Complicating Factors in Performance and Productivity Assessment

摘要

Management services professionals use a variety of methodologies, tools and techniques to improve productivity, performance and quality, according to what they feel is relevant in a particular situation and context. As the latter changes and new and inter-related factors emerge, our view of what is helpful and relevant may also need to adapt to new requirements and priorities. Could our past experience of what at the time were regarded as successful initiatives bias our perspective of what might be possible in the future? For example, could a desire for rigour and quantification result in factors that cannot be easily measured being overlooked? Simply repeating what has worked in the past can result in important considerations being missed. A study could focus upon an input such as time worked because it can be more precisely measured than how creatively this time was used. It could favour a higher volume of standard output over a lower quantity of a more tailored version, that could also be more easily modified and upgraded as requirements become more demanding. A customer might prefer the latter and be willing to pay a premium for the longer time and extra creativity that is required to make it happen.