Productivity

2025-01-04

Productivity is work per unit time. Output is total work performed.

These two concepts are often mixed up. When the leaders of a firm talk about increasing productivity, often what they mean is — they wish to increase output without increasing expenses.

The simplest way to do this is to make employees work longer hours, for the same pay.

This is a broken way of looking at the world.

To truly improve productivity, eliminate waste. If waste were something physical, it would be gaseous — pervading our work silently and stealthily. Eliminating waste requires vigilance.

In the words of Taiichi Ohni ,

"...during the work of machining a part and changing its shape, the worker may skillfully stack up parts five high on the chute between the machines. This is the play of children in kindergarten, not the work of grown men. Companies that pay people for this type of activity will become unprofitable. The supervisor must be a person who can instruct people to not waste motion, and this is the most important role of the supervisor."

I have seen environments where 80% of effort is wasted. Waste is the enemy. If we attack it, we can create workplaces that challenge employees to do better, while treating them with the respect that is their due.