management practices and their impact on overall project performance. Through system analysis and process re-engineering, existing procurement and inventory workflows were analyzed to identify operational inefficiencies and gaps in information flow. The findings reveal that the absence of an integrated system is a key contributor to poor data visibility and weak decision-making. In response, this study proposes a digital Material Procurement and Inventory Management System tailored to the needs of construction projects. The system integrates material requests, approval processes, purchase orders, delivery tracking, and real-time inventory updates within a single platform. Developed using web-based technologies and supported by a cloud database, the system aims to improve transparency, reduce human error, and support timely decision-making. The results demonstrate that adopting a digital material management system can significantly improve operational efficiency, enhance data accuracy, and reduce material-related delays and waste, thereby supporting the Malaysian construction industry's digital transformation efforts.