Application of AHP in improving construction productivity from a management perspective

Poor productivity of construction workers is one of the major causes of cost overruns and schedule slippages in construction projects. Anecdotal evidence suggests that workers' attitudes towards higher productivity may not be limited to purely financial rewards, but inherently linked to many other latent factors. Some building construction projects in Melbourne are compared to each other to ascertain the factors that influence productivity. The factors and their relative importance impacting on workers' productivity are investigated by using a structured questionnaire survey approach. The survey was formulated with 72 questions covering three broad categories, namely (1) project planning; (2) incentives/disincentives; and (3) job satisfaction. Perceived best practices that impact on improvement of productivity on site were identified from 19 targeted experts. Analytical hierarchy process shows that the biggest influences on productivity are planning and programming. The outcome of this study should assist management decisions in determining the effect on productivity and suggest possible improvements to establish the appropriate management procedures for most productive use of labour resources in construction projects.