5. Performance Improvement Quantification

The fifth and final step of PdK Consulting process for "Optimizing Workplace Development AND Performance Measurement Quantification" involves conducting a performance assessment of the new workplace approximately 4 to 6 months after occupancy. This assessment will measure the improvement in performance achieved due to the new workplace environment and will answer the following questions:

• "We not only moved to a new building, but we also reorganized the way we work and deployed new technologies. How can we identify the impact resulting from the new workplace?"
  
• "The economy has seriously deteriorated since we began this process. How can we assess the impact of a bad economy on overall performance?"
  
• "We have a terrific new management team in place. Wouldn't they be mostly responsible for the better performance?"

In the second step of the five step process, PdK Consulting and selected Workplace Assessment consultants, performed a series of Workplace Assessment Tasks aimed at establishing a baseline performance of the workgroup(s) in the "old" office environment. Phase 5 will essentially repeat the Workplace Assessment Tasks in the new workplace. The Workplace Assessment Tasks will include: Time Utilization Studies, a Workplace performance Survey, Focus Groups and Personal Interviews, and Video-Ethnography. The same data is collected and changes in level of performance are identified.

Using the same data reduction model as the workplace performance baseline measure, improvements in the overall performance of the workgroups are quantified.

Once the increase in worker performance is measured, it is necessary to check that the increased performance is not due to other factors. Besides workplace design solutions, process improvements, and behavior change training, worker performance changes can be the result of many different causes. Examples might include new management, better technology, changes in the economy, changes occurring with the clients, or changes in marketing strategy. Isolating the effect of various variables is a statistical process known as the "effect test".

PdK's participation in the Performance Improvement Quantification includes the statistical analysis of the data collected by the Workplace Assessment Consultant, and the comparison to the Baseline Performance Quantification. As applicable and cost effective, PdK will also estimate the effect test impact of various variables contributing to the overall performance improvements.

Typical improvements generate between 2% and 5% increase in Profit. For a 1,600-person facility the annual Profit Increase is $4.8 million and the Payback is realized in less than 10 months.

The Performance Improvement Quantification effort is typically completed in 2 to 4 weeks depending on the variety of data collection methods.

PdK's fee for the Performance Improvement Quantification module ranges from $10,000 to $20,000 depending on the variety of data collection methods. Fees from the Workplace Assessment consultants and from Ethnographers can vary greatly, from as little as $15,000 for simple data collection and assessment to as much as $200,000 for the most extensive efforts. A typical range is $25,000 to $50,000.

All PdK fees are offered with unconditional money back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with PdK's performance for any reason, PdK will refund your fees.