Effectiveness of Innovative Crew Scheduling

Safety

• Both agree 5-8s only schedule with positive impact on safety.
   

Productivity

• Both agree 5-8s best for productivity.
• Unions rate 4-10s very high positive impact.
   

Cost

• General agreement 5-8s and 4-10s have positive impact.
• Contractors rate 5-8s most positive impact.
• Unions rate 4-10s slightly higher positive impact.
   

Duration

• General agreement all schedules have positive impact except 3rd shift.
• Both stated overtime had most positive impact.
   

Absenteeism

• Both felt 4-10 had most positive impact.
• Contractors had 5-8 slightly positive impact; all others negative impact.
• Union had 5-8 slightly positive impact; all others almost no impact.

While insufficient quantitative data was obtained on innovative schedules, some excellent qualitative information was obtained from experienced contractors. The quantitative project data acquired from the second survey provided a wealth of information on productivity of schedule techniques. (RS185-1, p. 23, Table 8 and p. 28)

Before committing to a specific schedule technique for a particular project, owners and contractors should refer to the project team’s Implementation Tool (on the CII website, IR185-2) which contains a “look up table” and comments summary. When a project is initiated, the final model presented in Chapter 5 of the report can be used to estimate the productivity associated with a given crew schedule. (RS185-1, p. 29)

The 4-10s schedule ranked first with statistical significance for effectiveness in minimizing worker absenteeism. Respondents indicated absenteeism on a 4-10s schedule to be generally lower compared to a 5-8s schedule because it allows employees one regular business day each week to conduct their personal business without missing work. (RS185-1, p. 13)