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> But how much did the productive output of the average American increase? Around one hundred percent. https://data.oecd.org/lprdty/gdp-per-hour-worked.htm htt

> But how much did the productive output of the average American increase? Around one hundred percent. https://data.oecd.org/lprdty/gdp-per-hour-worked.htm https://data.oecd.org/lprdty/gdp-per-hour-worked.htm

Aunche 6y ago
They probably meant median productive output. Sam Walton and Bezos made their supply chains 100% more efficient. It’s not as if warehouse workers suddenly were able to lift 100% more weight.
- taurath 6y ago
  Standardized pallets and forklifts can make them lift a hell of a lot more weight
  - Aunche 6y ago
    The people who load pallets are moving just as many boxes as they used to. Sure they play a part in the productivity, but I don't see how it's unfair if they make the same amount for the same work.
    - taurath 6y ago
      Where do crane operators stand in this? Where does the productivity come from?
- owenmarshall 6y ago
  100% more weight per lift I'd agree. But that's hardly relevant. 100% more weight per hour, thanks to algorithmic placement of boxes, computerized dispatch and routing and general ruthless process optimization? I'd be shocked if we didn't end up at 100%. But it's not just warehouses: efficiency changes have been top to bottom throughout the world. Things like Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, the Toyota Production System ... these have been massive drivers of efficiency nearly everywhere. I worked manufacturing IT and was able to watch the assembly process. It's frankly amazing and us programmers have lots to learn. The worker that bolts widget A to widget B doesn't just have a box of bolts and a wrench. She pre-places the bolts in a pokayoke tray and places test templates against A and B. Are they misdrilled? Push a button on her console and they are diverted off the line for rework. Good? Templates off, place the assemblies in a work tray that can hold them in exactly one - the correct - configuration, pokayoke tray goes on and nuts screwed to bolts. The count of nuts and bolts in her station are measured based on flow in/flow out and a runner brings and places more just in time to prevent her station from running out but not before they accumulate at her station. The environment and process is designed to absolutely minimize operator motion, with a supervisor monitoring and filling out time observation sheets to look for wasted effort and opportunities to change. When I talked with some plant supervisors it was incredible: they were able to point to a manufacturing station and say "this worker takes twelve seconds to execute these five motions", and you could pull out a stopwatch and that was exactly what you would see.

Aunche 6y ago

They probably meant median productive output. Sam Walton and Bezos made their supply chains 100% more efficient. It’s not as if warehouse workers suddenly were able to lift 100% more weight.

taurath 6y ago
Standardized pallets and forklifts can make them lift a hell of a lot more weight
- Aunche 6y ago
  The people who load pallets are moving just as many boxes as they used to. Sure they play a part in the productivity, but I don't see how it's unfair if they make the same amount for the same work.
  - taurath 6y ago
    Where do crane operators stand in this? Where does the productivity come from?
owenmarshall 6y ago
100% more weight per lift I'd agree. But that's hardly relevant. 100% more weight per hour, thanks to algorithmic placement of boxes, computerized dispatch and routing and general ruthless process optimization? I'd be shocked if we didn't end up at 100%. But it's not just warehouses: efficiency changes have been top to bottom throughout the world. Things like Six Sigma, lean manufacturing, the Toyota Production System ... these have been massive drivers of efficiency nearly everywhere. I worked manufacturing IT and was able to watch the assembly process. It's frankly amazing and us programmers have lots to learn. The worker that bolts widget A to widget B doesn't just have a box of bolts and a wrench. She pre-places the bolts in a pokayoke tray and places test templates against A and B. Are they misdrilled? Push a button on her console and they are diverted off the line for rework. Good? Templates off, place the assemblies in a work tray that can hold them in exactly one - the correct - configuration, pokayoke tray goes on and nuts screwed to bolts. The count of nuts and bolts in her station are measured based on flow in/flow out and a runner brings and places more just in time to prevent her station from running out but not before they accumulate at her station. The environment and process is designed to absolutely minimize operator motion, with a supervisor monitoring and filling out time observation sheets to look for wasted effort and opportunities to change. When I talked with some plant supervisors it was incredible: they were able to point to a manufacturing station and say "this worker takes twelve seconds to execute these five motions", and you could pull out a stopwatch and that was exactly what you would see.