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Productivity Alberta Backgrounder
Productivity Alberta is industry’s connection to the latest in productivity improvement tools, resources and services. As an industry-guided service, working collaboratively with organizations across the province, we connect Alberta-based businesses to everything they need to kick start and enhance productivity growth and competitiveness, leading to a healthier bottom line.
On our interactive web portal, users find all they need to improve productivity. From our leading-edge Productivity Assessment Tool to benchmarking information and events, we’re here to guide businesses on their path to improved productivity.
Productivity Alberta is a private, not-for-profit company, incorporated in October 2011 under Part 9 of the Companies Act of Alberta. Formerly a program area within the Alberta government, Productivity Alberta continues to address a specific mandate to improve productivity, increase innovation, and help build a skilled workforce to improve the long-run competitiveness and sustainability of Alberta’s economy.
This mandate goes beyond the recent economic downturn and comes as a result of Alberta’s slowing productivity growth rate over the past decade. The province is lagging behind not only the United States, but all other Canadian provinces and most countries in the European Union when it comes to productivity growth.
Productivity Alberta is combatting this problem, bringing together the talents and efforts of people and organizations across the province. We’re tackling head on our productivity challenges through the convenience of one single access point.
Our vision is to make Alberta known as one of the most productive and innovative regions in the world. And we’ll succeed by working together with experts from industry, government and other associations to create a globally competitive environment for Albertans to prosper and thrive. Productivity Alberta is truly the hub of collaboration, where all things productivity come together to help businesses achieve excellence.
Fact Sheet on Productivity Alberta
Productivity Alberta offers a wide range of important services to Alberta businesses including:
Productivity Assessment Tool - This is our leading-edge self-assessment tool that objectively identifies the relative strengths and weaknesses of businesses. Specifically it measures the three elements of productivity – Leadership and Management, Operations and Innovation.
Productivity Inventory - This is our extensive inventory of programs, tools and services available to assist Alberta business improve productivity. The inventory includes financial programs, productivity improvement products, listings of consultants as well as professional development programs.
Operational Excellence Services - These services are provided by our Operational Excellence Team. These professional industrial engineers, with decades of international industrial experience between them, work with Alberta organizations to find productivity gains through Value Stream Mapping, Operational Productivity Improvement Workshops, and Project Implementation.
Leading practices and success strategies resources- Productivity Alberta provides information on global leading practices and shows users how such practices can make a difference to business. We also provide user guidance via one-on-one support and downloadable templates to help businesses with the implementation of these practices.
Productivity Pilot Projects - Working with local and international experts, Productivity Alberta has developed strategic and tactical programs, some in the form of “pilot projects”. These test productivity improvement concepts on the shop floor or the front office of businesses. They also allow us to solicit industry feedback before launching a full program in the province.
Productivity events, conferences, and training opportunities - As the hub of all things productivity, we offer an expansive and regularly updated listing of productivity events, conferences and training opportunities across Alberta. This listing is ideal for manufacturers, supply chain providers or those who just want to learn more about their industry.
Linkages to potential alliances and networks - Productivity Alberta helps bring similar businesses together to collaborate on productivity and competiveness initiatives. Such linkages allow like-minded colleagues from across the province to share learning and work to find effective, cost-efficient solutions to productivity challenges.
FAQs about Productivity Alberta
1. How can Productivity Alberta make a difference to individual businesses? Productivity Alberta’s web portal connects businesses to everything they need to kick start and enhance productivity and competiveness. As a result of our collaboration with experts in industry, government, communities, educational institutions, and associations, Productivity Alberta is the hub of all the tools, services, information, and links businesses will need to strengthen productivity and improve your bottom line.
2. Does Productivity Alberta provide funding to businesses looking to improve their productivity? No, Productivity Alberta does not generally provide funding to businesses looking to improve their productivity. We provide and/or connect companies to the tools, services, and programs that can help them improve their productivity through a variety of means. In some very limited situations, we may partner with organizations on programs that may offset a portion of a company’s costs to a limited degree, and with strict conditions for participation, but it is not the mandate of Productivity Alberta to subsidize companies’ improvement projects.
In some situations, Productivity Alberta is able to leverage our strong working relationships with groups across Alberta and Canada to offer programs and services to Alberta companies for special, reduced pricing. Even in these projects or initiatives, Productivity Alberta works on a cost recovery basis.
3. How are Productivity Alberta’s services different from some of the other programs that currently exist? Productivity Alberta is different from the rest in that it’s a “one-stop-shop” for all things productivity. We connect businesses through a single access point to the right tools and services for better bottom line results. In addition, we offer a straightforward message on the importance of productivity. And we work collaboratively with other organizations to bring about increased prosperity in the province.
4. How is Productivity Alberta combatting the productivity growth lag in Alberta? As the hub of all things productivity, we connect Alberta businesses to tools, services and resources offered through the convenience of a single access point. Because of our vast inventory of offerings, Productivity Alberta ensures increased market uptake. Company owners, managers, and employees can quickly and easily access all the resources they need in one place.
5. What is productivity? There are many complex definitions of productivity, but basically it’s about how you and your organization reach your full potential. It’s about using your resources – from equipment to raw materials and people – more effectively. Productivity is the measure of how efficiently a business transforms those resources into high quality goods or services at a lower cost.
Productivity is a key indicator of the vitality of an economy. It’s also, arguably, the most fundamental determinant of long-term economic growth.
6. Isn’t productivity just about restructuring companies so that fewer people have to do more work? Productivity should not be confused with increased work intensity. It’s about working smarter with available resources, not working longer or harder. Productivity means finding more efficient ways to produce goods and services. The more productive you are, the more you can produce with the same or less effort.
When companies work smarter, employees will generally be more engaged in their work and more willing to bring ideas to the table. A productive workforce is a happier workforce. And this results in a stronger bottom line for businesses, stronger potential for employee increases, and sustainable prosperity for Alberta and all its residents.
Media Enquiries
Productivity Alberta welcomes enquiries from the media. All questions about Productivity Alberta should be addressed to:
Jeff Baker
Senior Director, Strategic Marketing & Communications
Tel: +1 780 784 6002
Email: Jeff Baker
