Something like the above quotation has been stated more times than I can count in the past 40 years. "Well a little bit here or there doesn't really have much effect on the overall project", or "We are giving the customer his money's worth" are common phrases on many paving crews in the past. Maybe it doesn't really matter to most people - unless you are the one responsible for paying the bills.
Literally hundreds of thousands of dollars can be wasted due to "It doesn't really matter" mentality. It can be extremely difficult to explain how important a small variation can mean in terms of dollars to employees on paving crews. Material (and cost) over runs on projects can be the difference in potential bonuses,pay raises, purchasing new equipment, retaining customers, or in success or failure of business in general. Whether anyone likes it or not, profitability is king in any business venture.
Yield management is one of the key elements in any paving operation that is rarely discussed in seminars, articles or day to day training - yet it is absolutely the most important aspect of any paving business today. With the continually rising costs of aggregate, bitumen, trucking, fuel, labor costs and insurance (just to mention a few items), pressure on profitability and controlling costs has never been greater. Without practices to control project cost over runs due to excess material usage, the rest of the the respected paving principals really don't matter as without consistent profitability, it is difficult to upgrade or maintain the latest equipment, pay employees or maintain a quality day to day business presence.
To aid with the discussion of proper Yield Management, MultiFit LLC has released a Yield Management Calculator to help demonstrate how minimal variances can adversely affect the bottom line of any paving operation.
The user inputs all the basic criteria for the project including material cost per ton, then has the ability to alter variances to display the potential pitfalls (or gains).
Displayed below is the mobile version of the calculator, displaying a selected 1/4 inch variance in mat depth on roughly a 400 ton project. The potential Loss is calculated and displayed at the bottom of the calculator in tons and dollars.
The calculator above is available in both mobile and desktop versions, and provides a snapshot of the potential costs of not managing yields properly. Best of all - it is absolutely free to use, and can be an excellent reference tool for training paving crews for proper yield management practices.
There are many tools available from MultiFit LLC to enhance yield management including Automatic Grade Controls and the MAT MANAGER which provides a clear view in REAL time of the current material usage compared to planned material usage when installed on nearly any paving machine.
Included with the Mat Manager System is the online portal for the Mat Wiser analytical web based software that provides a complete overview of the recorded projects. Many segments of the data reporting is displayed including an overview, actual material usage compared to planned usage, average speed, material temperature, weather conditions and area paved with GPS coordinates.
Regardless of the respective need, MultiFit LLC provides the latest in Yield Management tools. Whether training the paving crew, adding grade control automation for precise thickness control, or demonstrating the ultimate in Yield Control Management systems, Multifit LLC is here to help.
For further information call 816-788-0415 or login to www.multifitllc.com
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