WASHINGTON, DC — Ahead of Careers in Construction Month, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is highlighting new research showing that multiskilled construction crews can reduce completion time by about 30% and increase production by 37% to 50% on work requiring multiple trades to operate in tight sequence.

The findings come from controlled field trials detailed in the Simplar Foundation’s Improving Productivity in Multi-Trade Construction Workflows, the second report from the first national multiskilling dataset. The study compares multiskilled workflows with traditional single-trade approaches, focusing on construction activities where repeated trade-to-trade handoffs can affect production.

“These findings show that multiskilling is more than a workforce strategy. It can also be a project-delivery strategy,” said Tiffany Robinson, ABC Vice President of Workforce and Safety Policy. “Careers in Construction Month is an opportunity to underscore the value of building broader skills that bolster productivity on jobsites. Multiskilling can expand workers’ capabilities and career opportunities while giving the industry a practical strategy to address persistent labor shortages and increase America’s capacity to build.”

Fewer Trade Handoffs Can Accelerate Project Completion

The research examined 11 construction activities involving 10 trade-to-trade handoffs at the Cianbro Institute in Pittsfield, Maine. The trials compared workflows in which qualified workers performed multiple trade functions with traditional workflows that transferred work between specialized crews.

The results showed that multiskilled workers did not need to complete individual tasks faster to improve overall efficiency. By reducing the number of handoffs between trades, multiskilled workflows completed projects about 30% faster, while traditional single-trade workflows increased completion time by roughly 40%.

Workflows with fewer handoffs also completed 37% to 50% more installed work within the same production window.

Closely Sequenced Work Shows the Greatest Impact

The research indicates that multiskilling has the greatest effect when multiple trade handoffs are concentrated within closely sequenced activities. Depending on how frequent and disruptive the handoffs were, the reduction in elapsed time reached as much as 92%.

The study also examined 12 scenarios through 120,000 simulation runs. Across those scenarios, reducing repeated handoffs shortened the time required to complete the defined work scope.

“Multiskilling increases productivity by reducing waiting, setup, reorientation, coordination and restart between crews,” said Brian Lines, Ph.D., P.E., Principal Investigator and Associate Professor, Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering, University of Kansas. “We saw firsthand that qualified multiskilled crews enable reduced-handoff workflows, which in turn reduces unnecessary crew changes, improves workflow continuity and makes production more predictable. For owners, contractors, policymakers and project teams, multiskilling is the ideal strategy where repeated handoffs are likely to create measurable delays.”

Multiskilled Crews Can Cover More Trade Functions

One trial demonstrated the potential impact of expanding individual worker capabilities. Two multiskilled workers completed a scope covering seven trade functions without repeatedly transferring the work to separate crews.

The comparable one-trade workflow used 12 workers across the same sequence and transferred the work between trades 10 times. Both groups held credentials for each trade function they performed.

The research points to reduced handoffs as a potential way to improve workflow continuity without requiring individual workers to perform tasks faster. Keeping qualified workers on a broader portion of a tightly sequenced scope can reduce waiting and coordination between crews.

Multiple Construction Applications Can Benefit

The study identifies several types of construction work where frequent trade handoffs can affect schedules and production.

Phased school renovations, for example, often are limited to nights, weekends, school breaks or summer windows. Work can require repeated handoffs among demolition, structural systems, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, finishes, inspections and turnover activities.

Transit station and airport terminal renovations face similar sequencing challenges because construction must be coordinated around public access, security, ongoing operations, inspections and phased turnover.

Bridge and roadway closure work also can involve multiple trades working within limited closure windows, making handoff delays a potential factor in lane reopening and public access.

Water and wastewater treatment projects require closely coordinated sequences involving equipment installation, rigging, setting, piping, electrical, controls, insulation, flushing, testing and startup before facilities can return to operation.

Research Connects Workforce Development With Productivity

“This is compelling evidence that multiskilling can significantly enhance productivity, efficiency and competitiveness across the industry,” said Michael Bennett, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of The Cianbro Cos., Pittsfield, Maine. “Specifically, in this report we see that work productivity is accelerated when the work moves efficiently from one trade to the next. By combining rigorous research with real-world field applications, this study demonstrates how innovation in workforce development and investment in competency-based education can create a more agile workforce—one that delivers greater value to clients while expanding career opportunities for craft professionals. Cianbro is honored to contribute to this invaluable research.”

The research series was conducted by the Simplar Foundation and three university research partners: Arizona State University, the University of Kansas and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The second of three releases in the data series follows the initial release Sept. 2. The third and final installment is scheduled for release later this year.

To explore the full dataset, visit simplarfoundation.org/multiskilling/. To learn more, visitabc.org/multiskilling.