Top 3 productivity concerns facing firms

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["em"],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/press-releases\/6640209-aiadeltek-architecture-billings-index-indi","target","_blank"]],["strong"],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.aia.org\/articles\/6607580-attracting-and-keeping-architects-in-an-un","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.nber.org\/system\/files\/working_papers\/w30845\/w30845.pdf?utm_campaign=PANTHEON_STRIPPED\u0026amp%3Butm_medium=PANTHEON_STRIPPED\u0026amp%3Butm_source=PANTHEON_STRIPPED","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[1,"h2",[[0,[],0,"Worker productivity is a big issue in architecture and an even greater concern in construction. AIA\u2019s Chief Economist Kermit Baker, Hon. AIA, on the top three issues firms are evaluating as project demand increases and the labor shortage remains."],[0,[0],1," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"According to the latest American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Deltek "],[0,[1],1,"Architecture Billings Index (ABI)"],[0,[],0,", inquiries into new projects and design contracts increased this month, reaching the highest levels since February. Though not yet telling of a major economic change, the news, says AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker Hon. AIA, Ph. D, is encouraging. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cIt\u2019s fair to say workloads will pick up at some point,\u201d Baker said. \u201cFrom an ABI perspective, we would see numbers in the mid-50s for several months to suggest this is more than just a blip. Some regions are doing well, others are not. Some sectors are doing well, others are not. When you have a real upturn, all sectors are strong, everywhere.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"As demand slowly returns to the industry, Baker says firms should begin considering plans to adjust to potential increases in workload. But for architecture, even more so than construction, Bakers says productivity is complicated to measure. The recent ABI suggests firms with limited ability to hire staff are evaluating productivity, but it is not yet a priority. Less than 30 percent of firms track specific measures linked to profits and employee billings; 42 percent measure it qualitatively and 32 percent make no effort at all. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"From ABI polling, firms report these matters as their top three issues: "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Remote work "],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cThere is a lot of concern that remote work, whatever its benefits, have not uniformly been helpful for worker productivity,\u201d Baker shared. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Firm opinions remain undecided on remote policies. While half of firms report either steady or increased productivity, 43 percent report a decrease in productivity. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cWill firms adapt and help makers workers more productive or will firms say we need to change the remote work policy? Can offices be designed to encourage workers to come back or are there other incentives like providing meals and childcare?\u201d Baker asked. \u201cThis is not settled yet among firms, it\u2019s a work in progress.\u201d "],[0,[2],1," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Labor shortage"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"An unstable economy and a shortage of workers have left firms with "],[0,[3],1,"serious compensation dilemmas"],[0,[],0,". Signs of an increased workload suggest the burden will be on the employees to produce more work without significantly increasing headcounts. Firms consistently report staffing as a top issue, and only time will tell how big of a challenge labor issue will be. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cIt all hinges on the economy and construction demand,\u201d said Baker. "],[0,[2],1," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Integrating with the construction industry"],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Integrating within the construction industry can be limiting, says Baker. Even though economic productivity is two to three times what it was in 1950, in construction, productivity is flat at best, according to "],[0,[4],1,"The Strange and Awful Path of Productivity in the U.S. Construction Sector. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"How much improvement can architects make if the output cannot be reciprocated from construction? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cIt\u2019s a theoretical argument, but there likely limits to what architects can do to improve productivity within the broader construction industry,\u0022 said Baker. \u201cConstruction has a reputation for being among the least technologically sophisticated industries,\u201d said Baker industry.\u201d "]]]]}