Productivity Management - Research

My Research paper - 2019

Proceedings of the 61st National Convention of Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering & 5th International Conference on Industrial Engineering (ICIE-2019), pp.240-244 

Evolution of Productivity Management- Present Scope, Opportunity and Challenges

K.V.S.S. Narayana Rao

Professor, National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai

Abstract - Frederick Taylor started productivity management theory development with his 1895 paper on piece rate system, and developed it further in "shop management" and "scientific management" papers. His methods were adopted in industrial engineering and operations management disciplines. Productivity, efficiency improvement and cost reduction as objectives of industrial engineering were indicated by many authors and scholars. Scott Sink and David Sumanth came out with textbooks on productivity management. But a review of the curricula of industrial engineering and a survey reveal that productivity management is not yet an important area in teaching and practice. In this paper, an attempt is made to highlight the development of important productivity management theories and practices through literature review, curricula review, opinion of IE faculty and profit center managers. The current scope, opportunity and challenges for productivity management are brought out in the paper. 

Keywords - Productivity management, Productivity, Efficiency

2.4 Productivity Measurement and Productivity Management

Sumanth (1984) described productivity management as a formal process involving all levels of management and employees with ultimate objective of reducing the cost of the manufacturing, distributing, and selling of a product or service through an integration of the four phases of the productivity cycle, namely, productivity measurement, evaluation, planning and improvement. Productivity planning is based on productivity measurement and evaluation. Productivity evaluation determines the change in the total productivity between two successive periods and derives the possible ways in which the change has occurred. This is an after the fact analysis and provides the causes of productivity change. When an organization understands the productivity change methods and techniques that it had used for productivity improvement and inputs and outputs of productivity change projects, it can plan for productivity improvement in the future. The data base generated for potential of each productivity improvement way can be used as a framework for assessing new productivity improvement ways proposed by industrial engineers. Thus a productivity planning framework was presented by Sumanth. The productivity plan is part of productivity management and the other functions of management, namely organization, staffing/resourcing, directing and controlling have to be performed to achieve the productivity plans.  The execution part of productivity management is termed productivity improvement by Sumanth. He noted that managers are practising the management of productivity in an informal fashion. But, the need and scope for formal productivity management was highlighted. Productivity management can be assigned to a “director of productivity’ or “productivity coordinator” or “productivity manager.”

In regard to teaching of productivity management, Sumanth remarked that topics related to productivity improvement and management are covered in several schools around the world in informal fashion in courses on operations management, work study, motion and time study, etc. He gave the opinion that his book provides the basic support for formal productivity management education in industrial engineering programs and business administration programs. It seems that still in many curricula, formal productivity management is not covered and only some topics related to productivity improvement are being covered in various courses.

Scott Sink authored the book “Productivity Management: Planning, Measurement and Evaluation, Control and Improvement in 1985 (Sink, 1985). He also described the productivity management process with the starting point as productivity measurement. The steps in the productivity management process are given as: (1) measuring and evaluating productivity; (2) planning for control and improvement of productivity based on information provided by measurement and evaluation process; (3) making control and improvement interventions; and (4) measuring and evaluating the impact of these interventions. For productivity evaluation, standards are to be generated by one of the various methods as appropriate. The methods indicated include: 1. Estimation 2. Engineering approach 3. Historical information 4. Normative values. Both Sumanth (1984) and Sink (1985) indicated large number of productivity improvement methods and techniques which can be used for productivity improvement. Sink gave more focus on human aspects of productivity management. The issues discussed include delegation, decentralization, Theory Z, motivation, incentive systems, behaviour modification, goal setting, job design and redesign, employee involvement and performance/productivity action teams. 

3. IMPORTANCE OF PRODUCTIVITY AND PRODUCTIVITY MANAGEMENT IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

The question whether productivity is an important objective of industrial engineering was assessed by looking at web pages of 73 industrial engineering programs ranked as top 75 courses in the USA by https://www.collegefactual.com. In 63 program descriptions, productivity was mentioned as an objective of interest in industrial engineering. 

3.1 Teaching of Productivity Management in IE Programs and Practice of Productivity Management 

Sumanth (1984) noted in his book that productivity issues are discussed in industrial engineering programs in various subjects. But he proposed a formal subject in industrial engineering programs that starts with productivity measurement, evaluate its improvement bases and uses that information to plan productivity improvement for future years. More authors have described functions of productivity management including organization, resource acquisition, directing and controlling. A study of program brochures and course descriptions of 73 institutes showed that productivity management as a separate subject is not being taught in IE programs. An attempt is made to contact faculty of these institutes connected to program coordination for exploring the relevance of productivity management to industrial engineering by asking the following questions through emails.

• Is productivity management a relevant area of industrial engineering?

• Was it tried as a subject in your institute and is it being taught presently?

• Do you support the view that productivity management has not attained a significant position in IE curricula?

• What needs to be done to promote productivity management in IE curricula as well as in IE professional practice?

28 responses have come. 16 responses have answers to some questions. All 16 agree that productivity management is a relevant area of industrial engineering. This is the general opinion that emerges from the email based survey carried out in this research endeavour. Regarding the second question, most of the responses state that it is covered in number of subjects. In one program, productivity improvement course covers management aspects also. In one program there was a course on productivity management earlier, but it is now discontinued. Thus, majority of the programs are still covering only some productivity management issues in multiple courses as stated by Sumanth (1984). Third question is regarding the importance attained by the area of productivity management. 11 responses are available. Three responses are emphatic that it has attained significance. Three responses indicate that it has not attained the significance. Five responses indicate that some significant role is given to productivity management.

