Methods and experiences of measuring and improving

Klaus Helmrich

International MTM Directorate

Newly awaken interest in productivity improvement…
Productivity is a word associated with human advance. Productivity increase our prosperity through the development of industry and the competitiveness of business. It is therefore important that there are methods of analysis and tools for productivity improvements that are geared to their time, so that development does not slow down. In Swedish industry, the level of focus on the issue of productivity has changed over time. Development in the ‘80s and ‘90s is characterised by a strong belief in the ability of people, co-operating in work teams, to drive forward productivity improvement in production. It has become all the more common for production improvements to be the result of key ratio management through target monitored work teams.

Unfortunately, it is clear that the flourishing productivity improvement of the last decade is more the result of structural changes in society, such as, in Sweden, the reduction in the number of sick leave non-payment days.

Productivity improvement through the continual development of work methods has only made minor contributions. What has proven to be missing are suitable methods of analysis and tools out in production. This has meant that many companies are finding it difficult to cope with the increasing international competition. There has unfortunately been a deficiency of tools required to develop work methods in modern work organizations.

Today, there is a noticeable renaissance for traditional methods such as MTM, at the same time as new methods are being developed. Not so long ago, productivity tools were an academic issue with strong support in Sweden from the Academy of Engineers Sciences, the Royal Institute of Technology and Chalmers University of Technology. The methods for productivity improvement and follow-up are now back on the agenda. Newly awoken interest can be seen in industry and academic spheres for producing productivity improvement tools that are adapted to companies in global competition and that utilise the conquests made in work organization development.

This book provides a practical overview of the various processes and a selection of methods that can be employed to drive productivity improvements more systematically.