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Lesson 9work Sampling

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11 views

Lesson 9work Sampling

Uploaded by

Angelica Whayne
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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WORK SAMPLING

Work Measurement

Operations Management - 5th Edition

Roberta Russell & Bernard W. Taylor, III

Beni Asllani
Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Work Sampling

- is a method of finding the percentage


occurrence of a certain activity by
statistical sampling and random
observations.
- is a technique for estimating the proportion of
time that a worker or machine spends on
various activities and idle time.

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Supplement 8-2


Advantages of work
sampling

1. There is a little or no disruption of work


2. No timing device is required
3. It is well suited for non-repetitive tasks.
4. Workers are less resentful

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Supplement 8-3


Disadvantages

 1. There is much less detail on the


elements of the job.
 2. Workers may alter their work patterns
when they spot the observer , thereby
invalidating the results.
 It is not well suited for short , repetitive
tasks.

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Supplement 8-4


MAKING THE
OBSERVATIONS
 1. Selecting the job to be studied and
determining the objectives of the study.
 2. Making a preliminary observation to
determine the approximate values of p
and q.
 3. In terms of a chosen confidence level
and accuracy range, determining n.

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Supplement 8-5


 4. Determining the frequency of
observations, using random tables.
 5. Designing record sheets to meet the
objectives of the study.

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Supplement 8-6


Establishing confidence levels

To make things easier, it is more


convenient to speak of a 95 per cent
confidence level than of a 95.45 per cent
confidence level.

7
Establishing confidence levels

To achieve this we can change our


calculations and obtain:
i. 95 per cent confidence level or 95 per cent of the
area under the curve = 1.96σp
ii. 99 per cent confidence level or 99 per cent of the
area under the curve = 2.58σp
iii. 99.9 per cent confidence level or 99.9 per cent of
the area under the curve = 3.3σp

8
Determining of Sample size

As well as defining the confidence level for


our observations we have to decide on the
margin of error that we can allow for these
observations.
There are two methods of determining the
sample size that would be appropriate for
this example:

9
Determining of Sample size

Statistical method;
The formula used in this method is:

10
Determining of Sample size

Example:
Assume that some 100 observations were carried out
as a preliminary study and at random, and that these
showed the machine to be idle in 25 per cent of the
cases (p = 25) and to be working 75 per cent of the time
(q = 75).
Approximate values for p and q; in order to determine
the value of n.
A confidence level of 95 per cent with a 10 per cent
margin of error(that is, we are confident that in 95 per
cent of the cases our estimates will be ±10 per cent
of the real value).
11
Determining of Sample size

Statistical method;

12
Determining of Sample size

Nomogram
method;
An easier way to
determine sample size is
to read off the number
of observations needed
directly from a
nomogram.
This is very quick way
of determining sample
size.
13
Making Random
observations
Random observation
• To ensure that our observations are in fact made at
random, we can use a random table .
• Various types of random table exist, and these can
be used in different ways.
Let assume that we shall carry out our observations
during a day shift of eight hours, from 7 a.m. to 3
p.m. An eight-hour = 480 minutes. These may be
divided into 48 ten-minute periods.

14
Making Random
observations
Random observation
• 11 38 45 87 68 20 11 26 49 05

15
Making Random
observations
• Looking at these numbers, we find that we have to
discard 87, 68 and 49 because they are too high
(since we have only 48 ten-minute periods, any
number above 48 has to be discarded).
• Similarly, the second 11 will also have to be
discarded since it is a number that has already been
picked out. We therefore have to continue with our
readings to replace the four numbers we have
discarded. Using the same method, that is choosing
every second number after the last one (05), we now
have 14 15 47 22

16
Making Random
observations
• These four numbers are within the desired range
and have not appeared before. Our final selection
may now be arranged numerically and the times of
observation throughout the eight-hour day worked
out. Thus our smallest number (05) represents the
fifth ten-minute period after the work began at 7
a.m. Thus our first observation will be at 7.50 a.m.,
and soon.

17
Making Random
observations

18
Scope of the Study

• Determining the scope of the study. Before making


our actual observations, it is important that we
decide on the objective of our sampling.
• The simplest objective is that of determining
whether a given machine is idle or working. In such
case, our observations aim at detecting one or two
possibilities only;

19
Scope of the Study

• However, extend this simple model to try to find out


the cause of the stoppage of the machine;

20
Making the Observations

5 logical steps in conducting a work sampling study.


i. Selecting the job to be studied and determining the
objectives of the study;
ii. Making a preliminary observation to determine
the approximate values of p (idle) and q (working);
iii. In terms of a chosen confidence level and accuracy
range, determining n (number of observations
needed) determining the frequency of
observations, using random tables;
iv. Designing record sheets to meet the objectives of
the study;
v. Making and recording the observations and
analyzing the results.
21
Work Sampling Record sheet

22

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