How can you identify productivity improvement?
When you get more out of your existing resources or the same out of fewer resources, you’ll increase capacity, reduce unit cost, improve your response. That’s productivity improvement: the improved ratio between output and input.
Here’s a list of the resources in any business or organisation.
At the heart of any productivity issue, you’ll probably find some or all of three factors: cost, capacity and response. Check out some typical issues and what you should do to address them. With better methods and organisation, higher targets and good measures you will benefit from reduced costs, improved capacities and better planning and use of your resources.
Measuring productivity is key
You can measure productivity at various levels: business, division, department, team, individual or equipment. Once you’ve measured it, you’ll be better able to identify opportunities, reorganise and improve.
The basis of formal time measures is the real foundation for a productivity KPI. At whatever level you measure, productivity is about output/input where output is the formal work content and input is attendance hours.
Higher level measures and KPIs are often driven from this foundation. The process of formally measuring work content identifies opportunities for productivity improvement.
Take a look at all the techniques for measuring work. If you want practical help measuring productivity, contact Scott-Grant.
How to learn more about Productivity Improvement
Productivity can be improved in every department of every organisation. We offer opportunities to learn at an appreciation or awareness level, through to individual qualifications, or with guided learning on a live project in your workplace.
Some suggestions for studying productivity improvement
New to productivity?
Try the Productivity Foundation course
Want to use
resources better?
Try the Assessing and Improving
Performance course
Need some practical help
with Lean principles?
Try our Briefing Days on the 5S Approach or SMED, or our course on Developing a Lean environment
What to do next
If you need to improve capacity or reduce costs, or you need accurate data to determine how best to cope with change, we can provide the right way forward – cost-effectively. Remember that improving productivity is about making the better use of all your resources and vitally, making much better use of the critical ones.
Whichever business sector you operate in, the chances are we’ve helped people to address their productivity issues and improve the way they operate.
Scott-Grant can really help you improve your productivity and become more streamlined.