Micro to large manufacturers were recently introduced to the “Protool” a productivity measuring tool created by the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council. The Protool will allow businesses to measure their productivity levels while providing qualitative and quantitative assessments of various business operations.
“Measuring productivity is important for any business.” So said the Director of National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC), Fiona Hinkson as she presented a productivity measuring tool called the Protool to the St. Lucia Manufacturers Association’s Annual General Meeting. Hinkson added that in order for businesses to remain in operation they must be able to measure their performance and how efficiently they utilize their resources. The intention she said is to speak to many business and services associations about using the Protool to measure productivity. In July the NCPC presented the Protool to the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.
“Measuring productivity is important, it’s different from measuring profitability because here you’re looking at your output verses your input. You look to see how efficiently you’re using your inputs, your resources, your labour, your capital in producing your given level of output. So therefore the quality of your output is important and your input is important in terms of how well your workers are trained; do they have the necessary skillset in producing the level of output that you require.”
Micro to large businesses are members of the St. Lucia Manufacturers Association. Executive Director, Paula James said the Protool holds many benefits for the sector and the members.
“Right now we do not have a tool. The larger companies have systems in place to measure but the majority don’t have any way of measuring their productivity. I don’t even think they think of it as a hindrance but I think the bigger companies look at it in a holistic way because this is what will drive their business. And, I think if we can get for everybody to do it, it will show us within the sector what areas we need improving, what we need to do to improve and be more productive.”
General Manger of Caribbean Grain, Arnaud De Moussac and Theresa Jn Baptiste, Sales and Marketing Manager for Winfresh Ltd., shared their impressions of the Protool.
“The tool is a remarkable work done by the organization that is presenting today. It’s very, very good work. We obviously need to adapt with every single organization what they are going to focus on but it is going to be one of the ways to assess. It is definitely not a magic wand but it is a way to assess and to make progress in a section of the company where we have not always concentrated. We all know it’s important but it has never been an urgent thing to do.”
“I think the Protool is an excellent idea. From what I am seeing the tool can help a company identify its weaknesses especially with productivity levels of staff.”
Compete Caribbean will be assisting the NCPC is creating an online application of the Protool for greater access and availability for businesses to measure their productivity. The Protool which was designed and created by the NCPC will be officially launched during Productivity Awareness Week, October 14-18, 2019.