Uncovering and Visualizing Work Process Interruptions through Quantitative Workflow Analysis

Abstract

Question: Continuous improvement requires visualizing process constraints which interrupt workflows. Production control from a management perspective often operates at lower levels of information granularity than required at operational levels to perform work without interruptions. How can workflow interruptions in plumbing work be analysed and explained? How can an analysis of workflow interruptions help to close the information granularity gap between operational and management levels? Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate methods for their fit in revealing and closing the information granularity gap between between operational and management levels. Research Method: The paper examines workflows of plumbing work from video footage. This video data is classified and analyzed for frequency, causes, and effects of work interruptions. Findings: Results indicate that value-supporting activities caused the largest proportion of interruptions. Moreover, the proportion of non-value-adding activities increases when durations of interruptions rise. Limitations: The analyzed and tested data includes one working day of one worker in one certain construction project, which limits the meaningfulness of these results and explanations. Implications: The conducted time-motion-study and its classified data set made it possible to develop an agent-based simulation model of construction workers behavior. Value for authors: This paper provides a framework to examine workflow interruptions in craft work so that the information gap between operational and management levels is closed. Keywords: continuous improvement, production control, time-motion study, workflow. Paper type: Full paper