Since construction projects involve complex processes going on intermingled with each other, problems continue to arise. These problems manifest in the form of disruptions and delays most commonly. As a result, the productivity of construction work is lost. You can say that there is a loss of productivity when a certain part of work doesn’t complete as anticipated. Loss of productivity is a result of instances like the work stoppages, non-availability of manpower, obstructions in site access, or other disruptions. When these disruptions are unavoidable, the project managers need to quantify the loss of productivity. One of the most prominent and preferred methods of quantification of loss is Measured Mile analysis.
This article aims to shed light upon the steps included in the measured mile analysis procedure for quantification of productivity loss in construction.
5Steps of Measured Mile Analysis Procedure in the Construction
The contractor or construction project manager has to shoulder this responsibility of carrying out analysis for the quantification of losses incurred as a result of a lack of productivity. The measured mile analysis procedure is quite straight forward. But firstly, it requires a complete record of timing, costs, and location of each component of work.
Following are the steps essential to carry out the measured mile analysis:
1). Identify the impacted parts of work
you have to identify the parts of work affected by the loss of productivity, amongst the dozens of activities going along at any given point in the construction period, definehow a certain portion of work impacted. Look into it in detail.
Seeking help from construction claim consultants in Dubai can help you define the problems in their entirety. An example of looking for the impacted parts of work and their definition would be to assess whether concrete procured for a certain piece of land was suitable for the indigenous clay composition.
2). Identify the impacted periods
For measured mile analysis, you need to selected differentiate the impacted and un-impacted periods. Select the un-impacted time brackets as well as locations of the project as these form the measured-mile period.
Once the contractor has sorted out the periods which were not impacted, and the locations with no disruptions causing productivity loss, the situation can be aggregated. This aggregate of time and location can help achieve a higher level of productivity for the remaining works or the upcoming projects.
3). Analyze impacted and un-impacted periods
Once you have differentiated the impacted and un-impacted time bracket, you can take one of the un-impacted tome periods as a baseline. This reference timespan is referred to as your measured mile. All the analysis revolves around the situation of this period. You compare the rest of the time periods against the measured mile.
This comparison is based on the assumption the rate of work was the same for all the segments of the time period that you break your project into. Ideally, if a time bracket is not impacted, it will have the same amount of work done in it as the un-impacted time span used as a reference.
4). Gather the job-cost records
Identify the work time of laboring and other staff, and the records of equipment, as well as material procurement, lease or buying timelines. These records will be helpful in calculations in case of loss of the team’s productivity. The records provide support for or against productivity loss claims.
For this purpose, especially for big projects like highway construction, you must designate the field personnel to record all the essential job-cost records. Reviewing the un-impacted parts of work with help of construction claims consultants are the alpha and omega of measured mile analysis.
5). Decide time or currency as a metric
After reviewing the records and comparing the impacted and un-impacted work periods, you will have to develop a benchmark against which you will measure productivity. You canbase yourmeasured mile analysis on monetary units or time. The decision, however, depends on the dynamics of your project and your convenience.
If you choose to base the analysis on money, it is called a dollar approach. Here, you take the total cost necessary from the completion of a task and apply the cost to the impacted work. Similarly, in time-based analysis, you assess the number of hours required to complete an impacted task and apply the resultant number of hours to the work quantity.
Is your construction project facing productivity loss?
You’re not the only project manager facing this issue. You cannot micromanage things right now, but in order to mitigate the impacts of productivity loss, you must carry out measured mile analysis. The analysis process is simple, and the factors taken into account are realistic. Instead of focusing on the changing site conditions and recurrent delays, shift your focus to mitigation!
