Take the Modular Set Inventory Seriously

Subcontractors who finish the siding installation on a modular home need to have all of the materials accessible when they begin their work. Sometimes these materials, which are uninstalled and shipped loose with the house, are buried beneath a lot of other materials. The good news is that you’ll know what the factory shipped as long as you pay close attention during the modular set inventory.

What Can Happen When You Don’t Take the Modular Set Inventory Seriously

The subcontractor for one of my customers did not get fifteen minutes into his work when he called the customer claiming that no J-channel had been shipped with the house. He told my customer, who had hired him directly, that he needed the J-channel delivered within two hours or he would leave and not return for several weeks.
My customer called me in desperation. Unfortunately, we did not have any materials in stock and the local suppliers did not carry a suitable match. The only alternative was to “borrow” some J-channel from another customer’s house and have our modular manufacturer send us replacement materials as soon as possible. Before taking this step, I checked the ship loose inventory, which showed that my set day supervisor had found the J-channel and my customer had signed for it. I then called my supervisor to ask him what he remembered. He told me that my customer had not been paying attention when he conducted the ship-loose inventory, even after my supervisor repeatedly pressed him to do so. My customer told him, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll sign for it when we’re done,” which he did. After reviewing the situation, I suspected the materials were there, but I couldn’t be sure. So I had my supervisor track down and deliver the replacement materials. Unfortunately, it took him four hours to make the delivery, and the siding contractor was gone by the time my supervisor arrived.

Give the Modular Set Inventory Your Full Attention

Before leaving my customer’s house, my supervisor searched for the missing materials; he really wanted to know whether he had made a mistake. Sure enough, he found the J-channel buried beneath a couple rolls of carpet. I learned later that the siding contractor was good to his word and didn’t show up for several weeks, so my customer’s mistake cost him a lot of time. It is worth mentioning that if the J-channel had been missing, many dealers would have understandably informed the customer that he was responsible for replacing it. After all, he had signed a form saying he had been given the materials. My recommendation to you is to give the modular set inventory your full attention.
For more information about why you should take the modular set inventory seriously, see Warranty Service for a Modular Home in my book The Modular Home.