1 min read
Hidden Costs of Temp Labor
Using temps? Don’t use wages and mark-ups alone to calculate ROI.With unemployment rates at historical lows, many warehouse, shipping and fulfillment...
1 min read
At less than 4.0%, the current U.S. unemployment rate is approaching historical lows. So how do companies with labor-intensive operations sustain appropriate staffing levels and productivity without raising payroll costs?Productiv’s CFO, Paul Baker, has published an eBook with insights to address this very challenge -- Man vs Machine: How to Maximize Human Productivity Before the Next Wave of Automation.Over the last several years, Paul has studied various labor situations at dozens of companies to understand the factors that positively and negatively impact productivity and an organization’s overall performance. In this book, he shares proven principles, practical tips and tools, as well as data-based approaches put in place by Productiv for the reader to test and use in their operation.This new eBook is divided into three parts and 13 chapters: Part 1: We Broke the Labor Model Chapter 1: How Did I End Up Managing a Building Full of Temps?Chapter 2: The Huge Hidden Costs of Temp LaborChapter 3: Improving and Innovating on this Model Part 2: Extraordinary Productivity through Human Performance Chapter 4: Baselining Your Cost per Unit MetricChapter 5: Move from stationary / batch production to flow productionChapter 6: Setting the Right Staffing LevelChapter 7: Setting the Right Speed for Maximum ThroughputChapter 8: ErgotivityChapter 9: Designing the Gainsharing Plan - a case study from ProductivChapter 10: Building a Great Culture to Juice the ResultsPart 3: Capturing All of the BenefitsChapter 11: Setting up and Maximizing the Right MetricsChapter 12: Communicating the Results Up the ChainChapter 13: Do it YourselfTo engage readers and gather feedback, Paul is releasing chapters one or a few at a time. Readers can view the Introduction and Chapter 1 here.
6 min read
How Warehouse Automation Enhances Accuracy and Efficiency
In 2023, the case for warehouse automation across industries seems an easy one to make. Labor is tight and expensive, and demand for rapid order...
3 min read
Rise of Cobots – What “New Automation” Means for Labor-Intensive Operations
Tech innovators and labor advocates have long been at odds about the benefits of incorporating robotic assistance into manufacturing processes. Would...