A STUDY OF VARIOUS FACTORS AFFECTING LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY AND METHODS TO IMPROVE IT

A STUDY OF VARIOUS FACTORS AFFECTING LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY AND METHODS TO IMPROVE IT1INTRODUCTION Construction is the world's largest and most challenging industry. The value and demand for the construction projects of any organization mainly depend on efficiency of the labour and it play an important role towards the improvement of the productivity. Labour is an most important and valuable part of any construction industry and unfortunately most of the industries in fact all are neglecting that part, due to this reason may be most of the construction industry facing a challenges with regarding to problem associated with the productivity of labour. Productivity is the one of the most important factor that affects overall performance of any small or medium or large construction industry. There are number of factors that directly affect the productivity of labour, thus it is important for any organization to study and identify those factors and take an appropriate action for improving the labour productivity OBJECTIVES

In this project work it is proposed to do the following work -

To study the different factors affecting the productivity of the labour.To analyze all factors.Identifying all the critical factors depending upon the volume of work.Deciding the methodology for improving the labour productivity.LITERATURE REVIEW In this the various factors influencing the labour productivity in turkey are Determined, Defined and Examined in detail. A survey was applied to 8 firms to obtain required data, then according to results the most effective factors group is organized.Construction industry faces challenges with regard to problems associated with productivity and the problems are usually associated with performance of labour. The performance of labour is affected by many factors and is usually linked to the performance of time, cost, and quality.Poor productivity of construction workers is one of the causes of cost and time overruns in construction projects. The productivity of labour is particularly important especially in developing countries, where most of the building construction work is still on manual basis.

TOP 10 FACTORES AFFECTING LABOUR PRODUCTIVITYIncompetent supervisorsLack of skills from the workers Rework, lack of tools and equipmentPoor construction methodsPoor communicationInaccurate drawingsStoppage because of work being rejected by a consultantTools/ equipment breakdown. harsh weather condition.Delay in arrival of material.

WHAT IS LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY ? Productivity can be defined in many ways. In construction, productivity is usually taken to mean labour productivity, that is, units of work placed or produced per man-hour. The inverse of labour productivity, man-hours per unit (unit rate), is also commonly used. Productivity is the ratio of output to all or some of the resources used to produce that output. Output can be homogenous or heterogeneous. Resources comprise: labour, capital, energy, raw materials, etc. Productivity = Output Resources used

MATHEMATICALY IT IS REPRESENT AS At the project site, contractors are often interested in labor productivity. It can be defined in one of the following ways - Labour Productivity = Output Labour costOR Labour Productivity = Output Work hour There is no standard definition of productivity and some contractors use the inverse of above , Labour Productivity = Labour cost / work hour Output 7VARIOUS FACTORS AFFECTING LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY Based on the studies, Factors affecting construction labour have been identified and were grouped into 15 groups according to their characteristics, namely : Design factorsExecution plan factorsMaterial factorsEquipment factorsLabour factorsHealth and safety factors Supervision factorsWorking time factorsProject factorsQuality factorsFinancial factors Leadership and coordination factorsOrganization factorsOwner/consultant factorsExternal factors

THE TOP TEN FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE SMALL AND MEDIUM COMPANY Lack of materialLabour strikesDelay in arrival of materialsFinancial difficulties of the ownerUnclear instruction to labourer and high absenteeism of laboursBad weather (e.g. rain, heat,etc.)Non discipline labour and use of alcohol and drugsNo supervision method, design changes, repairs and repetition of work, and bad resources managementBad supervisors absenteeism and far away from location of material storage, andBad leadership

THE TOP TEN FACTORS THAT AFFECT LARGE COMPANIES Unclear instruction to laboureDelay in arrival of materials,Lack of material and financial difficulties of the owner,There is no definite schedule,Low supervisors capability/incompetence supervisors,No supervision method, lack of equipment, and high absenteeism of labours,Supervisors absenteeism, frequent damage of equipments, and labour strikes,Design changes,Incomplete drawing and inspection delay,Poor communication in site and inaccurate design.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT IN GENERAL ALL Lack of material, Delay in arrival of materialsUnclear instruction to laboure,Labour strikes,Financial difficulties of the owner,High absenteeism of labours,No supervision method,Supervisors absenteeism,Lack of equipment and design changes, There is no definite schedule.Poor managementUnproductive time ( internal delay, extra break, waiting & relaxation )

Lack of skillSupervision delayLack of tools & equipmentPoor instructionsPoor quality of labourSupervision factorMaterial factorExecution plan factorHealth & safety factorsLabour shortagesWorking time factorAccident

