Correct positioning of equipment and tools and also people can

help reduce inefficient and

ineffectiveness on workplace

ADVANTAGESFor Management:

• Simplifies training• High productivity• Less wage costs

For Labor:• Less education & skill requirements• Minimum responsibilities• Less mental effort needed

DISADVANTAGESFor Management:

• Difficult to motivate quality• Worker dissatisfaction resulting in absenteeism, high turnover, disruptive tactics, poor attention to quality…

For Labor:• Monotonous work• Limited opportunities for advancement• Little control over work• Little opportunities for self-fulfillment.

Self-directed (self-managed teams)empower to make certain changes in their work processes. Designed to achieve a higher level of

teamwork and employee involvement.

BENEFITS• Workers will work harder to ensure that the desired result is achieved.• Fewer managers needed.• Higher quality, higher productivity and greater work satisfaction.• No difficulty in applying team concepts.

source sChanges in tools &

equipmentsChanges in product designChanges in materials/proceduresGov’t/contractual agreementsOther factors (accidents, quality problems)

BASIC PROCEDURESIdentify the operation to be studied and

gather facts.

If the job is already in process, discuss the input with the operator &

supervisor.

Study and document present method using process charts. For new jobs,

develop charts.

Analyze the jobs

Propose new methods.

Install the new methods.

Follow up installation to assure that improvements have been achieved.

OPERATION TO STUDY

1. Have high labor content2. Done frequently3. Unsafe, tiring, unpleasant and/or

noisy4. Designed as problems.

DOCUMENTING PRESENT METHOD

• Charts• Graphs• Verbal Descriptions.

ANALYZING JOB & PROPOSED NEW METHODS

1. Flow Process Charts2. Worker-Machine Charts3. Gang Process Charts

Guidelines for selecting a job to study.

Provides understanding of the job and basis for comparison

against revisions

Flow Process ChartChart used to examine the overall sequence of an operation by focusing on movements of the operator or flow of materials.

Describes the symbols used in constructing a

flow process chart

Illustration of a Flow Process Chart

Checklist of questions they ask to generate

ideas for improvements. Examples:

1. Why is there a delay/storage at this point?2. How can travel distances be shortened/avoided?3. Can material handling be reduced?4. Would rearrangement of the workplace result in

greater efficiency?5. Can similar activities be grouped?6. Would the use of additional/improved equipment be

helpful?7. Does the worker have any ideas for improvement?

Motion Study

Motion Study Principles – Guidelines for designing motion efficient work procedures. Divided into three: Principles for the body, arrangement of workplace and design of tools & equipment.

Therbligs – Basic elemental motions of a job that can be broken down.

Micro-motion study – Use of cameras to slow down motion so it can be studied if the job is too rapid to analyze.

(1) Desired accuracy is expressed in percentage of the mean of the observed times.

(2) Alternate formula used when the desired accuracy is stated as an amount.

OBSERVED TIME

NORMAL TIME

STANDARD TIME

STANDARD ELEMENTAL TIMES“Time standards derived from a firm’s historical time data.”

ADVANTAGES

• Potential savings in cost & effort• Less disruption in work• Performance ratings are generally in average.

DISADVANTAGES

• Times may not exist for enough standard elements to make it worthy• File times may be biased or inaccurate.

PROCEDURE FOR USING THIS METHOD CONSIST OF THE FF. STEPS:

1. Analyze the job to identify the standard elements.

2. Check the file for elements that have historical times and record them. Use time study to obtain others (if necessary).

3. Modify the file times if necessary4. Sum the elemental times to obtain the

normal time, and factor in allowances to obtain the standard time.

PREDETERMINED TIME STANDARDS“Involved the use of published data based on extensive research to determine standard elemental times.”

Divide the job into basic elements

Measure the distances involved

Rate the difficulty of the element

Refer to appropriate table of data.

Sum of all Basic Elements = Standard Time for the job

Times of basic elements are measured in time measurement units (TMU)

1 TMU = 0.0006 minutes.

ADVANTAGES OF PREDETERMINED TIME

STANDARDS

Based on large numbers of workers in controlled conditions.

Analyst are not required to rate performance in developing the standard.

No disruption of operation

Standards are established even before the job is finished.

Work samplingTwo primary uses:

Ratio delay studies & Analysis of non-repetitive jobs.

ADVANTAGES OF WORK SAMPLING OVER STOPWATCH TIME STUDY

1. Observations are spread out over a period of time making results less susceptible to short-term fluctuations.

2. There is little or no disruption of work3. Workers are less resentful4. Studies are less costly & less time-consuming and the skill requirements are less.5. The study can be interrupted without affecting the results6. Many different studies can be conducted simultaneously7. No timing device is required8. Lends itself to non-repetitive tasks.

DISADVANTAGES

1. There is less detail on the elements of the job2. Workers may alter their work patterns when they spot the observer resulting in invalid

results.3. In many cases, there is no record of the method used by the worker.4. Observers may fail to adhere to a random schedule of observation5. It is not well suited for short, repetitive tasks.6. More time may be required to move from one workplace to another and back to satisfy the

randomness requirement.

Info

rmati

on

Job design

Method analysis

Motion study

Time standards