Why Monthly Stockpile Reporting Beats the “Once-a-Year” Mindset
By Jerome Sterling — Chief Pilot
Stop waiting 12 months to find out what you’ve lost. In conversations with yard managers, quarry supervisors, and material suppliers, we hear the same thing:
“We only measure our stockpiles once a year — usually at year-end.”
Annual reporting might satisfy your accountant, but it won’t protect your margins the other 11 months of the year.
The Hidden Costs of Annual Reporting
Material shrinkage, overuse, wind, or moisture swings don’t wait for December. By the time you see the numbers, it’s too late to correct course — the cost is already baked into your year.
Even a “small” discrepancy of 2% on a $1M aggregate stockpile equals $20,000 gone without a trace — and you’ll only discover it months after it happened. Meanwhile, over-purchasing to compensate for perceived shortages quietly inflates spend all year.
Monthly Reporting = Monthly Control
Switching to monthly reporting turns stockpile measurement from a passive accounting step into an active management tool.
- Spot usage trends early → Identify spikes in demand or waste before they balloon into budget problems.
- Avoid emergency orders → Prevent costly downtime when material unexpectedly runs out.
- Catch measurement errors → Detect loading miscounts, environmental loss, or quality issues while they can still be corrected.
- Support better forecasting → Align inventory with upcoming projects and seasonal changes.
Monthly numbers aren’t just a “nice to have” — they’re a strategic advantage.
Better for Your Bottom Line
- Reduce overstock that ties up capital and yard space.
- Order with precision so you’re never under- or over-supplied.
- Lower handling costs by moving only what you actually need.
One operation reduced year-end write-offs by 85% after switching to drone-based monthly reporting — saving over $40,000 in one year. Another site identified recurring overloading errors that were costing an estimated $12,000 per quarter in lost material.
Operational & Safety Gains
Accurate, frequent reporting improves day-to-day operations in ways that go far beyond accounting.
- Optimize haul routes and loader assignments.
- Keep piles organized and avoid dangerous overfills.
- Maintain a yard layout that reduces wasted time and fuel.
- Document inventory for insurance or compliance needs in case of a dispute.
Technology Makes It Simple
The days of shutting down operations for manual measurements are over. Modern drone and photogrammetry workflows can scan your site in under an hour without interrupting production. Within the same day, you’ll have a highly accurate volumetric report — with clear charts and historical comparisons — ready to share with management, accounting, or your clients.
The Bottom Line
Annual reporting may check the compliance box, but it doesn’t help your operations or your profits. Monthly reporting gives you real-time control over inventory, costs, and efficiency. If your piles are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, isn’t it worth checking them more than once a year?