When 2020 began, most business leaders probably
did not think a global pandemic would shake the
very foundations of the world economy. In fact,
one of the most challenging aspects of business that construction
leaders faced was the continued threat of diminished
skilled labour and the detrimental impact to productivity of
these shortages.
Now, businesses have new sets of rules, guidelines and
tactics they must implement to be successful in the “new normal”
thrust upon everyone as a result of COVID-19. While
much of the outfall related to the first six months of this
pandemic still remains a significant unknown, construction
leaders pivot to known variables such as social distancing,
technology leverage and clients demands. Business leaders
will undoubtedly find new ways to thrive but also make
errors as they react to dynamics that change as quickly as the
weather. One mistake that should not be made is the belief
that job site productivity will remain static. However, there
are probably misconceptions about productivity and some of
these changes may, in fact, have a silver lining.
Positive: Crew sizing
With social distancing rules in effect, there may be a need
to reduce crew size. Obviously, if a five-person crew was
planned and each member of that crew was as effective as
possible, there will be a loss in output. However, in many
businesses, crew sizes have ballooned with no explanation
or challenge to that size. For instance, could a four-person
crew be as effective? With new rules in place, there may be
no other choice but to reduce crew sizes.
Positive: Spacing (Part 1)
There are many studies that show the optimum spacing for
personal productivity. Oil companies have explored these
spatial constraints for years to determine how to effectively
use personnel in areas where safety and productivity need to
be maximized, like an offshore rig. Similarly, many construction
managers are under the false premise that if you cram
more bodies on a job site, output will increase.
There is definitely a law of diminishing returns when
it comes to overloading resources on a job site and simply
olivier26/123RF
The Silver Lining of
Productivity and COVID-19
An examination of the new normal post-pandemic
COVID-19 Productivity Factor
By Gregg M. Schoppman, FMI Corporation
36 www.albertaheavy.ca
/profile_7106108800
/www.albertaheavy.ca
