Masonry Magazine April 2000 Page. 26
1
The basic causes of low productivity, subquality, and accidents are the same.
2
Chance determines whether these common causes result in loss to people, property, or productivity.
3
The vast majority of lost productivity, subquality, and accidents result from inadequacies in the management system.
4
Losses to people, property, and production don't "just happen," they are caused.
5
Adequate programs, task planning, and compliance with these standards can effectively control the basic causes of loss.
When field forces are put into situations where productivity, quality, and safety standards are compromised, the cost of the project can escalate dramatically. Doing things in the field "correctly" can go a long way toward increasing productivity, quality, and improving safety. When there is a conscientious process improvement effort in one area, the other areas benefit as well. Field productivity improvement programs, safety training, and programs like TQM will pay for themselves through increased productivity, lower employee turnover, lower insurance rates, less rework, lower labor cost, and reduced downtime. These separate efforts can be combined into a company philosophy of continuous improvement that addresses productivity, quality, and safety. The general steps for a program that includes all three is shown in below.
Baseline current management, practices, behaviors, and performance.
Inventory and define acceptable behaviors, commit resources, establish tracking, and measurement systems.
Implement best practices in the field, measure conformance.
Provide training, build commitment, and reinforce implementation of best practices.
To stay current in the highly competitive construction environment may demand re-engineering of the methods and manner in which construction corporations operate and view their investment in productivity, quality, and safety. The concept that productivity, quality, and safety are all closely related is not difficult to grasp. It starts with doing things according to pre-established standards. Those construction firms that recognize the relationship between productivity, quality, and safety and take action will save lives, increase profits, and have a whole lot more fun!
George Berg and Rick Dutmer are part of FM's Quality and Productivity Improvement Group. Reprinted with permission from the FMI Management Letter, FMI Corporation (919 787-8400)
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