Work improvement data for small and medium size contractors

The results of a study of small to medium size construction firms designed to determine their views concerning construction productivity is presented. The areas that were viewed as having high potential for productivity improvement include supervision (62%), labor contracts (52%), labor training (51%), EEO rules and regulations (47%), planning (56%), scheduling (49%), and communications (49%). The findings also indicate that the average potential for productivity improvement of both main office and on-site functions is roughly the same for both large and small organizations. This would indicate that although differences exist between large and small contractors their overall potential for productivity improvement is approximately equal. In addition, there appears to be a consensus among both small and large firms that productivity improvement efforts should primarily be concentrated in planning, scheduling site supervision, and labor agreement functions.