Time-on-Tools and Minimum Required Installation

Labor productivity IS NOT the biggest problem with field productivity. Under similar conditions the variation in how fast two crafts people actually “turn wrenches” is about 2X but there are far bigger problems to tackle. Focus on these three areas.

D. Brown Management Profile Picture
D. Brown Management
February 5, 2018 2 minute read
field productivity foreman training labor productivity
Share

 

Field Productivity: Labor Productivity IS NOT The Biggest Problem With Project Productivity

 

  1. Maximize Time-on-Tools (ToT): Ensure that crafts people spend most of their day working with their tools actually installing things.  Different studies place the industry average between 50-65%.  Leverage the 6 Pillars of Productivity and ABC Daily Planning.  
  2. Minimum Required Installation (MRI): Don’t take critical shortcuts but don’t over-build the project.  In the field we would call it “Gold Plating.” Effective installation details, craft training and good field supervision practices will ensure that you get the right level of quality. 
  3. Minimize Rework: The only greater waste than installing more than what is required is doing it twice.

General Contractors and Project Owners can do a lot to set the conditions for success with their labor-intensive subcontractors. 

4 Elements of an Effective Task

Site Logistics Management

This Series (30 of 60)
The Average Field Day in Detail (Craft Labor + Foreman) Construction Labor Budget - Alternate Perspective Time-on-Tools and Minimum Required Installation Site Logistics Manager Lean Principle - 5S Habits for Building a Productive Work Environment
Related Training
This Series (30 of 60)
The Average Field Day in Detail (Craft Labor + Foreman) Construction Labor Budget - Alternate Perspective Time-on-Tools and Minimum Required Installation Site Logistics Manager Lean Principle - 5S Habits for Building a Productive Work Environment
More from D. Brown Management
Learning, Doing and Teaching
Growth in life, career, and business is about a continual cycle of learning, doing, and teaching.
Related Article
Ownership Transition - Key Buyer Risks
While different, buyers of a construction business have just as many risks as sellers. Deeply understanding the risks for both parties is a great start to creating the foundation of a deal.
Related Article
Delivering Advanced Preconstruction Services
Delivering Advanced Preconstruction Services is the rigorous process of ensuring budgets are met along with maintaining features critical to the project owner / users.
Related Article