News & Insights
Mercury launches productivity app to digitally manage labour performance
A year ago, Mercury launched its productivity app which enables foremen to enter Labour Allocation Records (LARs) on project sites and have their crew’s productivity score delivered to them digitally on a weekly basis. This project was designed and led by Mercury’s Ronan Curran, Project Director, Life Sciences & Technology, who saw an opportunity to digitalise Mercury’s previous more ad-hoc process.
Ronan stated, “12 months on, the app is now in use across multiple projects in Ireland with over 60 users so far. This number is projected to more than double to 140 by the end of 2020”.
The Productivity score is an objective measure of performance, comparing the actual hours spent with the amount of work that has been completed.
Tracking the productivity score allows Mercury to track improvements and deteriorations on a weekly basis, identifying potential issues and improving the accuracy of forecasted labour costs. The productivity app is compatible with any mobile device and works offline meaning that hours can be recorded at any time, regardless of whether you have an internet connection. This results in increased accuracy and reduced time and costs.
Accuracy – Since the introduction of the app, Mercury has seen significant reductions of unallocated hours, on some projects up to 90%. This results in more accurate reporting and a more accurate productivity score.
Savings – Foreman are saving 15 minutes a day by completing LARs digitally, that amounts to 5 hours of foreman’s time a month which can be spent on more value adding activities. This also reduces the hours of administrative staff processing paperwork.
Right tools, right hands – A key deliverable of this project was to ensure that Mercury gets digital technology into the hands of employees closest to the work. We want to equip our people with relevant cutting-edge technology to enable them to excel in their roles.
Ger Morrisey, a Foreman with Mercury working on a project in Ireland stated, “The Productivity App provides the information I need to manage how efficient my work crew are and make improvements if needed.”
Digital Edge – A Beyond50 Pillar
This project forms part of Mercury’s Beyond50 strategy, as part of the ‘Digital Edge’ pillar. Digital Edge aims to ensure that our frontline people have the right technology to enable them to deliver real value to our clients, pushing digital construction to the edge.
