Practical project management lessons from environmental, demolition, remediation, and industrial work. For project engineers, developing PMs, and field professionals. Delivered every Friday.
Friday Field Notes #17: Production Rates Tell a Story
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Good morning team, This week’s topic: production rates. 1. From the Field Production gives the project team an early way to compare what was expected against what is actually happening. If the estimate assumed twenty truckloads per day and the project is consistently completing twelve, that difference deserves attention even before the cost report shows a problem. The same applies to demolition quantities, excavation, waste loading, concrete removal, equipment production, or almost any measurable field activity. The point is not to expect the crew to hit the exact same number every day. Field conditions change. What matters is understanding the trend and whether the original assumptions still make sense. 2. Leadership Perspective Production conversations should be about understanding the work, not assigning blame. Teams are much more likely to identify the real constraint when they can discuss performance openly. 3. Field Observation The production number itself usually does not tell you enough. A lower rate might be caused by access, material handling, weather, equipment limitations, added controls, or simply an estimate that was too aggressive. That is why the PE should understand both the quantity and the story behind the quantity. Tracking without asking why only gives you half the information. 4. Spreadsheet Tip This week’s formula: production rate. If Cell B2 contains the completed quantity and Cell C2 contains the number of workdays: =B2/C2 If 500 tons were completed over 4 days, the result is 125 tons per day. You can also compare actual production against the estimated rate. If Cell D2 contains the estimated daily rate: =(B2/C2)/D2 Format the result as a percentage. A result of 80% means actual production is running at 80% of the estimated rate. 5. Question for the Week What production rate on your current project would tell you the most about how the work is really performing? Have a great weekend, Dan |
Friday Field Notes
Practical project management lessons from environmental, demolition, remediation, and industrial work. For project engineers, developing PMs, and field professionals. Delivered every Friday.
Good morning team, This week’s topic: small tools and consumables. 1. From the Field Nobody calls an emergency meeting because the project bought another box of cutting wheels. Small purchases rarely look concerning one at a time. Over several months, though, the job may go through far more blades, filters, hoses, batteries, PPE, and other consumables than the estimate allowed. Some small tools will also disappear into gang boxes, service trucks, and whatever mysterious place tape measures go...
Good morning team, This week’s topic: equipment cost exposure. 1. From the Field Equipment costs don’t wait for someone to notice them. A rented excavator can be fueled, inspected, parked in exactly the right spot, and accomplish absolutely nothing while the rental clock keeps running. Sometimes the delay can’t be avoided. An approval may still be pending, the work area might not be ready, or the sequence may have changed. The trouble starts when “we’ll probably need it later” becomes the...
Good morning team, This week’s topic: labor hours. 1. From the Field Knowing that a project used 500 labor hours does not tell you much by itself. You need to know what those hours accomplished. That is where labor tracking becomes more useful. If 500 hours produced 1,000 units one week and the same 500 hours produced 650 the next, something changed. The reason could be completely legitimate, but the project team should understand it. I’ve found that labor discussions become much more useful...