Building Accountability from Source to Site

Construction projects rely on high-quality materials and one defective batch can lead to structural failure or costly delays. In Kenya, authorities recently emphasized stricter oversight of building materials, especially cement and steel, following concerns over substandard imports that threatened housing projects. Traceability provides a solution to this problem. By assigning a Global Trade Item Number to every shipment of construction material, companies can give each batch a unique identity. Two-dimensional barcodes on the packaging or crates carry additional information such as manufacturing date, batch number, supplier identity and quality certification.

The Global Location Number identifies each site along the supply chain, from manufacturing plants to storage yards and construction sites. This ensures that any defective batch can be traced back precisely to its origin. Meanwhile, the Serial Shipping Container Code tracks pallets and consignments in transport, making it easy to locate or isolate specific shipments. Using traceability, construction firms and regulators can verify material quality, enforce compliance with Kenyan standards and prevent costly project failures while ensuring the safety of workers and the public.