It can be measured in terms of all factors of production combined (total factor productivity) or in terms of labour productivity, which is defined as output or value added divided by the amount of labour used to generate that output.
Labour productivity increases when value added rises through the better use, coordination, etc. of all factors of production.
Value added may increase when labour is working smarter, harder, faster or with better skills, but it also increases with the use of more or better machinery, reduced waste of input materials, or with the introduction of technological innovations.
Source .. ILO (International Labour Organisation)
Work Study or Time and Motion sounds very old fashioned and reminds us of industrial disputes and comedy films featuring men in cheap suits carrying clip boards.
This could not be further from the truth. Time Study concentrates on making jobs simpler and so quicker. Savings in time don't mean working harder, they mean working smarter.
The techniques used in Work Study are as relevant today as they were in the 1970's and 1980's. Analysing work and finding more efficient ways to carry out jobs is becoming mission critical for many industries.
Timing a job using the traditional clipboard and stopwatch may not always be the best solution to measuring process times. With the introduction of the automation of many processes it becomes more important to ensure that the automated processes are kept loaded and all processes around it are balanced to the core operation.
We can help you select the most appropriate method for measuring the productivity, analyse the data and show you how to make savings.
Having been involved in Production Engineering since 1980, we can confidently state that if there is a way of boosting your productivity, we will find it and we will save you money!