I am director of design for a 400 person architecture and engineering firm. My
firm is confronting significant change in the way our services are
commissioned. This condition is demanding significant change in our
productivity and efficiency and, at least in the short term, is stressing our
current compensation system.
For much of our company's history our work, the production of designs and
construction documents on large scale complex projects, has been provided on
a time and materials basis. Our clients however are now requesting lump sum
contracts for defined scopes of work. Our culture, which is not used to
productivity challenges, does not respond to mere identification of the need
for change to greater efficiency for appropriate profitability.
Fellow members of management have proposed an incentive system meant to
improve teamwork and increase productivity. Our employees, professional
architects and engineers, would be directly compensated for productivity
improvements and would no longer receive overtime compensation.
We believe we have built into the system the means to erase factors such as
client characteristics, competitive market pressures and other variables
between projects so that all project teams have a theoretical even base from
which to measure productivity gains.
I am very interested in learning any direct experience others may have with
similar systems and employee characteristics, and any references others may
have to literature which may be helpful in understanding the appropriateness
of this system in this context.
Thank you all in advance!
------------<<<This message represents the views of the sender!>>----------
L'AISON = Local Area Information Server Open Network +1 810 647 2634
FirstClass System Beverly Hills, Michigan v.32bis dial-in
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
firm is confronting significant change in the way our services are
commissioned. This condition is demanding significant change in our
productivity and efficiency and, at least in the short term, is stressing our
current compensation system.
For much of our company's history our work, the production of designs and
construction documents on large scale complex projects, has been provided on
a time and materials basis. Our clients however are now requesting lump sum
contracts for defined scopes of work. Our culture, which is not used to
productivity challenges, does not respond to mere identification of the need
for change to greater efficiency for appropriate profitability.
Fellow members of management have proposed an incentive system meant to
improve teamwork and increase productivity. Our employees, professional
architects and engineers, would be directly compensated for productivity
improvements and would no longer receive overtime compensation.
We believe we have built into the system the means to erase factors such as
client characteristics, competitive market pressures and other variables
between projects so that all project teams have a theoretical even base from
which to measure productivity gains.
I am very interested in learning any direct experience others may have with
similar systems and employee characteristics, and any references others may
have to literature which may be helpful in understanding the appropriateness
of this system in this context.
Thank you all in advance!
------------<<<This message represents the views of the sender!>>----------
L'AISON = Local Area Information Server Open Network +1 810 647 2634
FirstClass System Beverly Hills, Michigan v.32bis dial-in
---------------------------------------------------------------------------