Last-Mile Couriers Streamline Integrated Project Delivery

Larry Bernstein

July 11, 2021

Larry Bernstein

All's Well That Ends Well is the title of a renowned play by William Shakespeare. It’s catchy, but is it true? In some cases, yes - and maybe in all cases after enough time has passed. Yet, the journey towards the end is just as important. In Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), a well-planned journey is key to arriving at the final destination, because it can determine the success of the project. In the IPD model, integrating on-demand last-mile couriers into the plan can help ensure a timely, profitable outcome.

What Is Integrated Project Delivery in Construction?

The IPD model aims to forge close-knit, contractual partnerships between all stakeholders in the project, from the client to the construction company, from the architect to the materials suppliers and manufacturers. When successful, an IPD leads to greater collaboration from the beginning of a project to its successful finish, optimizing results by reducing waste and maximizing efficiency. IPD involves detailed planning and contractual obligations that are carefully established from the outset.

Curri Is a Tool for Construction Suppliers, Manufacturers, and Fabricators

Clear, detailed contractual expectations a central to IPD, and those expectations are high. If each party faithfully adheres to the contract and meets expectations, it helps them build and maintain trust in each other. It also keeps a project moving forward, no matter the obstacles that might arise.

Adhering to the contract when things are going as planned is typically very easy. However, when challenges arise, it may be hard to meet the high expectations that come along with IPD. For example, change orders may come in at the last minute, requiring everyone from site workers to materials suppliers to adapt quickly and work together to keep the highly contingent project on track. During such times, getting the right materials and supplies to the job site as quickly as possible is critical.

Curri can help you get building materials to the job site quickly with our rapid 2-hour courier service. Whether it’s a last-minute change order for interior paint or custom-fabricated steel I-beams that are behind schedule, Curri ensures timely delivery so you can get the needed construction materials on-site, on time, fulfilling the high expectations of IPD.

Confidence and Certainty in IPD Contracting

Like dominoes, each step in the construction process impacts the next. So, if there’s a delay in one part of the process, the ramifications can be significant. Since the IPD method is typically used on high-cost, high-expectation projects (usually exceeding $5 million), delays can be particularly expensive.

How many times have you been at a job site where there are either too few or too many workers and they are being underutilized? To effectively keep a project moving forward, construction team members need to be on-site and on task. This requires having the required construction materials on-site when needed. Waiting around for delivery leads to slowdowns and can also negatively impact the project. No one likes uncertainty, and Curri can help.

From the very beginning, suppliers and manufacturers can confidently promise same-day (or 2-hour) last-mile delivery directly to the job site with Curri. Whether you are competing to win a contract or striving to fulfill it, on-demand courier service gives you and your clients confidence. From flatbeds to pickup trucks, we have the right vehicles available to complete the last-mile delivery of your construction materials. This adds valuable certainty and can help your project come in on time and under budget.

Powerful Tools and Peace of Mind Throughout the Process

A key factor in developing a successful construction project is a well-conceived schedule. Good planning by schedulers enables those in charge of logistics to have the needed building materials on-site when required.

However, certain situations, such as last-minute change orders, can stress-test even the best plan. It's times like these when specialized materials must be sourced or off-hours delivery is needed, and 24-hour construction couriers can keep the project on track.

Curri can relieve some of the stress that comes with last-minute construction material requirements. Simply arrange an order, and the drivers will pick up the supplies and ensure the order is correct. You can track your order and know when to expect the materials to arrive. That’s one less thing to worry about.

How a Local Courier Can Help

Let’s paint a picture of how this could work.

You are the primary materials supplier for a twenty-million-dollar hospital expansion project. Over the next two days, a hospital operating room under construction will require an electrician, a plumber, and an HVAC installer; then the plumber must return to finish their work before the electrician returns to install a specialized conduit, with permit inspection at several stages.

If the electrician arrives to find that the specially insulated high-amperage conduit needed for an MRI machine has not been delivered, then things grind to a halt. Remember, the IPD model is highly dependent on streamlined service delivery. With the majority of project planning occurring upstream, many steps in the process will be highly contingent on one another.

So, the right construction materials must be available at each step in the process. And same-day delivery can make it happen and prevent delays. Curri's 2-hour rapid last-mile delivery is the best means of meeting those requirements for suppliers, manufacturers, and fabricators.

Put Curri to Work on Your Next Project

The IPD model can be a highly effective project delivery method. To make it work, everyone involved needs to be committed and meet their obligations. That includes the suppliers, distributors, fabricators, and manufacturers who will provide construction materials for the project.

Delays in materials delivery can have cascading consequences that result in cost overruns and missed deadlines. If you want to attract, win, and successfully fulfill IPD contracts, Curri’s on-demand last-mile delivery service is a powerful tool for your team.

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