Productivity, Efficiency & Work Execution

Productivity, Efficiency & Work Execution

Efficient field execution hinges on synchronizing business units, planning and scheduling systems and people’s roles to drive productivity and reduce costs. This is essential in industries where the core business involves dispatching crews and equipment with work orders to build and maintain the infrastructure critical to operations.

All Engine Room improvement engagements start with a diagnostic to identify factors that enhance or hinder optimal efficiency and productivity. Fieldwork optimization assesses whether field crews are provided with well-planned, executable work orders and examines how they carry out this work. A successful diagnosis requires a deep understanding of inter-departmental handoffs and organizational best practices – a key Engine Room advantage. Among all aspects of Operational Excellence, Engine Room consultants pay particular close attention to Business Process and Hand-Off Improvement, Human Performance in Work Planning and Scheduling Roles and the critical role of the Front-Line Supervisor.

1. Business Process and Hand-Off Improvement

Fieldwork efficiency depends on high-quality work orders. Poor work orders waste time as field crews and supervisors resolve issues or wait for others to fix them. The Engine Room is the first to address these challenges by collaborating with those involved in the design and implementation of business processes to ensure that practices align with the principles critical to effective operational excellence, including:

1. Planning and scheduling teams receive feedback to understand what field crews need in well-planned and scheduled work that makes it executable (or not).
2. The hand-offs from planning and scheduling to field crews occur effectively and are robust enough to deal with inevitable variability.
3. There are integrity and good hygiene practices around work order planning and post-work completion data entered into ERP and asset management systems.
4. Dashboards are developed that provide all involved in the work execution process the visibility into the status of ‘in-flight’ work.
5. Supervisors and other key staff have the skills to facilitate the inevitable meetings that take place between the teams involved in the end-to-end process.
6. There is role clarity and swim lane guidance so that different players in the end-to-end process understand their role while collaborating to achieve ultimate business objectives.

2. Human Performance in Work Planning and Scheduling Roles

Optimizing fieldwork productivity starts with well-structured processes, but success ultimately depends on key planning and scheduling personnel effectively executing their roles in coordinating the end-to-end work cycle. Since fieldwork is influenced by unpredictable factors like weather, terrain, and distance, it cannot be fully automated. Instead, skilled planning and scheduling professionals must navigate these variables, making human performance in coordination roles essential to overall productivity.

At the Engine Room, we apply the 70:20:10 blended learning model – combining training, coaching, and experiential learning – to drive lasting behavioral change and capability growth. Our approach to strengthening key coordination roles includes:

1. Targeted Training: Customized individual and team training sessions tailored to address specific practice or knowledge gaps. From the theory behind planning and scheduling best practices before work starts to using performance metrics after work is complete.
2. Tailored Coaching: Addresses gaps in an individual’s skill sets, whether that involves leadership skills, meeting facilitation, public speaking, escalating to leadership, or any specific elements pivotal to the work coordination role.
3. Practical Application: Creating opportunities for planning and scheduling personnel to apply new skills and practices in real-world settings while receiving feedback, follow-up coaching, and recognition for success.

3. The Front-Line Supervisor

When it comes to productivity and work execution, the front-line supervisor plays the final and potentially most critical role. The front-line supervisor is responsible for directing their crews to execute the work safely, manage any performance issues at the crew level, and provide feedback upstream to correct any issues not picked up earlier.

However, many companies promote front-line supervisors with little more than basic “Supervision 101” training, leaving them unprepared for the complexities of leadership. That’s why The Engine Room frequently works with front-line supervisors to strengthen their leadership capabilities in areas that include but are limited to:

1. Safety Leadership: Ensuring crews operate safely through proactive oversight and a strong safety culture.
2. Employee Engagement: Building trust, motivation, and teamwork to improve performance and morale.
3. Accountability Culture: Fostering a work environment where employees consistently do the right thing – whether a supervisor is present or not.

Front-line supervisors have the greatest impact on these areas because they are closest to the ground level work and best positioned to drive change. While executives and support teams, like HR and Safety, may not be directly involved in daily operations, they play a critical role in enabling front-line success – whether by responding quickly to field escalations, providing necessary tools and resources, or reinforcing a culture of safety and accountability. Because supervisors are the most critical drivers of change, our engagements prioritize training and coaching to equip them with the skills and support they need to lead effectively.

As a result, nearly all Engine Room engagements focused on fieldwork execution include hands-on support for front-line supervisors—helping them maximize their time in the field and lead with confidence.