Report Highlight: Our Supply Chain

The contents of this post are shared from the "Supply Chain" section of our 2021 Corporate Sustainability Report. We produce this report annually to document key performance metrics and provide an inside look at how we upheld our values in social and environmental responsibility. Click here to read the full report.

2021 At a Glance

100% of our significant suppliers were located within 50 miles of our facilities

29% of our significant suppliers were family-owned

43% of our significant suppliers were located in low-resource communities

Significant suppliers are our largest suppliers, accounting for roughly 80% of all non-labor costs.

Year In Review

The global supply chain issues that began in 2020 worsened in 2021, causing widespread shortages and staggering price hikes on essential building materials like lumber, steel, gypsum products, and coatings.

Common items that were usually available for immediate delivery from any vendor required weeks-long lead times, while appliances and other complex products became scarce, if not altogether impossible to find.

While many builders were forced to postpone projects, Plant Prefab’s professional supply chain management helped us continue on-time delivery for our clients. Led by a veteran female leader with deep industry expertise, our purchasing team worked closely with project estimators to forecast lead times and research product alternatives, facilitating reliable project scheduling and costing. The purchasing team also coordinated closely with Plant Prefab CAD engineers, helping to produce a reliable, executable bill of materials for every project. The purchase and delivery of each material was carefully timed to align with project production schedules, and teams met weekly to identify, pre-empt, and communicate any potential delays. Strong vendor relationships enabled the successful procurement of hard-to-find items, and a collaborative approach to product selection allowed project teams to balance schedule adherence with budget control.

In the factory, our warehouse staff closely monitored product inventory to ensure that supplies never fell below required minimums. A newly-enacted material control program orchestrated the flow of supplies onto the production floor, ensuring that laborers always had the exact materials they needed at the precise time and place they needed them. Daily checks and bi-weekly reviews facilitated the timely procurement of understocked materials and the efficient use or return of unused items.

Like a well-conducted orchestra, Plant Prefab’s experienced supply chain, engineering, project management, and production teams worked in concert to deliver for our clients through unfathomable challenge. While persistent market volatility exposed weaknesses across the industry, Plant Prefab’s optimized processes showed what’s possible with teamwork, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making..

To learn more about Plant Prefab and our mission to build a better world by design, view our 2021 Corporate Sustainability Report.