Labour force

The software is the end-product of a Building Services Research & Information Association (BSRIA)-sponsored project, the aim of which was to develop an automated productivity measurement tool to help contractors to improve their site performance. It can be applied to all installation activities, preferably those that are of a repetitive nature and especially those that are critical path dominant or are labour intensive. It is not really for bespoke installation work.

Significantly, the tool is being launched at a nationwide series of workshops on key performance indicators (KPIs).

While KPIs measure performance of management responsibilities against customer expectations, Empower is a workface tool specifically aimed at improving on-site productivity. However, its successful use could have an impact on some KPI scores.

Some major contractors have for many years used their own in-house tools for measuring site productivity. N G Bailey is one such company; it is also one of the sponsors of the research leading to the development of Empower.

Originally a manual system, N G Bailey's productivity measurement tool has been continuously refined over the past 20 years and is now fully computerised with site personnel able to access a centralised databank from on-site computers and to feed into it their own data and reports.

Empower incorporates some of the features of NG Bailey's system, but has additional features which may make it easier to use. As part of NG Bailey's continuous improvement strategy, ongoing changes are being considered to offer clients an improved process to ensure a quality project on time and to budget. To meet this objective, the company is working closely with BSRIA as part of an industry-sponsored initiative to measure a series of new-build projects using the Empower system.

Philip Cartwright, NG Bailey's building services development manager, says: "The company welcomes the introduction of a productivity measurement tool that can be used throughout the industry to the benefit of all contractors and their clients." When questioned if they would use Empower, Drake & Scull Engineering's director of customer services, Sue Abington responded: "The company is looking at new ways of measuring productivity in line with implementing a new labour strategy." Some reservations have been expressed about the practicality of using Empower on site, but with appropriate training there should be no problem with site personnel being able to use it competently. And if small contractors, for instance, have reservations about having to carry a laptop around, they might find comfort in the possibility of Empower being accessible through palmtops.

How it works
The first stage in using Empower is for details of the contract to be inserted into the on-screen forms, such as name of contractor and start and finish dates, and then inputting details from Empower's databank of the equipment and materials to be installed and estimated time to complete their installation.

A comprehensive range of commonly used items of electrical and mechanical equipment and materials is included in the databank, together with BSRIA Best Practice times for their installation. Contractors can if they wish input their own installation times.

  From this inputted information the program generates four forms for use by on-site personnel. The first is an activity based planning form – this details each specific activity related to the installation of specific items of equipment or materials, and gives an estimated completion time in man-hours. Thus for the installation of ductwork for roof fans there will be an entry for the transportation of materials to the roof, another for the erection of scaffolding and temporary weatherproofing, and then separate entries for installing ductwork over different sections of the building.

As each activity is completed, the actual number of hours taken is recorded on the form together with comments as to why it took longer or quicker than estimated, with perhaps suggestions as to how an activity might be undertaken more speedily. There is also space in which to record whether the activity was actually completed and if not why not.

Feedback
The fourth form is for site feedback, which as BSRIA's Adam Rowe-Roberts states, is: "The key to any performance improvement, thus a fundamental aspect of Empower." Performance measurement enables key process and product success criteria to be isolated and areas for improvement to be highlighted. This information is fed back into the decision-making process using the feedback forms.

Rowe-Roberts emphasises that completion of the feedback forms is not left to just one person. The forms are designed to capture the knowledge of all the members of the project team, including operatives as well as project managers. Hence blank forms are sent out to the site workers so that any comments on any aspects of work that have been carried out and room for improvement may be captured by the operative and good practice reinforced.

The objective is to generate a 'lessons learned' document: fact-driven feedback against which the project team can conduct root cause analysis.

"Project teams need to plan and discuss this feedback at all levels," says Rowe- Roberts, "on a real-time basis and on a project-by-project basis." He suggests: "Discussion of the feedback should take place at daily foreman's meetings, weekly toolbox talks, design and planning meetings, monthly directors' meetings, and post-project completion reviews." All the data and information written into the Empower forms are fed into a databank, access to which will highlight those activities that went well and those where improvements can be made on future projects. Accumulated data can be accessed in tabular form, bar charts or graphs, or as radar/spider charts. And feedback can be accessed by title or keywords.

Empower is available free of charge, both to members and non-members of BSRIA, until the end of June 2001, after which it will be available commercially. Training is available on a commercial basis and can be tailored to suit a company's specific needs.