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Your workers are present, but productivity is low. Materials are available, but work is slow. The problem? Hidden bottlenecks eating 15-20% of your productive time. Here's how to find and fix them.
Definition: Any constraint that limits your site's productivity.
The effect: Like a bottle's narrow neck limiting water flow, bottlenecks limit work flow regardless of resources available.
Common signs:
Material shortages:
Equipment unavailable:
Labor shortages:
Sequential dependencies:
Approval delays:
Information gaps:
Communication failures:
Scheduling conflicts:
What to do: Spend 2-3 hours observing site.
What to look for:
When: Random times, not just morning. Bottlenecks often appear mid-day.
Record: Note time, location, people affected, apparent reason.
Ask workers: "What stops you from working faster?"
Common answers reveal bottlenecks:
Pro tip: Workers know the problems. Just ask.
Track: How long each task actually takes vs should take.
Example:
Pattern analysis:
Simple method:
Example:
Target: Less than 10% idle time. Above 15% indicates bottlenecks.
Problem: One skilled mason, everyone waits for him.
Impact: 10 helpers idle when mason unavailable.
Solution:
Problem: One concrete mixer, 3 teams need concrete.
Impact: Teams take turns, 2/3 idle at any time.
Solution:
Problem: Can't paint until plaster dries (3 days). Painters idle.
Impact: Paying painters to wait.
Solution:
Problem: Materials arrive at 2 PM, half-day lost.
Impact: 4 hours of potential work wasted daily.
Solution:
Problem: Electricians and plumbers need same area.
Impact: Both teams slowed, or one waits completely.
Solution:
Not all idle time is bad. Categorize to prioritize fixes.
Break time: Tea breaks, lunch Weather delays: Rain, extreme heat Curing time: Waiting for concrete to set
Action: Accept these. Plan around them.
Material delays: Should have been ordered earlier Tool shortages: Should have adequate tools Unclear instructions: Should have better communication Waiting for decisions: Should have faster approval process
Action: These are bottlenecks. Fix them.
Slow work pace: Present but not productive Rework: Working but undoing previous work Inefficient methods: Working but inefficiently
Action: Training, supervision, process improvement.
Formula: Idle Time Cost = (Idle Hours × Number of Workers × Average Wage)
Example:
ROI of fixing: Spending ₹5,000 to implement better material planning saves ₹32,500/month. 6x ROI in month 1!
Format:
Date: [DD/MM/YY]
Idle Time Incidents:
1. Time: 10:00 AM
Workers affected: 8
Duration: 45 min
Reason: Cement delivery delayed
Cost impact: ₹375
2. Time: 2:30 PM
Workers affected: 5
Duration: 1 hour
Reason: Waiting for measurement approval
Cost impact: ₹312
Analyze:
Action items: Address top 2-3 causes
Calculate:
Modern apps help identify bottlenecks automatically.
Features that help:
Example: App shows "Plastering task: planned 3 days, actual 7 days" → Investigate why.
Concept: Plan 2 weeks ahead, identify potential bottlenecks early.
Weekly meeting:
Strategic buffers:
Don't buffer everything (expensive). Buffer bottleneck resources.
Concept: While waiting for one thing, work on another.
Example:
Requires: Good planning and coordination.
Concept: Workers skilled in multiple areas = fewer bottlenecks.
Example:
Benefit: Flexibility to deploy where needed.
Bottlenecks are hidden profit killers. Finding and fixing them can improve productivity by 15-20% without adding resources.
Action plan:
The gains compound. Fix one bottleneck, work flows faster, revealing the next bottleneck. Keep improving continuously.
Learn how to roll up daily work into meaningful progress metrics that impress clients and help you make better decisions.
Read More →Construction delays eat into profits and reputation. Discover practical strategies to keep your projects on schedule.
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Read More →Download Karyati and start managing your sites efficiently today.