Boosting Productivity at Our Remote Mumbai Plant: What Initiatives Can Make a Difference?

We have a plant in the outskirts of Mumbai at a very remote location. What are the initiatives that can be taken to enhance employee productivity? Currently, the productivity is so low that we have to hire additional manpower, which results in high manpower costs. Please suggest certain initiatives to increase output.

You have not provided adequate information other than "low productivity." Why is the productivity low? Who has analyzed the reasons, and on what parameters have these been analyzed?

Productivity Analysis Questions

What is the finished product? What is the optimum capacity of the plant, and what is the present output? Is there sufficient demand for the product? Is the inability to meet the demand due to the low productivity of the labor? What is the scope for automation or mechanization?

Leadership and Management Concerns

By the way, is the leadership of the plant head ineffective? Is there excessive interference from top management in routine matters? Is there nepotism?

Productivity analysis is a complex subject, and you need to delve deeply into the systems and processes of each department. You cannot solely focus on the systems and processes of the operations department.

Please contact me if you would like to discuss this further.

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

Dear Anon,

Will you be open to talking more about your situation in private? Your identification would be kept confidential. We will request our experts to brainstorm with you to find the most suitable solution!

Considerations for Enhancing Employee Productivity

You have not mentioned the location as well as the type of product of your unit. You are nearby to Mumbai where a lot of skilled/unskilled labor is available. You should consider providing transport facilities, canteen facilities, restrooms for night shifts, special allowances for attendance, etc. By doing so, employees will be attracted and interested in working.

Regards,
Sunil Purohit

Try to bring freshness by introducing employee engagement activities like celebrating birthdays, Founder's Day, and festivals like Diwali and New Year. 

You are saying that productivity is low, which means earlier it was high. If this is the fact, then you have to find out what the reasons are that have reduced productivity. Based on these reasons, you can identify and address them, and motivate the workforce for better productivity. Arrange training programs, cultural and sports activities, welfare activities, etc. This will enhance your employees' sense of belongingness, which, in turn, will help improve productivity.

Setting Productivity Norms

For setting productivity norms, you may seek assistance from the Productivity Council. They conduct Time and Motion studies for establishing production norms. You can also set production norms based on machine cycle time, among other factors. Please make an effort to motivate the workforce; this will benefit you in the long run.

Regards,
SDP

It is surprising that the person who started the thread is silent and is not responding to the counter questions asked by the members. I presume that he is silent because he knows that many who replied to the thread are consultants engaged in the process of finding out the ways and means of increasing productivity. I also find many attacking the thread starter, claiming themselves to be the number one in dealing with the subject. But will it work? I am not open for any debate but would like to share that productivity improvement is a subject which should be handled by the workers themselves. It is not confined to workers, but right from the top management to the bottom level, the improvement should happen in order to have an overall increase in efficiency.

Motivating Elements for Productivity Improvement

In practice, the basic motivating element is money, and without it, no other motivating factors like birthday celebrations or giving honors of employee of the week/month, etc., will become meaningless. I have found that if you link the rewards to productivity, you will be able to better the productivity. Linking rewards to productivity does not mean that the entire salary should be made variable. A portion (it should be additional to start with) should be variable pay, which will be paid based on achieving a predetermined target by each employee.

Factors to Consider in Productivity Improvement Plans

I certainly agree that productivity improvement plans should consider other factors, like automation, handling, or time and motion study, improvements in materials, packing methods, etc.

Regards,
Madhu.T.K

What Mr. Madhu said is correct. In addition to that, I also share the fact that employees' productivity is directly related to their earnings, as well as to the well-equipped culture and facilities to perform their duties.