Posted: March 25, 2025
By: Editorial Team
The main goal in electrical construction is to complete high-quality installations with maximum labor productivity. Unfortunately, electricians lose valuable installation time due to material handling.
From repeated trips to a supply house to misplacing material on a jobsite, it’s estimated that 40% of labor hours in the field are spent on material handling. This adds up to 16 hours per week per employee that could otherwise be spent on installation!
This begs the question: What can be done to increase jobsite productivity and ultimately save money while executing a timely project?
The answer: a trusted electrical distributor.
Finding the right electrical distributor provides contractors with essential services to achieve maximum productivity and minimize productivity loss.
Here are a few ways an electrical distributor can help:
VMI Services
Jobsite material
Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) provides a proactive rather than reactive approach to material management. This service focuses on storing material you need directly on your jobsite, whether in Conex trailers, cages, or other storage solutions. By using VMI, you can significantly reduce the number of daily purchase orders and prevent installation delays. With everything you need on-site, VMI cages can even be positioned right next to your installation area.
A common concern is whether stocking materials on-site is worth the investment. However, a trusted electrical distributor can provide consigned inventory, meaning you only pay for what you use. This approach ensures that you never have to worry about over-ordering or running out of essential materials.
Efficient VMI services can increase jobsite productivity by 7.5%! That equates to 3 hours of valuable time per employee a week returned to installation tasks.
Example of customer productivity before working with a trusted distributor
Impact on customer productivity after working with a trusted distributor
Project Material Management
Warehoused material
A trusted electrical distributor does more than just supply materials—they provide comprehensive project management services to support your project from start to finish. By developing a strategic timeline based on your project’s specific needs, they ensure that materials arrive exactly when and where they are needed to keep work moving efficiently.
This is where project material management comes in. An expert electrical distributor will store your materials throughout the whole project and deploy them to the jobsite based on the timelines set. Not only does this mitigate downtime from a supply chain standpoint, but it also minimizes storage and transportation costs while simultaneously keeping materials secure—ultimately preventing potential material damage and loss while it sits on the jobsite.
Material Services
It is also important to think about the in-house material services your electrical distributor offers.
Wire
In addition to investing in a large stock of wire material, an expert electrical distributor should provide wire services to eliminate jobsite tasks, ultimately increasing productivity.
Some of these services include the ability to cut, harness, parallel, and coil wire on multiple reel options. Pulling heads can even be installed. This ensures contractors can get started on installation as quickly as possible.
Supply kitting
Supply kitting is another game-changing way an electrical distributor can maximize jobsite productivity by streamlining the installation process. But what exactly is supply kitting and what are its benefits?
Supply kitting is the process of assembling and packaging a customized set of components needed for a specific project—in the case of electrical construction, these would be cables, connectors, switches, outlets, etc.
How often has your team lost valuable time waiting for a crucial part that was delayed in a large order with multiple separate shipments? Supply kitting will ensure everything is sent together, so electricians spend less time searching for or waiting on individual parts between different manufacturers and get to installing without any hesitation.
The best part? These kits are customized based on your project’s specifications or requirements.
Delivery Solutions
It is also critical that an electrical distributor provide easy and convenient pickup and delivery solutions, including:
- Advanced shipping notifications: via email and/or text, know exactly when your order will arrive so you can plan accordingly and avoid delays.
- Smart lockers: order online and pick up materials at your convenience—even outside of business hours.
- Timely delivery services: eliminate extra trips by ordering ahead and having materials delivered directly to your jobsite.
- Convenient pickup locations: Need to grab something in person? A distributor with multiple locations makes it easy to order online, over the phone, through text, or in person and pick up your supplies quickly—many times the same day.
Your Expert Contractor Services Provider
Ultimately, minimizing productivity loss and maximizing efficiency all come down to having the right electrical distribution partner.
Loeb Electric is that partner.
With industry-leading VMI services, expert project material management, robust material services, and reliable delivery solutions, Loeb Electric ensures contractors can focus on installation and get the job done with maximum jobsite productivity.
Contact us online or call us today at 800.686.6351 to speak with electrical distribution experts today.
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