labour productivity on construction sites

"Labour productivity is often poor on construction projects"

​On many construction projects poor labour productivity is a major problem. It results in tasks costing more than was originally budgeted, causes schedule slippage, and means more personnel are required than allowed for, in turn increasing accommodation and transport costs, and even requiring additional supervisory staff.
​#constructionproductivity #constructionmanagement #construction

Reasons for poor construction productivity

The obvious sign of poor labour productivity is personnel standing idle on on the construction project during work hours. This could be due to a number of reasons for example:

• construction workers not being supervised properly or the Supervisor being poorly organised
  
  
• excessive and lengthy staff meetings resulting in workers being unsupervised for lengthy periods and waiting for further instructions, or simply taking the opportunity to take an extended break
  
  
• a lack of access to the construction work area caused by:
  
  
  • other workers or contractors working in the area
    
    
  • access scaffolding being unavailable
    
    
  • access routes being closed
    
    
• workers waiting for equipment like cranes
  
  
• waiting for material, like concrete deliveries
  
  
• too many construction workers on the project
  
  
• too many workers of a particular trade and not enough of another trade
  
  
• one construction trade waiting for another to finish
  
  
• workers being poorly trained and unable to skilfully carry out the tasks or achieve the required quality
  
  
• workers feeling unhappy or unmotivated to work
  
  

"The cost of poor productivity in construction is enormous"

​It’s important to ascertain the reasons the workers are idle because the costs can be enormous to construction companies.

"I found this book very insightful. The author did a very good job." Reader on Amazon UK

​Paul Netscher has written several easy to read books for owners, contractors, construction managers, construction supervisors and foremen. They cover all aspects of construction management and are filled with tips and insights.
Visit to read more.
The books are available in paper and ebook from most online stores including Amazon.
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