Some frequently asked questions you might find useful

We get asked a huge variety of questions. Here are some typical examples.

You might find the answers just as useful – if not more so!


Productivity is linked to time and motion and is often thought to be about working harder or faster. In reality, productivity is about making the work simpler, easier, quicker; it’s about finding better and more consistent methods that will reduce work content. In so many cases improving productivity is about better organisation. We can help you identify what needs to be done and how best to approach it. And because our help is independent, our input is valued and much more easily accepted by all parties, including trade unions. After a recent such project, one operator commented, “We’re producing nearly twice as much but working no harder and with far less frustration.”
This question is in the right order: you need clearly defined activities before you set good targets. In every DC there are so many factors demanding management attention: volumes, mixes, units of measure, staffing hours, throughput, space utilisation, vehicle logistics, profitability. It’s a complex mix of productivity targets and we’re very familiar with them. Let’s get to the root cause for your particular question and our Industrial Engineers and Productivity Analysts will find you exactly the right way forward.
We agree, this is a significant challenge for everyone who pays at or benchmarks against national minimum hourly rates. Adding 20p/hour in October 2015 and 70p/hour in April 2016 is a 7.7% increase (There are also some reports of a target increasing to around £9/hour by 2019.) The only way to avoid these increases being a cost burden – and to remain competitive – is to improve productivity. This is about reducing the unit cost of production, processing or deliverables – get more for the same unit cost.
Wow, that’s a big question. And here’s a simple answer for starters. What are your challenges? Are you missing deadlines, experiencing falling customer service, perhaps your costs are exceeding budget? Take a look at some of the tell tale signs that productivity could be improved and follow our step by step guide. Contact us at any time to discuss your situation and we’ll do our best to help you.
If there’s a way of delivering more capacity, we can usually find it. And we’re expert at uncovering additional capacity, often within the cost of your existing resources. Take a few minutes and answer these questions; you might be surprised at the result. Also, you may find an example of a similar situation that we’ve done recently in another business by following this link.
Well, we’d have to look at what’s actually happening before we can make a judgment but generally, yes – we can certainly identify if improvements can be made. Look at some of the ways we’ve helped organisations to do just that. We begin by understanding your challenges then start with some formal measures and observations on what’s actually happening now. This will very likely identify and help to quantify what improvements can be made. Often the throughput or input of your staff is mainly governed by “organisation in the workplace” – not just by an individual’s effort.
You need to agree some measures on what you include as “customer service”. Is it about meeting deadlines, agreeing to their cost expectations, being more flexible with fluctuation capacity demands, or dealing with complaints? Are you clear about what your customer sees as their priorities and considers are “customer service”? Make sure you address things that add value in your customer’s eyes or you might simply just add cost.
Once we’ve studied the situation, we’ll be able to give confident and accurate answers – just like we did for businesses recently in a variety of industry sectors, including process, manufacturing and food and drink. That’s exactly what our Industrial Engineers and Productivity Analysts can do. We rarely find that equipment is running at its optimum capacity, with all kinds of reasons for downtime.

 

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.
Whatever your question, the chances are that in the last 35 or more years, we’ve encountered something similar in businesses around the world. We can provide the right way forward – cost-effectively. Our independent help is valued in every sector.

Don’t struggle with improving productivity – the solution will be in Scott-Grant. We’re the home of knowledge and expertise in improving productivity. Contact us now.

Don’t struggle with improving productivity – the solution will be in Scott-Grant. We’re the home of knowledge and expertise in improving productivity. Contact us now.

Some suggestions for studying productivity improvement