Construction Labor Productivity: How to Measure and Improve It

Construction labor productivity can be difficult to quantify. Construction tasks, unlike those in other industries, vary greatly depending on the project nature, contractor specialization, and other considerations. In other words, gauging productivity becomes more complex when you're not mass-producing a standardized product.

How do you measure labor productivity?

Productivity is generally defined as the ratio of input to output. Despite the challenges, industry researchers and practitioners have made significant progress in evaluating productivity in recent years, and some fascinating trends have emerged. While the precise productivity indicators have changed, most sources believe that construction labor productivity can be improved.

Productivity Influencing Factors

Aside from data, how can productivity be measured, and what factors influence productivity?

Perspectives differ, but output per labor hour – how much work is completed in the time spent – is a common metric used in the construction industry. Physical quantities and financial units can both be used to express output as well.

A few factors that affect productivity are:

  • Labor characteristics – Workforce age, skill, experience, leadership, and motivation.

  • Work conditions – Size and complexity of the job, accessibility to the job site, equipment used, and other project-specific characteristics are all factors to consider.

  • Non-productive activities – indirect labor, rework, shutdowns, and other non-productive activities.

How to Improve Productivity

How might contractors make improvements in these areas, given all the many elements that affect productivity? Here are some options, many of which are self-evident but worthy of consideration:

Workplace factors - The majority of contractors are well aware of the importance of having a well-trained team. Because of the cyclical nature of construction, locating and keeping experienced personnel can be difficult. One strategy to grow and keep an experienced workforce is to concentrate on employee retention and turnover.

Management and organization - Aim to operate a corporation that is attentive to ergonomics, noise, work hours, remuneration, and other aspects, similar to how you run a business. Simply put, create a professional environment for the organization as a whole and for individual employees.

Workplace circumstances - Begin bidding on projects that are appropriate for the size and complexity of your workforce. Provide adequate site accessibility, a safe working environment, and appropriate equipment for active projects. High-quality tools and machinery, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) and vehicles, may be used in the field. Employees prefer nice working environments, contemporary technology, manageable working hours, and the ability to manage life outside of the office.

Activities that are unproductive - .A certain amount of indirect labor or overhead is required to run any organization, but sizing it correctly is crucial to project success. Maintaining professional people to handle accounting, human resources, bidding, and other management activities is just as important as having qualified field staff. Other non-productivities, such as rework, can typically be reduced by effective training and addressing the aforementioned labor force and working conditions difficulties.

While worker productivity is difficult to quantify, there are numerous ways to enhance it. A smart place to start is to identify and understand the elements that affect productivity. If you enjoyed this article, you can read more about similar topics by following and scrolling through our website.

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