Fourth question is concerned with suggestions to promote productivity management. 10 responses are available. The suggestions include better marketing of the course to institutions, industry demand for such a course in IE programs, and a requirement from the accreditation/certifying agencies for a course on productivity management. 

Full Paper - Download from:

Evolution of Productivity Management-Present Scope, Opportunity and Challenges

By Narayana Kvss

https://www.academia.edu/143701454/Evolution_of_Productivity_Management_Present_Scope_Opportunity_and_Challenges

https://publications.waset.org/industrial-and-systems-engineering


Pradip K. Ray, S. Sahu, (1990) "Productivity Management in India: A Delphi Study", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 10 Issue: 5, pp.25-51, https://doi.org/10.1108/01443579010005245
https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/01443579010005245

Productivity and Competitiveness:A Model for Developing Economies
C Bhaktavatsala Rao
Manager, (Corporate Planning), Ashok Leyland, Madras
ASCI Journal of Management
Volume 23, 1994
Paper with lot details about Indian Industry and some productivity improvement models.
https://asci.org.in/journal/Vol.23(1994)/v23_2_bha.htm

Evolution of Scientific Management Towards Performance Measurement and Managing Systems for Sustainable Performance in Industrial Assets: Philosophical Point of View
R.M. Chandima Ratnayake
Vol 4, No 1 (2009)
https://www.jotmi.org/index.php/GT/article/view/tre3/483


Improvement of Manpower and Equipment Productivity in Indian Construction Projects
Venkatesh M.P. & Saravana Natarajan
IJAER, 2019, Vol.14(2), pp. 404.409
Paper downloaded






2017 IISE Annual Conference Pittsburgh
Productivity management is an important function in industrial engineering. Productivity science and productivity engineering are the other two important functions. Productivity training and productivity measurement can also be indicated as important activities of industrial engineering.

Principles of Industrial Engineering

Prof. Narayana Rao published the paper "Principles of Industrial Engineering" in the proceedings of IISE 2017 Annual Conference and presented the paper in the conference on 23 May 2017.

You can download the full paper.
http://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/UploadFinalPaper_2569.pdf

Presentation Video on YouTube

Presentation in the IISE 2017 Pittsburgh, USA Annual Conference

IISE 2017 Annual Conference Papers


IISE 2017  conference papers are available in pre-publication format in the site
https://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/program/A20a5CK/

Productivity management sessions are indicated below. Go to the day and session and you can download the papers.

Productivity Management

...(22 May 11.00  - 12.20 am; 22 May  2 - 3.20 pm; 23 May 12.30 to 1.50; )


22 May 11.00  - 12.20 am

Chair: Mario Beruvides, Texas Tech University
Presentations

An analysis on the prevention, appraisal and failure model in COQ: Convergences and contradictions.
https://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/UploadFinalPaper_2511.pdf
Armando Elizondo-Noriega, Texas Tech University; David Güemes-Castorena, Tecnológico de Monterrey; Mario Beruvides, Texas Tech University

System dynamics modeling of cost of quality: An initial review of the literature
 Armando Elizondo-Noriega, Texas Tech University; David Güemes-Castorena, Tecnológico de Monterrey; Mario Beruvides, Texas Tech University

An Examination of Behavioral Economic Nudges in Technical Management
https://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/UploadFinalPaper_3130.pdf
Richard Burgess, Texas Tech University - Whitacre College of Engineering ; Mario Beruvides, Texas Tech University

The Dynamics between Working Capital Management and Total Productivity Management
https://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/UploadFinalPaper_2486.pdf
Naveen Tiruvengadam, Texas Tech University; Mario Beruvides, Texas Tech University


Productivity Management 2

Day:Monday, May 22, 2017
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:20 PM



Chair: Brian Mitchell, Szent Istvan University
Presentations

Labor Productivity and Optimal Team Size in an Inspection Process
https://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/FinalPaperFile_2556.pdf
Alireza Namdari, Western New England University ; Julie Drzymalski, Drexel University; Hamid Tohidi, South Tehran Branch, Azad University

Improving Fleet Readiness: A Case Study Utilizing the AirSpeed Methodology
https://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/UploadFinalPaper_3359.pdf
David Englehart, Navy; Daniel Zalewski, University of Dayton; Kellie Schneider, University of Dayton

ICTS’ Use in Customer-supplier Relationship on Collaborative NPD: Literature Review
https://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/UploadFinalPaper_2863.pdf
Daisy Valle, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul; Mateus Lima, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul; Alejandro Germán Frank, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

A new dispersion model for decision making under risk
https://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/UploadFinalPaper_2972.pdf
Behnam Malakooti, Case Western Reserve University


Productivity Management 3

Day:Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Time: 12:30 PM - 1:50 PM



Chair: Gary Gress, University of Calgary
Presentations

A Multi-Objective Stochastic Programming Model for Team Formation Problems under Uncertainty in Time Requirements
Fahimeh Rahmanniya, The University of Tennessee Knoxville; Andrew Yu, The University of Tennessee

Principles of Industrial Engineering
12:50 PM - 1:10 PM
http://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/UploadFinalPaper_2569.pdf
Venkata Satya Surya Narayana Rao Kambhampati, National Institute of Industrial Engineering

Presentation Video
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Program Performance Impact of Integrating Program Management and Systems Engineering
https://www.xcdsystem.com/iise/abstract/File7673/UploadFinalPaper_2794.pdf
Eric Rebentisch, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Thomas Reiner, RWTH Aachen; Edivandro Conforto, Independent Consultant; Stefan Breunig, RWTH Aachen University


Updated on 30.8.2025,  30 May 2019, 17 June 2017