Question

3. Why and how might a line or an operating manager value specific metrics related to the unit’s employees?

Answer 1

A line or operating manager would value specific metrics related to the unit's employees because of the benefits associated with effectively measuring employee performance through the use of specific metrics that can result in improvements within the unit line and operations. Metrics can help the organization analyze their value stream in regard to isolated points such as machine up-time, workforce efficiency, or on-time delivery. The objective for a line or operating manager is to ensure that they assess metrics throughout the entire organization attempting to gain perspective on specific points along the value stream. With unit employees, this would entail assessing specific job roles, to understand true and complete performance, and the line or operating manager would be required to measure the overall process or value stream outcomes. To achieve this objective, the line or operating manager would need to develop an integrated system of specific metrics related to the unit's employees that enables multiple combinations of metric indicators to be used in an attempt to ascertain whether or not the larger business objectives are being met.

The line manager must utilize specific metrics that assess productivity, efficiency, and training in reference to the impact that these metrics have on employee performance. In addition, the following metrics have been deemed instrumental in determining whether unit employees are performing the most optimal work output including total cost, total cycle time, delivery performance, quality and safety.