How to Use FIFO Compression and Decompression to Propel Productivity
POSTED: 8 April 2020
AUTHOR: Dan Hunt, General Manager
At HTS we have developed a magic roster schedule that not only increases productivity but boosts the well-being of our people. We are constantly innovating all aspects of our project delivery to uncover opportunities to improve productivity. It’s great for us but even better for our clients. Here we explain how understanding and addressing the issues of compression and decompression can engage your people faster in the job at hand and propel your productivity.
Adjusting from rest and recreation time back into the pace of a 12-hour day, working on a busy site and living away from home does not happen immediately. The process of adjusting to full working capacity upon return to the site is often referred to as ‘compression’. Likewise, the process of separation from the stress and pace of these days on-site is known as ‘decompression. The time it takes for people to compress and decompress varies, and while it is beneficial for people to take time to adjust, the issues for clients lie in the fluctuation of project productivity. It is therefore important to reduce the time it takes to compress and decompress to maximise the time spent focused and productive. Getting this balance right not benefits efficiency but aims to keep people safer and maintain a healthy overall work culture.
HTS has implemented a strategic focus on compression and decompression, with the intent of facilitating smoother and more efficient transitions for people as they return and depart from the site for their roster.
HTS maintains a regular communication system of project updates and HTS company information via emails to all staff. All of the incoming HTS team are required to read and update themselves on the communications while in transit to work. The messaging aims to stimulate a mental shift for employees and initiate the compression process of getting back into the work routine. They also provide supervisors with valuable handover information. The messaging prepares employees by reflecting the keynotes to be covered in the ‘back to work brief’ or other relevant information specific for that worker. Our people even fly in wearing work uniform to prepare themselves mentally, subsequently are paid for their fly-in day, which of course is also appreciated and builds loyalty.
SAFETY +
FOCUS +
PRODUCTIVITY +
To assist our people further with the process of compression, HTS adopts a routine of ‘back to work briefs’ which are one of the first points of engagement upon return to the site. They create awareness and help people reactivate back into ‘work mode’. These briefs also aim to inform the incoming team on what has happened while they were away, outline workplace priorities, provide updates, important notices, and address any outstanding questions or changes. It enables people to be engaged and intuitive about site works, understanding what is happening so that they can better use their initiative, reducing ‘lost time’. This messaging process facilitates a minimised compression period for our people, resulting in a more productive transition back to work.
During the decompression phase, HTS strives to ensure that employees are not rostered to work on their day of departure, giving people time to sleep, rest and initiate the decompression phase. Likewise, by giving employees the freedom to fly out in civilian clothes helps them feel relaxed.
Implementing measures such as these are simple yet effective in helping people make that mental shift as they wind down and depart from work mode. At HTS we acknowledge and address compression and decompression to create awareness, open dialogue, create transparency and clear boundaries for our people when implementing work rosters and discussing related topics. By labelling these periods of transition, we are acknowledging and identifying the demands and expectations associated with FIFO work.
For our clients, innovative ways to encourage productivity and improve safety and wellbeing are all part of our integrated project solutions. Talk to us today about how we can rocket the value of your next project!