efficiency = productivity?

Does efficiency equal productivity? Ironically, the advancement of technology has brought about both the privilege of immediacy and the profileration of spam in every aspect of our life. But has this advancement of technology also made us more productive?

I recently finished reading “The Goal” by Eliyahu Goldratt for an operations course that I’m take at Rice. It is a very interesting book as it highlights how a plant manager struggles to bring his plant back to profitablity before corporate shuts him down. I’m reminded of One of the main points of the book–that efficiency does not always equal productivity. The book defines efficiency as doing a job quicker with less waste and productivity as doing a job that brings you closer to your goal. Therefore, it is possible to be very efficient without being productive at all.

Although this book was written some decades ago, it still has application for life now in the 21st century. Blackberries, broadband connections, and wireless networks have become ubiquitous, but have we become any more productive as a result of them?

I think in the near future we are going to see a huge boom in literature that will educate people on how to focus in our fast-paced world. More importantly it will emphasize the delineation between efficiency and productivity. Hopefully we will learn how to leverage technology not only to be faster in completing jobs, but making sure that these jobs are actually getting us closer to a specific goal.