Explore the difference between man hours and crew hours, and how these measurements play into labor productivity and cost. This resource provides a comprehensive look at these terms, breaking down the role of various labor entities and how their input contributes to the larger operation.
Key Insights
- Man hour refers to one hour of labor, measured by productivity or cost. This measurement belongs to a resource, which can include diverse labor and equipment entities such as a journeyman, foreman, laborer, or equipment operator.
- A crew hour encompasses multiple resources for one hour and the productivity they collectively provide. This concept is often used in larger scale operations, like installing asphalt on a city street, where a multitude of different labor entities are required to complete the task within a set period of time.
- Understanding the difference between man hours and crew hours is essential in labor management, productivity calculation, and cost estimation. If a crew can complete a certain amount of work in a crew hour, this measurement can be applied to estimate the time and resources needed for larger projects.
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Let's talk a little bit about labor. Here we have the term "man-hour, " which refers to one hour of labor measured by productivity or cost. It represents one person spending an hour of work, measured by how much they accomplish.
That man-hour is associated with a resource. A resource refers to various labor and equipment entities such as a Journeyman, Foreman, Laborer, and so on—even the operators of equipment. Anything required to account for one man-hour of labor.
A man-hour could be performed by an Apprentice, a Journeyman, or similar roles. These are considered resources. A resource such as a Journeyman or Laborer is still calculated as an individual man-hour, or even as a man-day, for that matter.
Now when we get into crews, a crew is a combination of different resources such as a Journeyman, a Foreman, an Equipment Operator, and so on. They are all measured by how many hours per day they contribute in man-hours. Man-hours are used to define resources, and crews utilize those resources and their associated man-hours. This brings us to the concept of a crew-hour.
So, what's the difference between a crew-hour and a man-hour? A man-hour, again, is one person working for one hour and the productivity they provide. A crew-hour represents multiple resources working together for one hour, along with the combined productivity. A quick example of that might be if you observe a crew installing asphalt on a city street.
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It takes about six to eight people for the entire process. You have equipment, Equipment Operators, Laborers spreading the material, and a Superintendent ensuring everything goes smoothly. They are all calculated using different labor rates.
They are all required to complete the same amount of work within an eight-hour period. Take away one of those resources, and chances are you won’t be able to complete the work. Therefore, they must be combined, and that constitutes a crew-hour.
So, if you can get 500 feet done within a crew-hour using all of those crew members, then you would apply that rate to the rest of the project. How many crew-hours will it take to complete 10,000 feet? In our next video, we're going to talk about abbreviations.
