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Workforce View of Construction Productivity

Event Date

Jun 30, 2006

Type

Conference Presentation - Plenary

Research Team

RT-215

Slides

Topic

Work Force View of Construction Productivity

DOCUMENT DETAILS

Abstract

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Abstract

Previous CII research on productivity has taken management’s perspective. In 2004, however, CII sought a new perspective of construction productivity: that of the craft worker. CII formed the Work Force View of Construction Productivity Research Team (RT-215) to collect data on processes and activities from the men and women executing them. These individuals have the best perspective of where productivity is lost and where it can be gained on a typical project, and are an excellent source of innovative solutions on how to prevent the losses and accentuate the gains. The ensuing research identified factors that have a significant impact on construction productivity. In general, tools and consumables, materials, engineering drawing management, and construction equipment were cited as primary causes for concern. As part of RT-215, a craft worker survey was administered to construction craft workers on 28 projects in the USA between 2004 and 2005. The survey collected data relative to the craft workers’ assessment of different productivity factors and perception of productivity on their projects. The survey solicited input from multiple trades and included respondents representing journeyman, apprentices, helpers, and supervisory craft workers. The craft workers were selected from the concrete, mechanical, electrical, and structural crafts since typically these four crafts consume the majority of construction labor hours and are on the critical path for most industrial construction projects. The top five responding trades were pipefitting, electrical, carpentry, structural steel and iron work, and boilermaker. Survey participants were almost evenly divided between union and non-union craft workers. As evidenced by the data, factors within the control of the project management team are viewed by craft workers as a major source of impact upon their daily productivity. Craft workers indicated the major areas affecting their productivity were site management of materials, construction equipment, tools, and technical support rather than procurement to the site. These factors can be addressed on the jobsite and tangible improvement to craft productivity can be achieved by proper measurement, analysis, and process improvement. Other relevant findings from the survey stressed the need for frequent and open information exchange with the crafts on productivity factors. Following the data analysis work, the research team developed software, the Voice of the Craft Worker (VOW), which is designed to serve two purposes. First, it is an information portal that presents the productivity factor matrices along with corresponding suggestions that were received during the craft worker survey. It should be noted that the matrices in the VOW tool are static, representing the findings from the research survey and are not updated based on a project’s craft input into the VOW tool. Secondly, the VOW tool can be used as an assessment tool to identify which factors a project’s craft workers perceive are having the most impact on their productivity, and also to track progress against improvements in productivity for the selected factors for their project.

Filters & Tags

Knowledge Area

Construction Execution, Project & Program Management

Project Phase

Construction

Project Function

Commissioning & Startup, Construction, Project Controls, Project Management, Risk Management

Industry Group

Heavy Industrial, Infrastructure

Research Topic

Work Force View of Construction Productivity

Keywords

Voice of Workers, Productivity Factors, Productivity Matrix, Craft Worker Survey, Productivity, rt215

Related Resources

Workforce View of Construction Productivity

Related Resources

Worker's View of Construction Producivity and the VOW Tool

VOW: Voice of the Craft Worker Tool, Second Edition

Work Force View of Construction Labor Productivity

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