IDENTIFYING THE IMPACT ON LABOR PRODUCTIVITY FROM DESIGN CHOICES THROUGH WORK SAMPLING

Abstract

Productivity within construction and production is about the relationship between earned value and input of resource value. Researchers have dominantly focused on measuring how the hours are spent categorically in relation to the total amount of hours spent in order to understand productivity. Little has been done to investigate how the decision before execution affects productivity or process durations. Through a case study investigating assembly of cables at numerous locations with similar configurations, two companies are asked to install and terminate cables between switchgear. Their technical design solutions are compared, as the exterior around these is considered homogenous. This allows an understanding of how two design choices affect productivity and process durations. The results show how the design affects the productivity, where both contractors achieve a 25 % value-adding work, while the durations are significantly different- up to a 94 % difference at times. The results are contributing to the practical understanding of technical solutions and how the processes are thought into the design, The results contribute to the literature by raising the question of whether our quality management systems are adequately attuned to this situation.