Productivity monitoring systems: their use in management planning, forecasting, and labor budgeting.

The productivity monitoring system (PMS) has long proved itself a useful and necessary management tool for controlling scarce and costly labor resources. Here, the reader is introduced to the use of the PMS within the hospital industry. The general concern with controlling productivity in hospitals is presented within the context of regulatory change and overall cost-consciousness, followed by a description of a successful PMS and the information it provides. Techniques and an example for using PMSs in workload forecasting are also provided.