Material Issue and Site Stock for Electrical Contractors

Cable, conduit, MCBs, panels and fittings are issued from the store against a named site. Returns and balances are recorded, so material cost for each electrical job can be read.

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The store and the item list

An electrical store holds many small items alongside drum cable and large panels. Each is set up with the unit it is bought in and the unit it is issued in.

Items and units

Wire is bought in coils and issued in metres. Conduit is bought by the length, and switches and MCBs are counted in numbers.

Make and size

Cable size, core count, MCB rating and the make of a fitting are kept on the item. Two sizes of one cable never share a balance.

Reorder level

A level is set for each item the store must not run out of. Items below it show on a list for the purchaser.

Issue, return and transfer

Every movement out of the store has a site name against it. Nothing leaves on a verbal request.

Issue to a site

The store keeper issues material on the supervisor’s request, with the quantity, date and the technician who took it.

Return of unused material

A cut length of cable or a box of unused switches comes back to the store. The job’s material cost reduces by that amount.

Transfer between sites

Material moved from a finished site to a running one is recorded as a transfer. That cost moves with it.

Material cost against the job

Material cost is added up for each site. It is read against the quantity planned in the quotation. Where a site has used more cable than its points justify, the difference is visible while the job is still running.

What stock records do not cover

Purchasing from a supplier is a separate step, handled in purchase records. Wastage allowances, the rate at which unused cable is valued and how a supplier’s credit note is treated are decided with the contractor and the accountant.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can cable be issued in metres from a drum?

Yes. The drum is received as a whole and issued by length, and the balance on the drum is kept.

Can a technician take material without the store keeper?

Only if you allow it. Many firms let only the store keeper record an issue, so each issue has one person responsible.

Does it show material cost for a site?

Yes. Everything issued, less returns, is priced and added up for each site.

Is there a stock count?

Yes. A physical count can be entered, and the difference from the book balance is listed for the owner to review.

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