People + Process = Performance

What Are Your Productivity and Safety Metrics

The start of a new year is when organizations wipe the slate clean and set new goals to achieve.  What if I were to help you achieve those goals?  What would it mean to you and your organization if I were to help you significantly improve your organizations safety, how would you know it?  What metrics would you expect to improve?

When thinking about safety, most people immediately think of three types of metrics:

  • Injury metrics—such as OSHA recordable injuries and non-recordable injuries
  • Workers’ compensation metrics—such as  insurance modification rate and DART rate
  • Financial metrics—such as costs directly related to injuries and insurance premiums

There’s nothing wrong with these, but think about all of the “safety” that is not being measured by these and similar metrics?  Think about all the executives, managers and staff who aren’t in “harm’s way” or directly involved in what is perceived as the “hazardous and risky” positions all day long.  How are you measuring their safety?  How are you measuring their focus and priority on “being safe”?  Does it even matter?

And while you are pondering this let me ask you another question.  If I were to help you to dramatically increase your productivity, how would you know?  What metrics would you expect to improve?

When thinking about productivity, most people’s thoughts go to these types of metrics:

  • Production metrics—such as throughput, widgets/hour , service calls/hour,
  • Financial metrics—such as profit margin and return on investment, “doing more with less”
  • Quality metrics—such as defects and rework
  • Sales/production metrics—such as sales keeping up with production, production keeping up with sales; sales quote matching the cost of actual work plus the desired margin

Nothing wrong with these, but think about all the productivity that is not being measured by these and similar metrics. Think about all the executives, managers, and staff who aren't directly involved production, getting products ready for shipping or service technicians installing sold products? How are you measuring their productivity?

Here are some metrics that would provide meaningful insight into both productivity and safety that are not currently being measured.  Think about the hours, effort and dollars that go into:

  • Meetings that produce few, if any tangible, actionable outcomes
  • Deciphering poorly communicated decisions
  • Fixing the damage done as a result of poor communications
  • Attempting to get employees do what they’ve just been trained to do
  • Improving compliance when commitment was needed but never realized
  • Productivity, efficiency and safety programs as opposed to actual change and improvement
  • Repairing the harm caused by not getting and acting upon input from the right people
  • Trying to solve issues without first understanding the root cause of the problem
  • Arguing about what needs to change without first mapping out the process

This list could go on and on but what do all of these things have in common?  Answer:  A lack of clear understanding of process, communication and human tendencies.   The result of all of this is underperformance of the organization—its systems, programs and employees.  

Can you afford not to pay attention to these “under the radar” metrics?  I challenge you to start looking at your productivity and safety metrics and ask yourself if they are measuring what really needs to be measured to ensure improved performance—safety, productivity or otherwise. 

Not sure where to begin or just need a helping hand to get started?  Give us call and we’ll get you going on the right path to achieve meaningful and sustainable improvements in productivity, in safety, in quality, in your organization. 

By Jill Kelby, PT, CEA; President and Owner of Kelby Ergo Design.

If you’d like more information on our services in injury prevention, operational excellence, efficiency and productivity improvement or for assistance in determining what is best for your company, please contact us for a free initial consultation.