What is Productivity

Productivity is a measure of outputs produced over inputs. Typically expressed as a ratio – productivity is a common measure used withing organisations to quantify output against costs of input

Productivity is often a focus of lean improvement programs where businesses try to rationalize the resources (cost) used to produce the output.

There are various factors which impact productivity – these may range from machinery or technology effectiveness – number of available staff – materials available. Improvements in productivity can be achieved by various methods for example by automating activity, making workplaces more ergonomic. Improvement programs often set baselines for productivity so that once improvements have been initiated measures can be taken to quantify results.