Construction Productivity - Is your company a basketball team or a football team?

A discussion with one of our advisors on construction productivity gave me a useful analogy that demonstrates why Stepnell whole team working is so important. Andr.ew McElwee, who helps our sites achieve the productivity levels that we need to keep our promises to our customers, asked me this question.

If you run a basketball team then the focus is on scoring field goals. A field goal scored in basketball is worth nearly 30% more than a goal conceded. This means that teams with individuals who can run around the opposition and score the goals are likely to succeed. This in turn encourages the team to buy the best individuals available to go and shoot the goals, concentrating on an attack game.

If you run a football team then the focus is reversed. It is far more important to prevent goals being scored as these are worth much more to your opposition than your goals scored. This means that successful teams are just that – teams. It is far more important to have a competent all-round team than to have one or two superstars as the success of the team will depend upon the weakest link.

Stepnell has experience that demonstrates this theory. On a recent care home project we spent a great deal of time and effort recruiting the right plasterboard gangs and M&E subcontractor, checking competences, availability, programme and other risk items for both partners. We spent less time checking these items with our ductwork contractor who had a small part to play with only a few days on site.

We knew that the ductwork was on our critical path, but failed to fully appreciate the consequences of any delays in the installation of this work. When the ductwork contractor failed to show for a week the big teams of plasterboarders and M&E gangs were delayed and significantly disrupted.

Our teams had thought they were running a basketball team and not a football team. They had concentrated on the big names, dotting every i and crossing every t, without putting the same effort into the smaller value package. They failed to realise that the success of this element of the work depended upon their weakest link.

A great lesson in priorities, critical path and Stepnell Whole Team Working; with thanks to Andrew for bringing to life.

Mark Wakeford, Joint MD, Stepnell