Engineering Productivity Measurements II

Improving the productivity of detailed design engineering is a critical step in improving the overall effectiveness of capital projects. To improve productivity, a good system is needed to measure and track productivity so that the impact of productivity improvement efforts can be judged. This research provides two effective approaches to measure and track engineering productivity, one to monitor current and future projects, the other to develop equations for company-specific project or work processes. Both offer opportunities for continuous improvement.

CII recognized there were no consistent standards used throughout the industry to measure engineering productivity and commissioned the Engineering Productivity Measurements II Project Team (PT192) as a follow-on to the Engineering Productivity Measurements Research Team (RT156). The objective for the research was to develop a standardized productivity measurement methodology. The project team focused on measuring engineering design hours against physical design quantities rather than the typical “intermediate deliverables” such as drawings or specifications that are traditionally used. Measuring productivity against physical design quantities was considered to be a more consistent and reliable method and not subject to differences in work processes across the industry.

Two different methods are available to measure engineering productivity using these techniques:

• The “off-the-shelf” approach – uses “basis hours” equations developed from the PT192 data set to measure productivity and establish baselines. It can be used immediately with minimal startup costs to monitor current and future projects.
• The “custom-tailored” approach – uses the same methodology as described in step-by-step detail in CII Research Report 192-11 to develop organization- or project-specific equations to measure or benchmark productivity. The “custom-tailored” approach may provide a more accurate system linked to company-specific projects or work processes.