Increasing Productivity in Construction and Manufacturing

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Construction and management are quite different from each other as construction usually implies and involves constructing a house, building, tower, roads, bridges and various other architectural feats. Manufacturing on the other hand involves producing goods from raw material in a factory. Raw material is utilized in both manufacturing and construction in different ways. The labor applied to the processes of manufacturing and constructions also work in different ways. Construction is the overall process involved in erecting a structure whereas manufacturing involves the production of components in that structure. If the basic difference between manufacturing and construction is analyzed increased productivity can be achieved. Productivity is best achieved by reducing labor and machine hours and the hourly rates. In a manufacturing process capital can be substituted and various employees can be assigned to different jobs and the whole process can be redesigned to lower per unit labor costs. Construction processes on the other hand have much less room for these changes and testing as specialized labor and machinery are assigned to specific jobs. Even if these changes are applied to the construction process the time and level of specialization factors will increase total cost and have a negative impact on productivity. The manufacturing process follows open shop patterns where different jobs are assigned to labor on a rotational basis and there is minimum idle time while hourly wage rate is decided depending on the job specification and level of specialization. The construction process on the other hand follows union patterns of job assignment and labor wage rate. Particular jobs are assigned to specific employees and there is hardly any job rotation involved as skilled labor is required for a specific job. The hourly wage rate is predetermined and may cost the

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