There has been much work identifying the factor that affects productivity. Ineffective management has been cited as a primary cause of low productivity rather than other factors. Apart from that there are also some barriers to improve the productivity and these barriers are as follows :Lack of alignment of goalContractual conflict Difficulties in measuring productivityWeak commitment to continuous improvementLack of labour force focusGUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING THE LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY1 Properly training to the labourers 2 Motivation to workers towards project completion 3 Properly and in advance material procurement and management 4 On time payment to the workers 5 Systematic flow of work 6 Properly , clearly & in time supervision 7 Advance site layout

8 Maintain work discipline 9 Facilities to the labourers 10 Clearance of legal documents before starting of work 11 Systematic planning of funds in advance 12 Premansoon plan to avoid work stop 13 Maximum use of machinery and automation system 14 Advance equipment planning

METHODS TO IMPROVE LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY 1.Quality of site management Improving productivity could be best carried out by means of development in management quality. Namely, the principal difference in construction productivity is the management influence. Stages of estimating construction time and cost reliably, where the knowledge of labour productivity takes a considerable part, are the main items of successful management understanding. In the study of Sandino ineffective management was cited as the primary cause of poor productivity rather than unmotivated or unskilled manpower. One of the primary means of rising worker productivity through management is to procure and control adequate working conditions since productivity in construction is greatly affected by work conditions that change from project to project. 2.Material management

Problems with adverse material management conditions that consist of supplying and shipping have been cited in the literature among major causes of productivity loss. Effective material management systems are counted as taking measures against fluctuations in material prices, informing vendors or fabricators precisely concerning the desired material features, and suitable material planning and organization, i.e. logistics management. The problems that can be appeared in material management applications are the following:

running out of materials, Extensive multiple-handling of materials, Improperly sorted or marked materials, which makes to define them difficult, Wrong or damaged materials that exceed acceptable specification tolerances, or production errors pointing to a poor quality, Unsystematic flow of materials Production rates of materials in plant incongruous with those on site.

3.Amount of pay and on-time payment

Remuneration is seen as the most important reason of why an individual has to work in a job. Because it both meets the physiological needs that are the most basic requirement of people, and gives esteem in a society. The amount of pay and on-time payment is the most vital factors required to meet the first hierarchy need of Maslow.

4.Systematic flow of work (planning)

Judicious planning of labour resources are the foremost agent in fulfilling these constraints. Poor planning, however, can adversely affect labour productivity through the need for rework and can result in lost time for workers, since operatives are often paid on work done satisfactorily alone.

5.Supervision To follow-up and supervise labour while working is a vital aspect of any organization because both it can result in extensions of project time and cost, and the quality on site is controlled through inspection of the work completed by the gang. Supervisors communication with labour has a supreme importance as well. It is a fact that workers feel embarrassed and pressed with the existence of tight audits. Multiple tiers of field supervision reduce overall crew efficiency.

6.Site layout Layout can influence productivity and enhance space management capability. It defines the location of the tools and supporting utilities for optimum product flow, and thus has a direct impact on the facilities time and cost of construction. In this context, the location of the management office has a strategic importance as well as worker dormitories on site, especially there are many shifts that may cause loud noise and thus a possibility to sleep.

7.Work discipline One of the primary conditions for improving systematic working habits is to have a complete work discipline on site. Discipline can be defined as a concept that determines the human being behavior by means of reward or punishment. This concept becomes more important in Turkey, since workers in the construction sector are still composed of individuals coming from the rigid regions of patriarchal society.

8.Occupational education and training Vocational education, particularly in developing countries, is the total of activities, which enable the reasonable employment of unskilled labour by educating and directing them to vacant fields of labour market, to regulate and control those who come from farming and do not have any continuous working habit. Poor productivity and high costs in every branch of industry are due partly to low levels of training.

9.Working at similar activities To work constantly in the same or similar activities in the construction sector, where tasks vary in a very wide spectrum, or, in other words, to have a complete experience in one trade is one of the key elements guaranteeing the work to be performed by a worker in a definite standard. Experience is the warranty of success and productivity in any job. Working with experienced crews in the sector has many advantages. If experienced labour is known to be available, supervisors do not have to explain details of how to perform the tasks to experienced workers.

CONCLUSION

The groups of factors which are highly effective are: supervision, material, execution plan, and design. Moreover, for large companies, equipment factors have also highly effective. While in small and medium companies, owner/consultant factors also need special attention because it has high effect too. Research findings also show that health and safety factors has not been a concern of small, medium companies and has some effect, while in large companies are better, although not as major concern and has average effect. Practically it is difficult task to all to improve labour productivity up to 100%. But if you have properly control on above factors, productivity can be improved up to large extent Thank you