7.5 Materials costs
There will be many categories of materials, supplies and consumables used in a project. Once again, the materials that are in constant use and easily and ‘freely’ available in an organisation might be overlooked in costing the project. For example, it is easy to assume that stationery will be available in much the same way as it is for day-to-day work. However, a project is a bounded activity, and if you are to understand the full cost of achieving the outcomes, you will need to know how much the whole range of activity costs. For example, a project can easily and inconspicuously increase the organisation's operating costs of postage and telephone or of paper and printing.
If the project involves constructing something from materials there will be a cost related to raw materials. Transport and storage will also need to be included. Materials that are fragile or that have a limited life will need special consideration. For example, if the purpose of the project is to stage an event at which there will be food served, the timing and storage considerations will be very different from projects that involve use of materials that will last indefinitely.