Controlling Performance & Productivity

Definitions

Checking to see if objectives are being met

Monitoring plans to see if they are effective

Appraising staff to see if they are efficient - happy [?]

Correcting significant deviations

Measuring actual performance aginst standards expected, and taking action to change the performance - or the standards - if necessary

Why do we need controls ?

1. Safety

• protect machines and people
• required by W H & Safety Act
  

1. Problems or potential problems

• ensure we are on track
• solve problems when they occur, but preferably -
• foresee them before they occur [eg, Gantt charts]
  

1. Preventive measures

• stop losses through theft
• cut down on waste
• prevent abuse of resources eg servicing of machines
  

1. Rewards

• if on or better than target

Requirements

Set standards

• realistic and fair
• worker/union participation
• should be objective - tangible and measurable: many are subjective
• accurate and reliable
• clear communication
  • everyone must know
  • must understand

Monitor performance

• strategic control points: can't monitor everything all the time
  • when
  • where
  • how often?
    
• Costs and time involved
  • stable doors and bolting horses
  • establish priorities
    • is it worth controlling
    • is the corrective action worth it
  • must be economically viable
    
• multiple criteria needed to prevent the following -
  • feel good because one test is passed
  • manipulation - conscious or unconscious [statistics, statistics & damned lies]

Types of control

Before

• budgets -
  • resources
  • people
  • time
• preventive measures
• rules and regulations
• manuals
• checklists and SOPs

During

• watches and gauges
• spot checks
• surveillance
• samples.

After

• tests
• questionnaires
• surveys
• reports.

Take corrective action

Find problem and fix it, or, perhaps -

Change standards of measurement?

Some controlling methods

• Purchase control
  • check delivery price, performance, quality, quantity
  • ensure availablility, reliability, constant quality, reducing costs
    
• Inventory control
  • value of stock in hand
  • comparison with stock sold
  • usage of stock - ABC items
  • ready-use locker: keep enough on hand - rest in storage elsewhere
  • timely re-ordering of stock
    • when it is used up
    • when a certain level is reached
    • after a stocktake
  • Just-in-Time: goods scheduled to arrive as needed
    • no inventory needed
    • no need to keep spare stock
    • depends on reliability of supplier
      
• Work study
  • checks who does what, where, when, what order, for how long, who's next
  • can improve flow of work
  • methods improvement - SOPs need revision
    
• Maintenance control
  • preventive - service and repair/replacement at periodic intervals whether needed or not
  • conditional - repaired/replaced if inspection warrants it
  • crisis - repaired/ replaced because it broke down
    
• Quality Assurance
  • ensure quality of end product or service from input through process to output
  • all standards and monitors have to be efficiently produced
  • requires effective documentation of all steps
  • regular audits, internal and external, maintain standards
  • accreditation may be sought especially for dealing with governments
  • Best Practice means utilising most efficient methods to achieve quality assurance